Perimenopause is now defined as the variable-length time frame during which menses become more erratic, and lasting through the 12 months of amenorrhea from the last menstrual period. This case-based approach offers several practical tips for managing this challenging time in your female patients.

Hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms: Impact of recent trials on prescribing practices While the 2002 Women's Health Initiative sparked concerns that hormone replacement therapy might cause more harm than good, recent findings have helped lay a firmer foundation for prescribing decisions. Sep 1, 2006 By: Richard H. Karas, MD, PhD, JoANN E. MANSON, MD, DrPH, VERONICA RAVNIKAR, MD

While the 2002 Women's Health Initiative sparked concerns that hormone replacement therapy might cause more harm than good, recent findings have helped lay a firmer foundation for prescribing decisions.

Managing menopause in the posthormone therapy era Because of fears engendered by recent studies highlighting the risks of hormone use, the management of menopause has become complex. Partnering with the patient to find the most acceptable treatment for her symptoms is key. Aug 1, 2005 By: Veronica A Ravnikar,MD, Nanette Santoro, MD, Wulf H. Utian, MD, PhD

Prior to 2002, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was commonly prescribed not only to treat menopausal symptoms, but also to prevent certain chronic diseases.1,2 That practice has been called into question as a result of a few randomized controlled trials, including an arm of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), which was discontinued early because of findings that the health risks of hormone use outweighed the benefits.2 Media attention on these results panicked some women who became wary of using HRT.

Now in its 10th year, the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) has produced some intriguing findings about the impact of ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES) on a woman's experience of the menopause. We have more than 3000 women in their middle years who have enrolled at SWAN's 7 designated research centers since 1994 and many researchers to thank for these unprecedented data on how midlife experiences affect health and quality of life during aging.