Turkish Journal of
GERIATRICS

Ankara Numune Hastanesi, Kadın Hastalıkları ve Doğum Kliniği - ANKARA Number of women in menopause age is rapidly increasing in western societies. Menopause was accepted as a physiologic condition before the mid 80s. However, today it is clearly understood that after menopause osteoporosis, changes in lipid and carbonhydrate metabolism, cardiovascular system, arteriosclerosis, vascular tones and their complications are important health problems for geriatric women. Changes in LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio, diminished EDRF release and increase of plague formation in coronary arteries causes increased rate of cardiovascular diseases after menopause due to increased insulin resistance. Bone mass loss causes increased rate of fractures and related problems. All these changes beyond vasomotor symptoms and genitel atrophy are corrected by hormone replacement therapy. Two contraindicitions of the therapy are the presence of serious liver problems and breast carcinoma.Side effect of the therapy are minimal. Slight increase of the breast cancer (after 10 years) and endometrium cancer rates are the important ones. Keywords : Menopause, HRT, Osteoporosis, coronary Vascular Diseases, Breast Ca, Endometrium Ca