Menopause Matters: Your Guide to a Long and Healthy Life »

Julia Schlam Edelman, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., is a board-certified gynecologist, a certified menopause clinician, and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She is in private practice in Massachusetts.

Menopause Matters is a complete guide for improving a woman's physical and mental health from age 35 and on.

Gynecologist and menopause specialist Dr. Julia Schlam Edelman has helped thousands of women feel better and enjoy healthier lives. Scientifically sound and clinically tested, Dr. Edelman's advice is a welcome alternative to the often misleading, conflicting, and confusing sound bites in media reports on women's health issues. Menopause Matters covers the full spectrum of topics of vital interest to perimenopausal and postmenopausal women: hot flashes, vaginal dryness, memory loss, mood changes, depression, hormone replacement therapy, sleep, diet, exercise, healthy sex, and contraception.

In a class by itself when it comes to menopause books, Menopause Matters:

• promotes informed collaboration between women and their doctors,• advises women to improve their health based on findings in respected research studies,• provides clear explanations of physiology and anatomy, and• relates stories from real women who have experienced all stages of menopause.

Dr. Edelman includes prevention strategies for lowering the risks of heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer. And her practical hints about how to take supplements and medication for maximum benefit are invaluable.

Menopause Matters empowers women to be active partners with their physicians during midlife and beyond. No woman will read the book without experiencing at least one big wake-up call about how to live a happier, healthier life.

Publishers Weekly

Massachusetts-based gynecologist and menopause specialist Edelman notes that since the lifespan of the average North American woman has risen to age 84, it's likely that females of the current generation will be spending more than one third of their lives in postmenopause. In order to remain “healthy, energetic, and productive” Edelman urges preventive care and an ongoing relationship with a trustworthy doctor. Although menopause is a “healthy state,” it also holds potential risks, and according to Edelman, the best way to navigate the postmenopausal years is to be knowledgeable. Accordingly, her text resembles a sit-down talk with a trusted physician on a host of health issues associated with this phase of life. Edelman covers hot flashes, sex drive, hormone replacement therapy, heart disease, thyroid disease, cancer and sleep issues. She includes a chapter on bones and the “silent, invisible process of bone thinning,” as well as a chapter on mood, memory and mental health. Edelman offers practical tips on taking calcium (in divided doses), advice about urinary tract or bladder infections and a frank discussion of sexual issues. The importance of lifestyle, including diet and exercise, and cancer prevention strategies, are covered as well. With clarity and confidence, Edelman addresses a wide range of essential and timely topics in this information-packed primer for women entering perimenopause and beyond. (Jan.)

1 You and Your Doctor: The Health Alliance 1

2 Handling Hot Flashes without Hormones 19

3 Taking Hormones in Menopause 42

4 Heart Disease: The Risk of Doing Nothing 66

5 Understanding Unexpected Bleeding 82

6 Common Concerns 113

7 Smoother Sex 134

8 Compatible Contraception 162

9 Moods, Memory, and Mental Health 172

10 Successful Sleep 207

11 Better Bones 221

12 Lifestyle Choices for Living Longer 262

13 Curbing Your Risk of Cancer 298

14 Your Doctor Visit 331

References 359

Index 375