Preventive care for the menopausal woman

In summary, menopause represents a stage in a woman's life for the primary care physician to have an important impact on health [43]. Decision-making must weigh individual risk factors for heart disease, osteoporosis and breast cancer. Hormone replacement therapy remains an important issue for the postmenopausal woman [44]. More evidence is needed to define the specific health benefits and risks of HRT, particularly as it relates to the prevention of CHD. A patient centered approach using a shared decision making model is most likely to result in improved patient satisfaction and desired health outcome.