Marsha Lynn Speller, M.D., is a psychiatrist living in Delaware. The Menopause Answer Book is her first book.

Estrogen is a powerful female hormone that protects women from many health risks. In menopause, estrogen levels decline and its protective qualities decline as well. At the same time, a lifetime of bad habits may begin to catch up with us, and our genetic predispositions to disease begin to surface. All this leads to a plethora of symptoms, some temporary, some chronic and some life-threatening.

The Menopause Answer Book allows women to carefully assess their own symptoms and then seek out the information and treatments that will be tailored to their own specific needs:

-- Find out if you're at risk for diseases associated with menopause

-- Develop your Menopause Action Plan

-- Assess the pros and cons of Hormone Replacement Therapy

-- Find out what tests to request from your doctor

-- Find out how to get the attention and treatment that you need

-- Learn about important lifestyle changes to make right now

Women dealing with menopause and perimenopause are bombarded with information but often have a hard time figuring out what applies to them and how to choose between conflicting advice. The Menopause Answer Book is the must-have companion to the top-selling menopause books, which are informational but don't help women tailor their treatment.

Introduction

Part I-How Hormones Work

Chapter 1 Getting Personal

Chapter 2 In the Beginning

Chapter 3 The Normal Menstrual Cycle

Chapter 4 The Power of Estrogen

Chapter 5 The Effect of Estrogen on the Body's Organs

Chapter 6 Estrogen Withdrawal Symptoms

Chapter 7 Postpartum Blues and PMS

Part II-The Individual is the Context

Chapter 8 Your Medical History

Chapter 9 Laboratory Tests and Screening Examinations

Chapter 10 Recommended Tests and Screenings-By the Decade

Chapter 11 Early History Counts.

Part III-How's Your Health?

Chapter 12 Disease Risk Assessment

Chapter 13 Obesity

Chapter 14 Heart Disease, Hypertension, and Cholesterol

Chapter 15 Urogenital Dysfunction

Chapter 16 Osteopenia and Osteoporosis

Chapter 17 Thyroid Disease

Chapter 18 Diabetes.

Chapter 19 Osteoarthritis

Chapter 20 Cancer

Chapter 21 Alzheimer's Disease

Chapter 22 Stress and Depression

Part IV-To Be or Not To Be on HRT

Chapter 23 First Thoughts

Chapter 24 Is It Safe For Me?

Chapter 25 Recent Research Findings and Controversies

Chapter 26 What Products Are Out There?

Chapter 27 Your Initial Evaluation and Follow-Up for HRT

Chapter 28 A First Look at Alternatives to HRT

Part V-Alternatives

Chapter 29 What is Meant by "Alternatives"?

Chapter 30 Smoking

Chapter 31 Alcohol, Soda, and Caffeine

Chapter 32 Vitamin and Mineral Supplements.

Chapter 33 Food Basics: Protein, Carbs, Fats, Fiber, and Water

Chapter 34 Phytoestrogens

Chapter 35 Weight Gain and Muscle Loss

Chapter 36 Dieting and Exercise

Chapter 37 A Reference Guide to Improving Your Health

Chapter 38 The SANE Approach to Developing Your MAP

Part VI-The MAP

Chapter 39 Completing the Menopause Action Plan

Chapter 40 Part I-My Current Symptoms

Chapter 41 Part II-My Medical History

Chapter 42 Part III-My Disease Risks

Chapter 43 Part IV-My HRT Assessment

Chapter 44 Part V-My Lifestyle

Afterword

Resources

Index

About the Author