E. A. Thorndike and A. S. Turner

Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, Ft.Collins ,CO 80523

Received 9/25/97 Accepted 4/10/98

3. A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH CESSATION OF OVARIAN FUNCTION

Current trends in population dynamics fuel the interest in conditions associated with menopause. Because of decreases in maternal mortality and deaths from infectious disease, today’s average white female will survive to the age of 79 (4) which means that she can expect to live 1/3 of her life in a postmenopausal hypoestrogenic state (5). Further, one of the most alarming statistics related to this demographic

shift is that, within approximately the next 40 years, the population of women in the United States over the age of 65 will double, reaching 65 million (6). Accordingly, this population shift will make menopause a highly prevalent state and one which recent epidemiological studies indicate is a risk factor for several subsequent chronic diseases (7). There is a well-documented and ever-increasing body of evidence appearing in the medical literature linking menopause and the subsequent decrease in estrogen production with four serious conditions: CAD, osteoporosis, OA, and oral bone loss. In addition to these conditions, there are a number of well-researched symptoms associated with menopause such as vasomotor abnormalities ("hot flashes"), sleep disturbances, urogenital atrophy, vaginal dryness, insomnia, depression and perhaps fatigue. It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss the pathophysiology and management of these symptoms. We will discuss some of characteristics of certain conditions associated with cessation of ovarian function as seen in ovariectomized sheep. The medical and economic impact of postmenopausal diseases, a great need to search for the appropriate treatments, examining not only the role of estrogen but also estrogen-like agents and other pharmacological alternatives in the treatment and prevention of these diseases.