Midlife Health - Current Concepts and Challenges for the Future: Proceedings of the 5th European Congress on Menopause, Copenhagen, 1-5 July 2000(v. 1229 International Congress S.)

The world population is growing and ageing. This is particularly true for the female part and the World Health Organisation has predicted a 4-fold increase of women over 50 by the year 2030. Already by the age of 50 women start to outnumber men, and after age 75 there are twice as many women as men. Current knowledge of women's health issues after the age of 50 is vital, as women will be the most common patients almost irrespective of medical specialty!Some of the burning questions and hot issues discussed during the 5th European Congress on the Menopause Andropause are: prevention is better than cure; how could this be done cost-effectively? Is this applicable to all major diseases? How should prevention be organised? Can results from one population be transferred directly to another? What is the preventive role of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in women? Could HRT also be used to treat common diseases and disorders and if so, which form is best used and for how long? And could HRT also be advocated for men?

Table of Contents:
Preface. I. Endocrinology, physiology and psychology in mid ages. Metabolic and endocrine changes in climacteric women (A. Milewicz, M. Demissie). Psychosocial stress and male gonadal function (M. Nilisson, P. Bavenholm). 5-androgens and postmenopause: effects of 6 months DHEA supplementation in postmenopausal women (A. Genazzani et al.). Menopause: loss of self-esteem? (M. Lachowsky). How to assess quality of life? Aspects of methodology (E. Alder). Depression in midlife women: what have we learned from longitudinal studies? (A. Mariella, E. Mitchell, N. Woods). HRT and cognitive funcion (R. Erkkola, P. Polo-Kantola). Middle-aged men: sexuality and well-being lecture given on the 6th European Congress on Menopause Copenhagen, Denmark, 1-4 July 2000 (A. Thiele). II. Osteoporosis. Techniques for measuring bone mineral density (J. Stepan). Postmenopausal osteoporosis: biochemical markers for monitoring of bone metabolism (N. Bjarnason). III. Hormones and cardiovascular disease. Estrogen and apoptosis in atherosclerosis (M. Barton, M. Cox). Inflammation in atherosclerosis and acute coronary syndromes (J. Gram). HRT effects on inflammatory markers: is chronic inflammation a contra-indication for HRT? (C. Kluft). Nutritional modification of cardiovascular disease risk (M. Osler). Hypertension and HRT (A. Mueck). Motion: there is no relation between estrogen deficiency and cardiovascular morbidity. Some introductory remarks by the moderator Dr. Amos Pines to a debate between Dr. John Sevenson (for) and Dr. Trudy Bush (against) (A. Pines). Long-term hormone replacement therapy use is no longer controversial (S. Palacios). IV. Breast and endometrium. Risk of breast cancer with hormone replacement therapy (K. Michels). Is there a place for progestin agents in breast cancer prevention? (A. Gompel et al.). Managing menopausal symptoms after breast cancer (E. Kubista, M. Seifert). Cancer in the family and implications for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (P. Fasching et al.). Ultrasound: a useful tool? (W. Haenggi, L. Raio). Biopsy techniques (S. Rozenberg et al.). V. Wound healing. Ovarian hormone deficiency and wound healing (M. Calvin). VI. Information and education. Clinical use of soy products (P. Albertazzi). Cimicifuga racemosa: a selective estrogen receptor modulator? (D. Seidlova-Wuttke et al.). Attitudes towards menopause and hormone replacement therapy in different cultures (S. Krishna). The consensus conference and technical report series (B. Nesheim). Whom and how should we inform? (T. Moskovic). Index of authors. Keyword index.