Awareness session: ‘Women should consider lifestyle change before 40’

Speakers suggest measures to avoid medical conditions after menopause

KARACHI: Many women become vulnerable to medical conditions after menopause, said speakers, urging that they must change their lifestyle before they reach the age of 40 to avoid complications.

A public awareness event, titled ‘How to stay healthy after 40’, was organised by the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at Dr Ziauddin Hospital, Nazimabad, on Sunday.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Dr Ziauddin Hospital medical superintendent Dr Shireen Mansoor stated that menopause is a normal phenomenon, which happens to women after the age of 40, when their monthly menstrual cycles stop. She added that the average age of menopause is between 47 to 49 years among Pakistani women.



According to her, women reaching the age of 40 years must take care of their diet and exercise in order to avoid any complications.

Mansoor was of the view that if a woman experiences early menopause, hormonal replacement therapy must be considered.

Nuclear medicine consultant at the hospital, Dr Sajid Sattar, remarked that women must keep themselves healthy. He said that many of their conditions are related to menopause and can be cured if diagnosed early and taken into account.

He was of the view that the production of oestrogen, which prevents heart disease, ceases during menopause and the chances of heart attacks in menopausal women are then as high as in men. He further added that chances of osteoporosis also rise after menopause.

He stressed that safety measures must be taken, including the adoption of a healthy lifestyle and inclusion of vitamins C and D in their diet. He added that psychological issues also develop after menopause. He urged women to visit health consultants on a regular basis.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2016.