By: Red Hot Mamas
Published: June 30, 2010
Menopause is a broad subject that includes a wide variety of topics. As the title of this book accurately states, it serves as a “complete guide to menopause”. Topics ranging from hormone therapy to looking good are well-organized and easily referenced. It is obvious the authors intended to cover all the bases of menopause and the book goes far beyond just the hot flashes it suggests in the title.
Menopausal woman also have other health concerns that are sometimes overlooked. This book offers information on such topics like the “danger signs in pigmented lesions of the skin”, as well as other changes that occur that may affect women’s health and well-being. The authors provide a broad spectrum of health information which is certainly very useful. In a question and answer format, the authors try to satisfy the needs of those with individualized medical problems.
There is no doubt the authors are well qualified and well-versed in menopause. They are both authors of the well-known Newsweek health column “Her Body”. They understand the complex nature of hormone therapy and how the news can sometimes make it a volatile topic of discussion. The foreword, written by Bernadine Healy (the former director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) during the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) years) highly praises the content and guidelines of the book.
One of the most helpful parts of this book is included in Appendix I. The authors state they didn’t want to “bog you down with too many charts and technical terms”, so they do not appear in the book until the appendices.
The charts are great for a quick reference to information and are presented by chapter. They feature the raw results of the Women’s Health Initiative (which is nice to see laid out in graphical form) along with a long list of resources listed by menopause subject. Keep in mind the list/profile of hormone therapy products is not the most up-to-date version available* as there new products which have been approved for use since the printing of this book.
Overall, this is a great, thorough reference that can help guide and educate women during the often-times confusing transition of menopause. During the month of September, in support of Menopause Awareness Month, the Red Hot Mamas and Workman Publishing Company are partnering to give away this new book. Find out how you can win a copy by contacting your local Red Hot Mamas chapter.
*To view the latest hormone therapy charts from the North American Menopause Society, click here
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