Medicine specialist shares important information about menopause at event in Pretoria
SALM TEAM 
Bayer South Africa, the local arm of global life science company Bayer, in partnership with Dr Ledivia Strauss of RevitaHealth, held an event last week at Menlyn Boutique Hotel, where women were invited to learn more about menopause.
This event saw Dr Strauss share important facts about menopause, which sees 47 million women entering this life stage every year. Studies and clinical guidelines suggest that menopause can present with more than 30 to 40 different symptoms. Dr Strauss, who is a medical doctor with a special interest in functional, integrative, and aesthetic medicine with her practice based at Paarl MediCentre in the Western Cape, says that while menopause is inevitable, suffering is optional! This event is part of a national roadshow which has seen Dr Strauss addressing delegates in Paarl and George before coming to Pretoria.
Menopause, a natural life stage marking the end of a woman’s reproductive years, affects over 47 million women worldwide each year. By 2030, the world population of menopausal and postmenopausal women is projected to increase to 1.2 billion. Most women experience menopause between the ages of 45 and 55 as a natural part of biological ageing, caused by the loss of ovarian follicular function and a decline in circulating blood estrogen levels.
Perimenopause is the transitional phase, often starting in a woman’s 40s, when estrogen levels gradually drop and symptoms may include irregular periods. Menopause is the point when periods stop completely, and estrogen production is very low. Postmenopause is the stage after menopause, lasting for the rest of a woman’s life, when most symptoms ease but risks including osteoporosis and heart disease may increase.
