Concise and designed for anyone to read

This book, based on the British Menopause Society Handbook for health professionals, is designed for the lay reader. It provides a concise (99 pages) yet adequate overview of menopause and its management, and it is generally consistent with Australian clinical practice. It covers basic physiology, symptoms, long term effects, hormone therapy and other management issues. The text, although varying at times in its degree of complexity, was accompanied by generally easy to understand diagrams and useful summary boxes. 

Each chapter lists sources of further information, including relevant journal articles (many of which are 2006 publications), book titles and web-sites.

 Particularly useful chapters include: Chapter 6 - "Understanding your risk factors for major diseases"; Chapter 10 -  "Diet, exercise and hip protectors"; Chapter 11 - "Alternative and complementary therapies"; and Chapter 13 -  "Managing the menopause when you have other medical conditions." A glossary and index is also included.  

While discussion of the risks and benefits of hormone therapy is adequately covered, the chapter describing alternatives to oestrogen in the treatment of hot flushes could have provided more detail.  Also, as this book is primarily directed at a UK audience, there were some limitations for an Australian reader:  The book uses UK demographic statistics and UK screening schedules for breast mammography; some of the hormone preparations cited are not available in Australia; and there is an absence of relevant Australian web-sites. The book also consistently refers to hormone replacement therapy rather than hormone therapy which is the preferred term here.. In conclusion, this book would particularly suit tertiary-educated perimenopausal and menopausal women who want a short but comprehensive overview of the issues related to menopause and a useful guide to further sources of reliable information.

Book Review: Dr Amanda Vincent - Editor Changes

Edited by Margaret Rees, David W. Purdie and Sally Hope
British Menopause Society
The Royal Society of Medicine Press Ltd
1 Wimpole Street, London, WIG 0EA, UK
www.rsm.ac.uk

Content Updated 18 September, 2008