READ EXCERPT: 'Ask Dr. Marie,' by Marie Savard

Aug. 4, 2009— -- ABC News medical contributor Dr. Marie Savard tackles the most intimate questions women have about the female reproductive system in her new book, "Ask Dr. Marie: Straight Talk and Reassuring Answers to Your Most Private Questions." In a tone a best friend or sister might take, Savard explains what's normal and what women should do when they believe they have problems.

Savard tackles issues according to life stages, moving from menstruation to menopause and beyond. She also describes how to get the health care you need and ways to make the most of the little time you have during a doctor's appointment.

Read an excerpt of the book below, and head to the "GMA" Library for more good reads.

The Bonus Years

Making the Most of Menopause and Beyond

In This Chapter

What Happens during "The Change"

Hormone Therapy (HT): Boon or Bane?

Health Strategies to Help You Live Long and Well

Behind Closed Doors: The Best Sex Now

The average life expectancy of a woman born in 1900 was forty-nine. Since the age when most women have their final period is about fifty-two, she might not have reached that milestone. You, on the other hand, are statistically likely to be around to enjoy a substantial number of years when birth control is no longer necessary, the nest is empty, and retirement or an "encore career" has made the rat race a mere memory. In addition, the low-maintenance pleasures of grand-parenting may be yours. And if you're lucky enough to be among the estimated 20 percent of women who experience few or no menopausal symptoms, you may sail through this life event wondering what all the fuss is about when it comes to the debate over the various types of Hormone Therapy including bio-identical hormones. Still, no less a source than the National Institutes of Health reports that some 60 percent of women have symptoms bothersome enough to merit treatment. What's more, an additional 20 percent have symptoms that are severe and even disabling. In other words, menopause is no picnic for a great many women. I speak from experience! Also, even women who have an easy time of it need to learn to live well with the new reality of a postmenopausal body.

Lost in the chorus of conflicting claims about what women should or shouldn't do for symptomatic relief of menopausal symptoms is the fact that menopause ushers in lasting transformations in a woman's body. In other words, menopause really is a "change." After you have had your final period ever and the hot flashes— if any—simmer down at last, you are different in six important ways. Some of these are attributable solely to menopause while others also have to do with the effects of aging in general. Together they constitute that "new reality" I mentioned and they all need your attention if you're going to maintain your health.

Here is what will be new about your postmenopausal body.

1. The risk of heart disease increases. As estrogen levels decrease, we lose our edge over men when it comes to warding off cardiac problems and strokes.
2. Belly fat increases. Our fat distribution shifts from the protective "pear-shaped" zone around the hips and thighs to the more dangerous "apple-shaped" zone of belly fat typical of men. This puts us at higher risk for metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and the cascade of conditions this disease can engender.
3. Blood pressure goes up. Even women who have always had low blood pressure and who are not overweight or sedentary can experience an increase that puts the BP higher than the recommended 130/80.
4. Metabolism slows down, but mostly this happens if you slow down and lose fat-burning muscle mass.
5. Bone density decreases. Virtually all postmenopausal women eventually have a condition called osteopenia. The risk of fractures goes up and if osteoporosis develops, the risk of fractures goes up further still.
6. Vulvar tissues atrophy. All menopausal women experience a thinning of the tissues of the vulva including the vagina, urethra, and the labia that can lead to problems. Almost half develop a more advanced version commonly called atrophic vaginitis (discussed later in this chapter).

What Are the Definitions of "Perimenopause," "Menopause," and "Postmenopause"?
The term "perimenopause" first appeared in the Merriam Webster dictionary in 1962. The literal meaning is "around the menopause." Perimenopause refers not only to the years when ovulation has started to shut down, usually during the mid-forties, but also to the twelve months after the last period ever. This is because cessation of the menses can only be diagnosed retroactively. All the years after perimenopause are called postmenopause although symptoms may persist. Technically, the word "menopause"—and it's not a pause at all but a full stop!—refers only to the last menstrual cycle. Remember, you won't know for sure that it was the final one until twelve months have passed with no periods. However, in popular parlance "menopause" is most often used to refer to the whole process. For example, people say, "She's going through menopause." Even doctors often refer to "menopausal patients."

I, for one, find facing up to these realities of the postmenopausal body to be empowering rather than depressing. Knowing the truth about how we have changed inside gives us the opportunity to take preventive measures that will keep us well.

You won't be surprised to hear that I'm going to hit home once again my message about making wise lifestyle choices. In addition though, as you'll learn later in this chapter, my Five Factors for Selecting a Hormone Therapy Option can also help you as long as you are not on my list of those for whom HT is not a good option. Incidentally, HT is sometimes called hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or menopause hormone therapy (MHT). The terms are interchangeable.

Because I'm a doctor of internal medicine who treats the whole patient rather than a gynecologist who focuses on the reproductive system, my mission is to make you aware of how menopause and aging affect your entire system. A lot of us tackle the external markers of aging by coloring our hair, using "age-defying" or "rejuvenating" skincare products, or perhaps opting for plastic surgery. That's fine if those surface upgrades make you feel good about yourself. But how much better it is to team them with smart strategies to combat the effects of the internal transformations of the third age of our lives! I'll detail those strategies for you including a safe, effective, and protective HT regimen with FDA-approved bio-identical hormones. I use it myself. First, though, I want you to understand exactly what goes on as you progress through perimenopause.

In the 1970s when menopause was still a taboo topic, the groundbreaking television show All in the Family aired a now-classic scene in which Archie Bunker, a lovable working-class bigot, loses patience when his wife has a hot flash while eating soup:

Archie Bunker: I know all about your woman's troubles there, Edith, but when I had the hernia that time, I didn't make you wear the truss. If you're gonna have the change of life, you gotta do it right now. I'm gonna give you just thirty seconds. Now c'mon and change.

Edith Bunker: Can I finish my soup first?

If only menopause were so simple! Unfortunately, we don't have an inner switch that would turn off female fertility with one flick. Instead, the process is a gradual one during which the ovaries produce less and less estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Your adrenal glands do go on making a certain amount of testosterone and other hormones, some of which are then changed to estrogen in your fat cells—especially belly or "visceral" fat cells. However, this estrogen is not as potent as what you once had. All of these hormonal changes work together to precipitate a disruption of your previously regular cycle of ovulation so that your periods become unpredictable and often heavy. Over time, about ten years for most of us, any eggs and follicles that are still left in the ovaries degenerate. When the last available egg ripens and travels down one of your fallopian tubes, you have your final period. As I said, the last period usually happens at the age of fifty-two although smokers typically go through menopause several years earlier than that. Keep in mind, though, that you won't know you're no longer fertile until a full year has gone by with no periods, so do continue using birth control—and condoms even after that to protect against STIs if you have new partners.

Also, if you're taking birth control pills (see sidebar on birth control pills on page 189) or cyclic HT, you won't know when your egg production stops because you'll continue to experience "withdrawal bleeds" every month. However, the bleeds from HT will eventually lighten and may disappear altogether, especially if you're at a healthy weight and don't have excess belly fat. Still, you may want to get a blood test to confirm that you've gone through menopause and can safely stop using contraceptives. You will need to stop your hormones for five days or more before getting this simple blood test that will show that you are producing a very high level of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).

Back in chapter 4, you learned that FSH kicks in at puberty to cause the follicles to mature and the eggs to ripen. At menopause after all the eggs are gone, FSH starts sending stronger and stronger signals. You might think of this as though the FSH is frustrated because there's no response! The high level of FSH is normal and it's not harmful at all.

By now menopause is no longer shrouded in secrecy and women who would never have discussed their periods in polite company wisecrack about their hot flashes anywhere from the office to cocktail parties. However, all the empowering bravado about "red-hot mamas" aside, the infamous symptoms can be truly disabling for plenty of women. You probably already know about the hallmark complaints. Along with hot flashes, women experience erratic periods, sleep disturbances, night sweats, memory lapses, and mood swings. Some women also have heart palpitations, "pins and needles" or "crawly" skin, joint pain, headaches, and breast tenderness. Another postmenopausal symptom is facial hair that sprouts when estrogen levels drop and androgens predominate. My postmenopausal sister-in-law was only half joking when she told her daughters to pluck out her chin hairs if she's ever too frail or demented to do it herself!

Reduced libido can also happen. However, the reason you're not in the mood may have more to do with physical issues such as a dry vagina and the thinning skin of your labia than with an actual lack of desire. Sex during menopause is such an important topic that I've devoted a whole section of this chapter to it. (Okay, skip ahead if you can't wait, but promise me you'll come back and read all of the other life-enhancing information I have for you as well!)

Hormone Therapy (HT): Boon or Bane?
As you know by now, I am against thinking of any medication as a magic bullet that gets you out of the need to take what I call the "Lifestyle Pill." Later in this chapter I'll go over what you can do not only for symptomatic relief during menopause but also for a lifetime of good health in your new postmenopausal body. However, as a physician and as a woman myself, I strongly believe that there is also a place for safe and effective hormone therapy in the lives of vast numbers of women. I've already discussed testosterone therapy for low libido in chapter 2. Now I'm going to explain estrogen and progesterone therapy for menopausal symptoms and as protection against certain health problems. I know that you may well be confused about whether or not HT is a good option for you. HT's history has always been fraught with controversy.

To clarify the salient issues for you in the most succinct manner possible, I'm going to present them first as a list. After you've studied the bullet points and absorbed a basic understanding of this complex and often confusing topic, you can go on to read my in-depth explanation that follows the list.

What are conjugated estrogens? Conjugated in this context means "formed by the union of two compounds." The phrase conjugated estrogens refers to an FDA-approved synthetic product derived from the urine of pregnant mares—hence the brand name "Premarin." It also refers to an FDA-approved plant based product called Cenestin. The molecular structure of these products is not identical to the estrogen produced by a woman's body. No one knows whether or not this is clinically significant.

What is unopposed estrogen? This phrase refers to estrogen that is not balanced by progesterone. In the 1970s, researchers linked unopposed estrogen therapy with an increased risk of uterine cancer.

What are bio-identical hormones? These are products with molecular structures that are the same as those of the hormones produced by a woman's body before menopause. Again, no one knows whether or not this is clinically significant. Bioidentical hormones are often called "natural." However, they are synthesized in laboratories from plant sources such as Mexican wild yams (not the same as sweet potatoes!) and soy. In that sense, they can be called "synthetic."

Are there any bio-identical hormones approved by the FDA? Yes. Several bio-identical estrogen (estradiol) products made from yams were approved during the 1990s. One, with the brand name Estrace, is made from both yams and soy. An FDAapproved progesterone product, Prometrium, is a "micronized" form of the hormone that is easy for the body to process.

What is a compounding pharmacy? These are pharmacies that custom mix drugs according to a physician's prescription. Media attention has recently focused on their role in creating bio-identical preparations. One reason a doctor might tailor a prescription for a menopausal woman would be to treat her with testosterone for low libido. Some doctors customize an HT prescription based on the results of a saliva test but these tests are unreliable. Also, the position of the American College of obstetricians and Gynecologists on this issue is that "hormone therapy does not require customized dosing."

Why doesn't the FDA approve preparations made by compounding pharmacists? The FDA can only approve products that are standardized and that have been shown in clinical trials to be safe and effective. A corollary of this fact is that insurance companies may not pay for hormones compounded by a pharmacy. Therefore the cost to the consumer can be greater than for pharmaceutical-grade hormones.

Can herbal supplements relieve menopausal symptoms? Probably not and they may not be safe. A 2005 study done by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), reported that there is not as yet enough evidence to support the belief that "botanicals" such as black cohosh, red clover, ginseng, dong quai, and kava reduce menopausal symptoms or that they cause no harm. None of these preparations are FDA-approved. NCCAM also cautions that herbal remedies can have adverse interactions with over-the-counter and prescription medications.

What does "oral medication" mean? This refers to drugs in pill or capsule form. Among the drawbacks of oral hormone medications is that when the liver processes them, they stimulate proteins associated with heart disease and stroke.

What does "transdermal medication" mean? This refers to products such as patches, creams, and gels, which allow drugs to be absorbed through the skin. This method bypasses the liver. Another way to bypass the liver is to deliver medication through the vagina such as with intravaginal estrogen.

What is "continuous therapy"? This means that estrogen and progesterone therapy are taken every day without interruption even though a pre-menopausal woman does not produce progesterone every day of the month. A combination pill such as Prempro (Premarin plus Provera, a synthetic version of progesterone called progestin) constitutes continuous therapy. Women may bleed erratically at first but most women stop bleeding altogether on continuous therapy.

What is cyclical therapy? This means that a form of continuous estrogen therapy is teamed with separate progesterone therapy that is purposely interrupted for several days a month to mimic a woman's natural hormonal cycle. Women will typically bleed in a cyclic fashion, although the bleeding is usually minimal and sometimes stops altogether.

If a woman is going to use an HT regimen, when should she start? The earlier during perimenopause the better. HT should not be started by post-menopausal women in the hopes of preventing health problems such as Alzheimer's or heart disease. There is no evidence that HT provides this kind of protection and starting hormones that late may pose health risks.

Why are current HT doses lower than in the past? Low doses have been shown to be effective and they are safer than the higher doses prescribed in previous years.

Does HT significantly increase the risk of breast cancer? The risk is small, especially when it comes to women who don't have high risk factors in the first place. (See the sidebar "Who Shouldn't Take Hormone Therapy?" on page 183.) Women who have disabling symptoms of menopause may decide in conjunction with their physicians that the benefits of HT outweigh the slight risk. Also, the risk has been shown to disappear completely within a short time if a woman stops HT.

How long should a woman stay on an HT regimen? The answer varies from woman to woman. Many women stop after symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats have subsided. Other women who continue to be bothered by symptoms such as vaginal dryness and itching that compromise sexual pleasure may choose in conjunction with their physicians to continue a safe and effective form of HT indefinitely. (See my Five Factors on page 185 for the regimen I recommend.)Even so, because I had been taking a combination of synthetic oral estrogen and progestin, I did reconsider my HT options. In fact I wrote an op-ed piece that was published in the Philadelphia Inquirer explaining why I chose my new regimen. First, I switched to Vivelle-dot, a transdermal ("through the skin") patch that had been approved by the FDA

in 1994. It delivers a bio-identical form of estradiol (a type of estrogen) derived from yams. The molecular structure is chemically the same as the estradiol produced by a woman's body before menopause.

Next, because the dangers of taking estrogen that is unopposed by progesterone have long been known, I coupled the patch with cyclical oral doses of Prometrium, a bio-identical micronized form of progesterone that had been approved by the FDA in 1998. Again, the source of the hormone is yams and the molecular structure is the same as that of endogenous progesterone. There is to date no transdermal FDA-approved form of progesterone. If there were, I would prefer it to the oral medication. (Prometrium isn't used in birth control pills. See chapter 5.)

The patch delivers a very low dose of estrogen that goes directly into the bloodstream rather than going to the liver as all orally ingested pills do. The liver is nature's digestive clearinghouse. When you take hormones orally, you need a dose that's about ten times higher than the dose required if you have a patch because the liver will break down the dose and send only about one-tenth of it into your system to do its work on most tissues in the body.

Beyond that, any estrogen delivered transdermally—whether by the patch, the spray recently approved by the FDA, or a cream or gel—doesn't carry the risk of an increased tendency to blood clots or high blood pressure. In addition, it doesn't cause an increase in blood inflammation as measured by a simple, inexpensive blood test called the C-reactive protein test. It does help to improve blood cholesterol although the "good cholesterol" will not go up as high as it does with oral HT. However, the other benefits of transdermal delivery outweigh this small drawback.

The 2008 Danish Sex Hormone Register Study confirmed what I have been saying for years about transdermal estrogen and cyclic oral progesterone. This is the first large-scale observational study that addresses the influence of various regimens, doses, and delivery systems. The researchers found that transdermal estrogen did lower the risk of heart disease while they found that continuous combined oral estrogen progesterone regimens such as the one used in the WHI trial were associated with higher risks.

Bio-Identical Preparations Made by Compounding Pharmacies
Along with the mass retreat from HT that happened in the wake of the 2002 Premarin and Prempro scare when the WHI study was stopped, a lot of women jumped on the bio-identical hormone bandwagon. However, instead of taking the FDA-approved brands made by drug companie as I did, many women got prescriptions from their physicians based on the results of saliva tests. These prescriptions purportedly customize the hormone dosages to suit any given woman's needs. The problem with that approach is two-fold. First, the saliva tests are unreliable. Second, the preparations mixed by the compounding pharmacists have never been tested for safety or efficacy. Ironically, proponents of the bio-identicals made by compounding pharmacies often claim that these preparations are safer because they are "natural." That's such a comforting word but there's no proof to back up the claim. Again, let me underscore that what does make a difference is the delivery system and dose. Transdermal wins hands down over oral as far as I'm concerned.

Should Menopause be "Medicalized"?
Yet another response to the WHI scare was the emergence of a school of thought that says menopause is a natural event in a woman's life that shouldn't be "medicalized" and that women should simply avoid hormones at all costs. I don't buy that. My stance is that if you are in the throes of menopause, don't hesitate to talk to your doctor about the pros and cons of HT given your unique medical history. The final word on the benefits of HT at menopause for some women has not yet been spoken.

There's no one-size-fits-all answer. Whenever I hear people insist that menopause is a natural event that shouldn't be "medicalized," I can't help but think about one of my patients. Diana was forty-three when she came to me and said, "Please, please, turn off the water! I totally soak the sheets with night sweats and I get barely any sleep. My husband ends up on the couch half the time. We hardly ever have sex anymore and my moods are all over the place. I have trouble concentrating at the office and I have a hot flash like every other minute during the day. I can't go on like this for another ten years! Help!"

Whether you breeze through menopause with minimal complaints or you suffer from every symptom in the book, your body will be different when the process is complete, as we have seen. This is true, by the way, even if taking HT gives you the illusion that you're still menstruating. HT doesn't do anything to slow down or reverse the aging of your reproductive system, or any other system for that matter. Years ago HT was touted as an elixir of youth, but while it may do a little something to stave off wrinkles, it can't keep you forever young. In fact, lifestyle measures—my mantra, the "Lifestyle Pill"!—such as diet, exercise (especially weight-bearing), getting enough sleep, minimizing alcohol consumption, and wearing sunscreen and wide-brimmed hats will do more in the end to give you the good looks and vigor that will belie your age. My "Lifestyle Pill" is still better than any other pill or medication we have to offer for keeping you humming along with good health, good spirits, and good looks!

Behind Closed Doors: The Best Sex Now
As we age, the need for intimacy, connectedness, and some type of sexual activity actually increases. So do the benefits of sex. Also, as many of us have discovered to our delight, menopause often ushers in an era when lovemaking can be more spontaneous and spicy than ever before. Long-married couples eventually have the house and their free time all to themselves after decades of fitting in sex around the kids' needs and schedules. Suddenly single women often report that being free at last from concerns about unplanned pregnancies adds extra sizzle to the dating scene. Some of them find themselves involved with men several years their junior—the so-called cougar-and-cubphenomenon. As one of my patients confided, "He's forty-five and pre-Viagra. I'm fifty-four and post menopausal with no need for birth control. We got ourselves checked for STIs so we aren't even using condoms. We just can't keep our hands off each other. I've never had so much fun in my life!"

However, she wouldn't have been having all that fun without a little help from modern medicine. She was my patient for a reason. She had come to me early in the relationship with the new man in her life because she was, as she put it, "not juicy down there anymore." Her first attempts at sex with him were painful. Also, penetration was difficult. I wasn't surprised. One of the most common features of the postmenopausal body is a condition called atrophic vaginitis. When estrogen levels decrease, the tissues of the vagina and the labia become thinner and drier. Even when a woman is sexually aroused, she may have soreness and she may not have enough lubrication.

I know whereof I speak. The symptoms of atrophic vaginitis sneak up on you. In retrospect I can't come up with a precise time of the onset of this condition for me, but over a few years time, I had noticed a change in my vulvar and vaginal tissues and my comfort with sex. Since this was so subtle at first, it was not until I was finally treated and suddenly felt normal again that I realized how compromised sex had been. My sex "life" was still great and frequent, but "sex" per se was compromised because of the worry about pain. I still seemed to have some lubrication with sex although that too had diminished somewhat.

As recently as 2001 a Gallup poll showed that by the average age of fifty-seven, 50 percent of women had stopped having sex for a number of different reasons, one of the most common being pain with intercourse because of a dry vagina. Yet when the women who reported vaginal dryness were asked whether there was anything that could be done about the problem, 90 percent of them responded that there was not. Oh, but there is! I'll tell you all about it. But first I'll tell you how to be sure that you do have atrophic vaginitis.

Treating Atrophic Vaginitis
Sexual activity itself is just what the doctor ordered. In addition to all the other health benefits covered in chapter 2, sex has been shown to increase vaginal elasticity and lubrication. However, sex does nothing to restore or maintain estrogen levels, so you will almost certainly need some help, as my "cougar" patient and I did, in getting past the pain.

Estrogen Replacement
Taking some form of estrogen is an incredibly effective treatment. Estrogen restores normal pH levels and thickens the vaginal, urethral, and vulvar tissues. Estrogen will also increase the number of superficial cells seen on the Pap smear, and therefore your Pap smear may now report "normal estrogen effect." In addition to the HRT options detailed in this chapter, you may also want to consider intravaginal tablets, creams, gels, or rings. Your vaginal tissues—and your sex partner—will thank you. I know. I've been there! Also, I've been prescribing estrogen cream for my patients with atrophic vaginitis for years.

You could notice a difference in a few weeks' time, although you may need a few months to feel normal again. Women who have severe atrophic vaginitis have a diminished blood supply to the vaginal tissues so that at first not much estrogen gets absorbed systemically. As the tissues improve, the blood supply does as well. Eventually more estrogen gets absorbed. The level is so low that you probably won't need to take progesterone to balance out the lining of your endometrium. Even a woman with prior breast cancer can use small intravaginal doses of estrogen for comfortable sex as long as her oncologist agrees. On occasion, doctors will prescribe a ten-day course of progesterone and wait occur, which suggests higher-than-expected systemic levels of estrogen from fat cells, your doctor will probably recommend that you take intermittent progesterone along with the intravaginal estrogen after other possible causes, such as cancer, have been ruled out.

Other Treatments

Lubricants
Lubricants do nothing to thicken, strengthen, or repair vaginal tissue. They provide lubrication or slipperiness only for a brief time after they are inserted, so they do make sex more comfortable. Many women try lubricants before making a decision about topical hormone treatment or they use lubricants while waiting for the hormones to kick in or to supplement the topical hormones.

A final word about sex and the menopausal woman: If you think your sex life is just fine, it is. A 2008 study done by Massachusetts General Hospital showed that while close to 45 percent of the women in the study reported issues such as low desire or orgasm difficulties, only 12 percent of them overall and only 8.9 percent of those over sixty-five said the problems caused them distress. The researchers concluded that labeling the women who reported no distress as being sexually dysfunctional would be inappropriate. Was it good for you? That's good enough!

Now we've completed Part II and you know all about the three seasons of your life as a woman. Many of the world's religions, ancient and modern, have versions of the Triple Goddess. One of these is the Apaches' Changing Woman that you learned about in chapter 4. Nice concept!

We all ought to celebrate the miracle of our tripartite feminine existence. Even so, glorifying those womanly deities doesn't address one little detail: Goddesses are immune to the problems "down there" that can plague us flesh-and-blood females. In Part II, I'll teach you about vaginal, bowel, and urinary troubles. You'll find frank explanations and real solutions. What are you waiting for? Turn the page!