Once a woman has gone for 12 months without a period, she is officially postmenopausal. Welcome to the rest of your life! Most women live at least 25 years past their final period. Many women experience increased energy and vitality and freedom from hormone-caused emotional symptoms after their hormone roller coaster ride ends. Anthropologist Margaret Mead described the new vitality as postmenopausal zest.

While it is great not to have the hormonal ups and downs of perimenopause and the night sweats and surprise bleeding of menopause, the body is still producing hormones and imbalances can and do occur. All the advice given above for earlier times in a woman's life applies doubly now. An excellent diet, adequate aerobic and strength-training exercise, a healthy weight, adequate rest, active stress management, and dietary supplementation are all vital.

• Vaginal dryness
• Painful intercourse
• Decreased libido
• Urinary incontinence

  But the greatest health issues to women in postmenopause are the diseases of aging: heart disease and osteoporosis.

  Heart disease, not cancer, is the primary cause of death in women. Although the average age of a heart attack for women is 74, many women in early postmenopause will want to reevaluate their lifestyles to reduce their risk. Quitting smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, and following all the healthy lifestyle advice above will go far to maintain health.

  Fortunately, anti-aging (longevity) medicine can help women to reduce and reverse the effects of aging, and the postmenopausal years can be the best of all.