Postmenopause articles: strong and independent for decades, on the evidence
This index holds The Female Atlas articles on postmenopause, filed under five subjects: bone, muscle, heart, brain and vaginal health. Let's be clear about why this is not a quiet stage: 1 in 2 women over 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis, says the Royal Osteoporosis Society (2022).
Here's the truth: the story doesn't end when the hot flashes (UK: hot flushes) stop. Each article filed here takes one question, such as how often to train, how much protein to eat, when to ask for a scan or what to ask about your heart, and answers it with a named study or guideline, saying plainly where the evidence is thin. Articles are listed on this page as they are published; until then, the key numbers and the questions below cover the same ground. Terms differ across the Atlantic, so both appear: hormone therapy (UK: HRT), a bone density scan or DXA (UK: DEXA scan) and primary care provider (UK: GP).
Facts
Common questions
What is postmenopause?
Postmenopause is the stage that follows menopause and continues for the rest of life; UK sources often write it as post-menopause. It is not a waiting room. It is a stage with its own questions about bone, strength, heart and screening, and the person to bring them to is a primary care provider or OB-GYN (UK: GP or gynaecologist).
How much protein do women need after menopause?
"A light appetite only needs light meals" is outdated advice. The PROT-AGE group (Bauer et al., JAMDA, 2013) sets the target per meal as well as per day: 25–30 g each time, so breakfast and lunch count as much as the evening plate. Needs rise with activity or illness, and a dietitian or primary care provider can turn the daily target into a number for your body.
How often should I do strength and balance exercise?
"Take it easy at your age" is the advice to retire. The research is clear: the Cochrane review by Sherrington and colleagues (2019) supports two to three sessions a week, and it studied older people, not the young and already fit. After a fall, joint pain or a past fracture, a physical therapist (UK: physiotherapist) can set the starting point.
When should I have a bone density scan?
In the US, the age the USPSTF (2025) sets for every woman is 65. Before that, the scan is recommended after menopause only when a risk assessment shows a raised chance of fracture, so the first step is asking for that assessment. In the UK, the NHS notes osteoporosis is most common in women after the menopause, and a GP is the person to ask whether a fracture risk assessment fits your history.
Why does heart health matter after menopause?
The myth is that heart disease is a man's disease. Not true: the British Heart Foundation names heart and circulatory disease as the leading cause of death in women. This stage is a good moment to ask a primary care provider (UK: GP) about blood pressure and cholesterol checks, and how often they make sense given your own and your family's history.
Next steps
A strong start is the question that is loudest for you right now, whether bone, strength, protein or heart, taken with its number to your next appointment. Three things are worth raising promptly instead of saving for a routine visit: any vaginal bleeding or spotting, a fracture from a minor fall (ask for a bone health assessment) and unexplained weight loss. Your history, your goals and your preferences decide the rest, and the choice of what fits is yours: this stage is not one size fits all.
Sources
The guidelines and studies this page draws on.
- Screening for Osteoporosis to Prevent Fractures: USPSTF Recommendation Statement, US Preventive Services Task Force (2025)
- Women's Health Strategy needs to go big on osteoporosis emergency affecting one in two women over 50, Royal Osteoporosis Society (2022)
- Osteoporosis (NHS overview), NHS (2026)
- Menopause (NHS overview), NHS (2026)