Coronary Heart Disease: women should be informed of the increased risk of CHD with age and the menopause, and that risk can be reduced with hormone replacement therapy.
Osteoporosis: women with identifiable risk factors should be targeted for preventive treatment. A protocol for identifying women at risk should be developed and implemented through GPs.
Women: should take a "whole-life" view of themselves and "a certain degree of responsibility in ensuring they are knowledgeable about their lifetime health".
HRT: women should be informed it may be advantageous to start HRT at the onset of the menopause, or within the first five years.
GPs: should organise information sessions and specific consultations for women centring on the menopause. As many women prefer to speak to other women on these issues, practice nurses should play a prominent education role.
Media role: with 63 per cent of women getting most of their health information from the printed word and radio/television, such outlets must provide complete, timely and accurate information.
The Saffron Initiative was established in 1997 to identify opportunities for improving the health of women in the second half of their lives. It aims to provide appropriate information on health for women, and to influence policy changes, particularly to benefit older women. It is named after the late-flowering Saffron crocus. The report was produced with the help of an educational grant from Wyeth Laboratories