Menopause is often framed as an ending, which obscures that the decades after it are when several risks change shape.
Cardiovascular risk rises after menopause, closing much of the gap with men. Blood pressure, cholesterol and activity matter more than they did, not less.
Bone loss continues, fastest in the early years after the last period.
Vaginal dryness and urinary symptoms are extremely common, frequently unmentioned, and among the most treatable things in this list. They tend to persist rather than pass.
Any bleeding after twelve clear months is not a late period. It needs assessment, usually promptly — most causes are benign, and the ones that are not are far more treatable when found early.