Menopause Quiz

Study Notes

Menopause is confirmed by the last menstrual period, followed by a year without menstruation.
Mean age of menopause in the UK is 51 years; 80% of women are post-menopausal by age 54.
Premature menopause is defined as occurring before age 40.
The transitional peri-menopausal phase usually lasts about 4-5 years and can involve erratic menstrual cycles.

Menopause results from estrogen deprivation, leading to various symptoms and health risks.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can alleviate effects and symptoms related to estrogen deficiency.
Some women may transition from pre-menopausal to post-menopausal without experiencing any symptoms.

General symptoms linked to estrogen lack include:
- Vasomotor symptoms: hot flushes, night sweats, palpitations.
- Psychological issues: mood changes, irritability, sleep disturbances, depression, decreased libido.
- Local urogenital tissue atrophy: vaginal dryness, dyspareunia, increased risk of urinary infections.
- Long-term effects include osteoporosis, leading to frequent fractures and reduced quality of life.

Significant calcium loss from bones can occur, often symptomless at first.
Vertebral fractures lead to morbidities such as back pain, reduced height, kyphosis, and diminished quality of life.
Lifetime fracture risk at menopause is higher than breast cancer risk (~12%); over 40% in developed countries.

Young adult women are typically protected from hypertension and cardiovascular disease due to estrogen.
Estrogen lowers LDL and VLDL cholesterol, while increasing HDL cholesterol, contributing to lower atherosclerosis risk.
After menopause, cardiovascular disease risk aligns with that of age-matched men due to loss of estrogen's protective effects.
Estrogen deficiency leads to impaired nitric oxide availability, affecting endothelium-mediated blood pressure control.