Menopause not gradual, body might experience a 'physiological cliff' around last period: Study
The researchers said that such large datasets are rarely used in menopause research because they generally lack information about the age at which women had their last period
Menopause may not be a gradual process, according to a new study from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. The researchers analyzed over 300 million laboratory test results from more than one million women in the US and Israel, identifying abrupt changes in dozens of bodily health and function measures, typically associated with sex hormone levels and fertility loss.
The abrupt changes were found in 52 out of 90 types of laboratory tests, affecting various body systems such as bone health, liver and kidney function, and cholesterol levels. These changes were observed to be less pronounced in women receiving menopausal hormone therapy and were preceded by accelerating changes in sex hormone levels beginning more than a decade before menopause, several years earlier than previously thought.
The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, suggests a physiological "cliff" at the final menstrual period, where step-like changes occur across endocrine, skeletal, hepatic, renal, and lipid systems. The findings could enable women to take preventive measures, such as exercise and diet improvements, up to a decade before menopause, as the identified changes are linked to increased disease risk.
The researchers developed a computational method inspired by astronomy to overcome limitations in previous research, which often lacked information about the age at which women had their last period.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
