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Menopause

Menopause Overview

Menopause, the time when a woman stops having menstrual periods, is not a disease or an illness. It is a transition between two phases of a woman's life.

Many women experience a variety of symptoms as a result of the hormonal changes associated with the transition through menopause. Around the time of menopause, women often lose bone density and their blood cholesterol levels may worsen, increasing their risk of heart disease.

Premature menopause: The average age of US women at the time of menopause is 51 years. The most common age range at which women experience menopause is 48-55 years. If menopause occurs in a woman younger than 40 years, it is considered to be premature. Menopause is considered late if it occurs in a woman older than 55 years. For most women, menopause is a normal occurrence.

  • Menopause is more likely to occur at a slightly earlier age in women who smoke, have never been pregnant, or live at high altitudes.
  • If premature menopause occurs, a health care practitioner will check for other medical problems. About 1% of women experience premature menopause.

Perimenopause: The hormonal changes associated with menopause actually begin prior to the last menstrual period, during a three to five year period called the perimenopause. During this transition, women may begin to experience menopausal symptoms and may lose bone density, even though they are still menstruating.

Surgical menopause: Surgical menopause is menopause induced by the removal of the ovaries. Women who have had surgical menopause often have a sudden and severe onset of the symptoms of menopause.



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Menopause - Symptoms Experienced

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Menopause

Bone Mineral Density Tests »

Bone Mineral Density Tests Introduction

Osteoporosis (or porous bone) is a disease in which bones become weak and are more likely to break. Without prevention or treatment, osteoporosis can progress without pain or symptoms until a bone breaks (fractures).

  • Fractures commonly occur in the hip, spine, and wrist.
  • Osteoporosis is the underlying cause of more than 1.5 million fractures annually (300,000 hip fractures, approximately 700,000 vertebral fractures, 250,000 wrist fractures, and more than 300,000 fractures in other areas). 
  • The estimated national cost (hospitals and nursing homes) for osteoporosis and related injuries is $14 billion each year in the United States. 

Osteoporosis is not just an “old woman’s disease.” Although it is more common in white or Asian women older than 50 years, osteoporosis can occur in almost any person at any age. In fact, more than 2 million American men have osteop...

Read the Bone Mineral Density Tests article »



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Menopause »

Menopause is a universal and irreversible part of the overall aging process involving a woman's reproductive system, after which she no longer menstruates.

Read More on eMedicine »

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