6533b82bfe1ef96bd128dee4

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Menopause: The Concepts and the Biological Background

subject

description

The exhaustion of the follicular endowment in the ovary defines the biological basis of menopause. The clinical implications are the loss of menses and fertility. Menopause is preceded by a series of clinical phases, reflected in the Staging of Reproductive Aging Workshop (STRAW). STRAW includes the different reproductive stages, with the clinically impacting menopausal transition and the end of the reproductive life, represented by the late post-menopausal period. Epidemiological studies show that the age at menopause, globally considered at around 50 years, undergoes significant differences across the world regions. High socio-economic conditions may prolong the age at menopause, but other variables are at work. The hormonal background of each stage has been well described. The prediction of the age at menopause, however, remains uncertain.