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Evolutionary medicine and its implications for endocrinological issues (e.g. menopause)
Sylvia Kirchengast1, Frank Rühli
1University of Vienna, Department of Anthropology, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. sylvia.kirchengast@univie.ac.at
General and Comparative Endocrinology
|March 26, 2013
Summary
Evolutionary medicine suggests menopausal symptoms stem from a sudden drop in estrogen. This is a new phenomenon in human history due to modern lifestyles impacting female reproductive health.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary medicine
- Reproductive endocrinology
Background:
- Female reproductive senescence, or menopausal transition, is characterized by declining estrogen secretion.
- This decline is associated with significant somatic and psychic discomforts, impacting quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolutionary underpinnings of female reproductive senescence and menopausal symptoms.
- To explore the role of changing living conditions and modernization in contemporary health and disease, specifically menopausal discomforts.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of reproductive histories in modern versus traditional societies.
- Application of evolutionary medicine principles to understand physiological changes during menopause.
Main Results:
- Menopausal symptoms may arise from a novel evolutionary situation: a drastic decrease from high lifetime estrogen exposure to zero postmenopause.
- Modern lifestyles (early menarche, late menopause, fewer pregnancies, shorter lactation) lead to lower lifetime estrogen exposure compared to historical conditions.
Conclusions:
- Menopausal symptoms are likely a consequence of a mismatch between ancestral female reproductive physiology and recent environmental/lifestyle changes.
- Evolutionary medicine provides a framework for understanding the discomforts associated with menopause as an adaptation to new conditions.
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