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Related Experiment Videos

The menopause: when it is all over or is it?

H G Burger1

  • 1Prince Henry's Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria.

The Australian & New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology
|June 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary

Serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels fluctuate unpredictably in women over 40. Elevated FSH is not a reliable indicator for diagnosing menopause, which should be based on clinical grounds.

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Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Endocrinology
  • Menopause Research

Background:

  • Menopause, defined as cessation of menstruation due to ovarian follicular depletion, is often clinically used to describe the menopausal transition.
  • The menopausal transition can last approximately 4 years, marked by irregular menstruation and associated symptoms.
  • Serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and oestradiol (E2) measurements are commonly considered indicators of menopausal status.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the diagnostic value of serum FSH levels in assessing menopausal status.
  • To determine if elevated FSH reliably indicates the end of reproductive capability.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study involving randomly selected, regularly cycling women over 45 years old in Melbourne.
  • Measurement of serum FSH and E2 levels.

Main Results:

  • Some regularly cycling women over 40 exhibited increased serum FSH and decreased E2.
  • Abrupt fluctuations in FSH and E2 were observed, with levels sometimes returning to reproductive ranges.
  • In women over 45, 7% had postmenopausal FSH levels, and 39% had levels higher than those in women under 35.

Conclusions:

  • Serum FSH levels have limited diagnostic value for assessing menopausal status.
  • Menopausal status should currently be determined based on clinical evaluation.
  • Elevated FSH levels do not reliably indicate the definitive end of menstruation.

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