Overview
- A Nature Medicine analysis of more than 300 million routine lab results from over one million women in the United States and Israel found statistically significant shifts in 52 of 90 measured biological parameters around menopause.
- Key sex-hormone markers showed long lead trends, with anti-Müllerian hormone falling about 15 years before the last period, estradiol declining around 12 years before, and FSH rising roughly 14 years prior.
- The study reports accelerated bone-density loss at menopause and faster postmenopausal increases in conditions such as arthritis, gout and cardiovascular disease, indicating broader health effects beyond reproduction.
- Women who had used hormone therapy tended to show weaker and less abrupt changes, but researchers stress the finding is based on retrospective data and does not justify changing current treatment guidance.
- An independent analysis of NIH 'All of Us' records found menopause is recorded in only about 14% of cases where women self-report it, a gap that researchers say hinders efforts to separate menopause effects from normal aging and to improve care.