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EPIDEMIOLOGY
❍ What is the definition of menopause?
Cessation of menses for 12 months due to the loss of ovarian activity.
❍ What is the definition of perimenopause?
The period of time immediately before and after menopause ending prior to completion of 12 months after the
last menstrual period.
❍ Approximately how long is the perimenopausal period?
Four years.
❍ What is the definition of the climacteric?
The transition from the reproductive stages of life to the postmenopausal years, a period marked by waning ovarian
function—this includes perimenopause and menopause.
❍ What is the mean age for menopause?
51.4 years.
❍ What percentage of their lifetime will most women spend in postmenopausal life?
30%. Given a life expectancy of 75 years and a median age of 51 for menopause.
❍ How much of the female population in the United States is currently postmenopausal?
20%. This is increasing because life expectancy is also increasing.
❍ What causes earlier menopause?
Smoking, low weight, some women who had hysterectomies, malnourishment, living at high altitudes, mosaic
Turner’s, and genetic predisposition. Age of menarche, race, family history, and parity do not influence age of
menopause.
Kristin Van Heertum, MD
CHAPTER 33 Menopause