Menopause - Exam 2 Flashcards
______ phase of the aging process during which a woman passes from reproductive to nonreproductive stage
climacteric
______ part of climacteric before menopause occurs when menstrual cycle is irregular and when other climacteric symptoms or complaints may be experienced. What is another name for it? How long does it last?
Menopausal Transition
perimenopause
usually lasts 1-3 years
What is the average age of menopause? What is considered premature menopause?
51
age 40 or younger
Most women live at least ____ of lives in postmenopausal state. When do you have the most oocytes? How many oocytes are actually ovulated?
⅓
20 weeks gestation
400-500 oocytes are actually ovulated
as ovaries lose oocytes, levels of _____ slowly decrease which results in higher levels of _____
inhibin
FSH
aka decreased inhibin from decreased amount of oocytes = higher levels of FSH
**What happens as a result of the aging ovary/ decreased oocyte?
Oocytes responsive to gonadotropins disappear from the ovary over time, less responsive to FSH and LH which leads to a irregular follicle response to gonadotropins -> irregular length of follicular phase which leads to irregular menses
Why do you see bursts of estradiol in menopause?
recruitment of multiple follicles from high FSH
2-3X above normal
What is considered premature ovarian failure? What causes it?
Spontaneous cessation of menses before age 40
Often idiopathic:
Genetics, autoimmune disease
What are some predisposing factors for menopause? ** What is the underlined one?
**Smoking - advances age by 2 years
Reproductive tract disease
Severe GU infections or tumors
Exposure to radiation or chemo
Surgical procedures that impair ovarian
blood supply
Possible endocrine or chromosomal abnormality
What is artificial menopause?
Permanent cessation of ovarian function due to surgical removal of ovaries or by radiation therapy
can be intentionally induced to improve endometriosis or prophylactically for cancer
What is the primary androgen in women? What happens to it in the postmenopausal women?
androstenedione
Decreased production
What 3 things does mildly decreased levels of testosterone cause?
Androstenedione converted to testosterone
Decreased sex hormone-binding globulin levels
Ovary secretes more testosterone after menopause
_____ is believed to be the cause of virilization symptoms after menopause
Ovary secretes more testosterone after menopause
Which form of estrogen decreases the most in postmenopause?
greatest decrease in estradiol and no longer has circadian variation of estradiol after menopause
after menopause, where is estradiol mainly secreted from?
adrenal glands
_____ levels decrease after menopause but not significantly. Adrenal glands continue to secrete ________ and is converted into ______ peripherally. What kind of women have higher conversion rates?
estrone
androstenedione -> estrone
heavy women have higher conversion rates
measurement of _______ is helpful to confirm diagnosis of menopause. _____ is NOT helpful
estradiol
estrone is NOT helpful
Major source of progesterone in young women is _____ after ovulation. After menopause, there is no functional follicles and thus ______ overall. Where is progesterone found PM?
corpus luteum
low progesterone overall
adrenal glands
Is it helpful to measure progesterone levels in PM women?
NOT helpful!!
What are FSH and LH doing PM?
FSH and LH rise substantially
FSH usually higher than LH
Measurement of what 3 hormones can help to dx menopause?
Measurement of FSH and LH, along with estradiol
high FSH and LH and low estradiol
**What are the 8 highlighted symptoms of menopause?
irregular bleeding
irritability and mood swings
vaginal dryness
decreased libido
hot flashes
hair loss
hirsutism
weight gain
What do you think happens to the female reproductive tract due to the loss of estrogen due to menopause?
everything atrophies and dries out!!!
estrogen also helps to maintain epithelium of _____ and _____. So may see _____ PM
epithelium of bladder and urethra
atrophy of lower urinary tract epithelium