Module 1.4 (Menopause) Flashcards
What age is early menopause?
40 to 45 years
Premature menopause: less than 40
How is menopaused diagnosed?
After 12 months of amenorrhea
Usual age of menopause?
From 45 to 55 years
> average 50 years
Why does menopause occur?
Menopause occurs because the ovaries run out of eggs
> Each ovarian follicle contains a single oocyte
> A female infant is born with ~300 000 ovarian follicles
> By ~37 years of age ~ 25 000 ovarian follicles
> At menopause few or none remain
What are some of the hormones that change due to loss of ovarian follicles?
- Decrease ovarain hormones (oestrogen and progesterone)
- Increased FSH
- No acute change in androgens
What are some factors influencing menopause?
What does FSH and LH do?
FSH: Stimualtes follicles (contains egg) in ovaries to produce estrogen, when estrogen reaches a certain level –> brain signals pituitary to turn of FSH and produce LH
LH: LH then stimulates the ovarie to reduce egg from follicle = ovulation
> left over follicle produces progesterone and estrogen in preparation for pregnancy
> as estrogen and progesterone increase, FSH and LH drop. If pregnancy doesn’t occur, progesterone level falls and menstruation occurs.
What are some other methods in which menopause can occur?
Chemotherapy-induced & radiotherapy-induced menopause
- Sometimes periods can stop, but can return after some months, depending on a woman’s age and the type of chemotherapy received
Surgery-induced
- Removal of ovaries –> due to endometriosis or ovarian cancer ( can be prophylactic)
- Hysterectomy = uterus removed –> don’t necessarily go straight into menopause if ovaries are not removed
- Surgical menopause symptoms are liekly to be more severe
What does the arisal of menopause symptoms come from?
Many women will experience symptoms associated with a lack of oestrogen both in the perimenopausal and postmenopausal phase
What are symtpoms associated with lack of estrogen in menopause?
Vasomotor symptoms (VMS)
Psychological problems
General physical
Urogenital and sexual –> occur later. Loss of estrogen causes loss of collagen and elastin.
What are some vasomotor, psychological, general physical and urgoenital + sexual symptoms that are found in menopuase?
Is there are a age limit at which menopausal symptoms cease?
No
What are some things associated with hot flushes and night sweats that 85% of women experience?
Most troublesome in the year around the final menstrual period
Feeling of heat that usually starts in the chest and spreads upwards to the neck and head
- Come and go
- Seconds to minutes
- Can be associated with sweating
- Some experience simultaneous racing or pounding heartbeats
- Many feel self conscious
Night sweats = night-time hot flushes with profuse sweating
> result in night awakenings and poor sleep
What do 50% of menopausal women experience?
Hot flushes and night sweats
Who is more likey get hot flushes?
Overweight and obese
For vasomotor symptoms, why are they often underestimated?
- Negative impact on QOL
- Length of time that they can last
What are some hot flush triggers?
- Drinking alcohol
- Consuming products with caffeine
- Eating spicy foods
- Being in a hot room
- Feeling stressed or anxious
- Wearing tight, heavy clothing
- Smoking or being exposed to cigarette smoke
- Bending over
Are there cogntivie changes in menopause? What is the actual reason behind this?
Evidence inconsistent
> Gradual decline in cognitive function expected as part of normal aging
- However gradual decline in cognitive function expected as part of normal aging
Cognitive changes related to estrogen withdrawal include:
- Deficits in verbal and working memory
- Almost 75% of women having a subjective sense of memory loss
- More likely associated with perceived stress or depressive symptoms than perimenopausal stage
Why does depression and anxiety occur in menopause?
Employment status may have changed, children may have left home, gain weight and higher BMI
- Common and many risk factors, but hormones may play a role
> Dysregulation of 5HT & NA pathways due to changing oestrogen levels
- Perimenopause -period of ↑ vulnerability
> ↑ risk with previous depressive episode
> Hot flushes not necessary to development of depression
Why does sleep disturbances occur in those with menopause?
Sleep quality deteriorates with aging
Menopause adds to issue
More women report sleep issues as they enter perimenopause
Factors include:
> hormones
> sleep hygeine
> mood disorders
–> can occur with or without night sweats
Why do urogenital problems arise in menopause?
Urogenital tissues –> sensitive to oestrogen and fluctuations in oestrogen during perimenopause
> fragile tissue and distressing symptoms
> 20-67% report moderate to severe symptoms of vaginal dryness or dyspareunia
Other symptoms: vaginal atrophy, narrowing and shortening of vagina and uterine prolapse
- Urinary tract contains oestrogen receptors in urethra and bladder
> urinary incontinence
What are the adverse metabolic and health effects that occur because of fal in oestrogen
metabolic
cardiovascular
skeletal
Metabolic
- Central abdominal fat deposition
- Insulin resistance and increased risk of type 2 diabetes
Cardiovascular
- Impaired endothelial function
- Increased cholesterol
Cardiovascular disease leading cause of morbidity and mortality in post-menopausal women
Skeletal
- Accelerated bone loss
- Increased fracture risk
What are some other midlifehealth changes that occur in menopause?
- Gain 2-5kg in menopause
- Hair loss and hair growth
- Skin changes with menopause = more wrinkling and dryness
- During menopause estrogen levels decrease in the body breaking down bones at a faster rate –> may lead to osteoporosis
QOL in menopause?
As life expectancy increases so does the time women spend in menopause n
Currently a women can expect to live about 35% of her life in a post-menopausal state n
The quality of life of women entering menopause at earlier ages is thought be more adversely affected.
How is diagnsosis of menopause done?
Measuring hormone levels is unhelpful n
Diagnosis is via history taking (symptoms & changes in menstruation) n
Perimenopause lasts on average 4 to 8 years
One year after the last menstrual period a woman is considered post-menopausal
Symptoms scores can be a useful diagnostic tool
Differential diagnosis
- Depression, anaemia and hypothyroidism are the most common conditions that mimic menopausal symptoms
- SSRIs can cause hot flushes
If a patient is taking hormonal treatments it can be difficult to know when menopause is reached
> HRT doesn’t provide contraceptive cover. If women still ovulating there is a risk of pregnancy.
What are the treatment options for menopause?
Non-pharmacological measure (lifestyle)
Menopausal Hormone Treatments (MHT)
Non hormone pharmacological treatments
Complementary & alternative medicines (CAMs)
How to cope with menopausal symptoms?
- Balanced and nutritious diet
- Exercise
- Relaxation
> women with healthy lifestyle appear to have fewer symptoms
Lifestyle changes for menopause?
- Quit smoking
- ≤ 2 standard alcohol drinks per day and two alcohol free days per week
- Reduce caffeine
- Keep cool/wearing layers
- Avoiding triggers of VMSs
How reduce the risk of osteoporosis during menopause?
Aim for 1300mg of dietary calcium
Weight bearing physical exercise
Adequate Vit D – follow sun exposure guideline
Avoid excessive alcohol
Stop smoking
Avoid excessive caffeine
What are options for menopausal hormone treatments?
oestrogens
- Conjugated oestrogens
- Estradiol
- Estriol
progestogens
- Medroxyprogesterone n
- Norethisterone n
- Levonorgestrel IUD n
- Micronised progesterone
TSECs
- Bazedoxifene + conjugated oestrogens
tibolone
testosterone
How does oestrogen help with menopause?
Relieves symptoms including VMSs and urogenital atrophy caused by ↓ endogenous oestradiol production
How does progestogen help with menopause?
Reduces risk of endometrial cancer associated with unopposed oestrogen