The Menopause Journey

More than 1 million women in just the United States, and more than 25 million worldwide experience menopause annually. However; little is still known about the health effects of menopause and perimenopause. NIA-funded researchers are working to better understand what causes menopause symptoms and how women from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds can benefit from that scientific knowledge to live healthier lives — before, during, and after menopause.

So what is menopause exactly? The simple answer: it's defined as 12-months after a woman's last period. That's it. We also get the name "perimenopause" to define the YEARS leading up to menopause. This transition is a major midlife event in women’s lives, usually beginning between ages 45 and 55 and lasting for about seven years. But for many, the symptoms and severity of such can last DECADES.

"NIA-funded scientists are working to answer the many questions about the health impacts of menopause. As just a few examples, what symptoms and biological changes are due to natural aging in women, and which are directly related to menopause? For both men and women, midlife often comes with increased risk factors and declines in physical health and function, which in turn can affect health status later in life. What role does menopause play in those declines for women? What are the implications of menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and sleep problems, and midlife changes for a woman’s health as she ages? Are hormone treatments safe and effective, and what are other possible treatments for menopause symptoms?"

What we do know is that there are several symptoms of menopause that women deal with from hot flashes to severe depression, and that the risk for heart disease increases dramatically (read: especially if you are prone to hot flashes more than another woman - hence the DNA test that can help let you know ahead of time and plan for this) during and after menopause.