Synonyms
Definition
Menopause is the time in a woman’s life where the cessation of the natural menstrual cycle occurs. Menopause occurs around the median age of 50–51 years and is actually an ongoing process rather than an abrupt event. Prior to the termination of menses, as ovarian function declines, the interval between menses becomes longer, until it fully stops (hence, the term “perimenopause” is used to describe this time period). While bleeding episodes may sometimes continue even after the menstrual cycle stops, these are not brought about by hormonal changes of the menstrual cycle, but by local uterine processes. The major endocrine change of menopause is a decrease in the levels of circulating estrogen, a hormone responsible for many biological feminine traits.
Characteristics
The major clinical characteristics of menopause are hot flashes, reduced size of breasts, a shift of body fat from the feminine gluteal areas to the masculine abdominal area,...
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References
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© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Dubnov-Raz, G., Berry, E.M. (2012). Menopause. In: Mooren, F.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Exercise Medicine in Health and Disease. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29807-6_128
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29807-6_128
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