Definition and generalities
We speak of late menopause when the woman enters this period of life, approximately, after 55 years of age. Normally, in fact, women enter menopause at around 45-55 years.
However, before going into the description of symptoms and risk factors related to late menopause, it may be useful to open a small parenthesis to understand what menopause is and what its consequences are.
What is Menopause?
First of all, it is good to point out that menopause is not a pathology at all, but a physiological period that concerns the life of each woman.
Physiologically speaking, menopause coincides with the loss of ovarian follicular function, followed by the cessation of the menstrual cycle. In other words, menopause can be defined as the period in which the woman definitively ends her reproductive activity.
Simultaneously with the cessation of the menstrual cycle, also the female sex hormones produced by the body (estrogens and progestins) undergo a decidedly drastic decline. It is precisely this hormonal decline that causes the onset of most menopausal symptoms.
Causes and Risk Factors
As mentioned, menopause is defined as "late" when the woman enters, indicatively, after 55 years of age.
In truth the exact cause that leads to the onset of late menopause has not yet been identified with certainty, but among the possible risk factors we find:
- Obesity;
- Hypertriglyceridemia;
- Hypertension.
Symptoms
The symptomatic picture of late menopause is the same as that presented by menopause which occurs within 55 years of age.
Most of the symptoms that characterize this period of life are due to the profound change and hormonal decline that occurs in the woman's body.
Among the main symptoms that can occur, we recall:
- Hot flashes;
- Sleep disorders;
- Night sweats;
- Increased body weight, due to the slowdown in metabolism;
- Water retention;
- Vaginal atrophy and dryness, often associated with cystitis, urethritis and pain during sexual intercourse;
- Depression;
- Decrease in libido.
Also typical of menopause (late and not) is the loss of bone mineral density which - if not timely diagnosed and treated - can lead to the development of osteoporosis.
Furthermore, the menopausal period increases the risk of developing some cardiovascular diseases in women. In fact, the sudden drop in the levels of female sex hormones favors the onset of hyperlipidemia, hypertension, obesity and diabetes, all of which are potential risk factors for the development of more or less serious heart diseases.
Late Menopause and Tumors
In addition to the risks associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis, menopausal women - late and not - are at greater risk of developing malignant neoplasms, such as cancer of the uterus and breast cancer . In particular, for the latter type of neoplasm, late menopause is one of the main risk factors.
In fact, studies have shown that women who entered menopause in the late phase have a doubled risk of developing breast cancer. This could be explained by the fact that in women entering menopause after the age of 55, breast tissue is exposed to the action of estrogen for a longer period, compared to women who enter menopause earlier.
Recommended exams in Menopause
Regardless of whether the menopause is late or not - given the possible consequences that can occur - usually, it is recommended that women entered at this stage perform appropriate examinations and analyzes, whose purpose is to identify in a timely manner the appearance of the above cited pathologies, connected, precisely, to the menopausal age.
Among these exams and analyzes, we recall:
- Hormonal dosage for monitoring female hormone levels (estrogens and progestins);
- Determination of cholesterolemia and levels of coagulation factors;
- Regular blood pressure checks;
- Gynecological examinations and Pap test for the detection of a possible cervical cancer;
- Bone densitometry to evaluate bone mineral density, so as to be able to identify early the onset of a possible osteoporosis;
- Mammography for the timely diagnosis of breast cancer.
Although all the aforementioned diagnostic tests are important for menopausal women, mammography is essential in cases of late menopause, precisely because this type of menopause is one of the main risk factors for the development of breast cancer.
Pharmacological Treatments
Although menopause is not a disease, the resulting symptoms can still make women's lives quite difficult.
For this reason, in some cases, the doctor may decide to intervene with appropriate pharmacological therapies, aimed at controlling the symptoms and improving the quality of life of the patients. These include:
- Hormone replacement therapy, which involves the administration of estrogens in association with progestins to compensate for their decreased production in the body;
- Creams, gels and vaginal lubricants used to counteract vaginal dryness typical of late and not late menopause;
- Vitamin D and calcium supplements to counteract any loss of bone mineral density;
- Antidepressant drugs, in the event that patients experience depressive disorders triggered by hormonal and non-hormonal disruptions resulting from menopause.
Naturally, in the event that the menopause, late or not late, favors the development of cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, diabetes and / or tumors, the doctor will intervene immediately with all the appropriate pharmacological treatments.
