Early Menopause and Health
What health problems can affect women in early menopause?
Other health risks associated with estrogen reduction include:
- Cardiovascular problems (increases the risk of developing ischemia and stroke);
- Osteopenia (reduction in bone volume);
- Urogenital problems (frequent urinary infections, vaginal dryness and painful sexual intercourse);
- Neurovegetative symptoms (reduction of cognitive function, loss of muscle strength, difficulty concentrating, etc.);
- Periodontal disease : periodontitis (loss of teeth) and gum recessions;
- Alteration of skin trophism (dry skin, appearance of wrinkles and skin aging);
- Psychological implications (anxiety and depression).
Diagnosis
Early menopause is diagnosed through a series of investigations, including:
- History and physical examination ;
- Investigations to rule out other causes of amenorrhea (absence of menstrual flow), which may include pregnancy, extreme weight loss, excessive exercise, other hormonal disorders and some reproductive system diseases;
- Exams to identify other concomitant conditions, such as autoimmune, genetic or thyroid diseases:
- MOC ( Computerized Bone Mineralometry ): the risk of disorders such as osteoporosis and osteopenia is directly related to years of estrogen deficiency;
- Chromosomal investigation by karyotype, to highlight genetic alterations;
- Antibody screening on specific clinical indication (example: anti-thyroid antibody dosage, anti-ovary, antisurrene etc.).
- Blood test to assess hormone levels:
- Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) : high levels of FSH are indicative of conditions in which the normal negative feedback originating from the gonads is absent; this leads to an uncontrolled release of FSH by the adenohypophysis.
- 17 beta estradiol : estradiol is the main estrogen hormone produced by the follicles of the ovary during the cycle. Low levels of the hormone indicate reduced functionality of the ovaries.
- Ovarian reserve indicators : inhibin B and antimullerian hormone (AMH) are reduced. Both provide an indication related to the number of follicles present in the ovaries and when they show poor ovarian reserves they confirm the presence of menopause.
- DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), produced by the adrenal gland, begins to decline after the age of 30 and shows a significant decline with menopause.
- Pelvic or transvaginal ultrasound : provides a detailed image of the ovaries and uterus, and allows us to assess whether the ovarian reserve is significantly compromised (if there are altogether less than four follicles, the early menopause is evident).
