Menopause is a biological stage in a woman's life when menstruation stops permanently due to the loss of ovarian follicular activity.
It occurs with the final menstrual period and is usually diagnosed clinically after 12 months of amenorrhoea
In the UK, the mean age of natural menopause is 51 years
Perimenopause - period before menopause when the clinical features start. characterized by irregular cycles of ovulation and menstruation and ends 12 months after the last menstrual period
Early menopause - cessation of ovarian functioning between 40-45 (without another cause)
Premature menopause - definitive loss of ovarian functioning before 40
Menopause results from loss of ovarian sensitivity to GnRH stimulation -
Directly related to follicular attrition (atresia increases from age 35)
Biological changes:
Risk factors for early menopause: