Physiology of Menopause

Menopause is a phenomenon that occurs universally and with increased life expectancy many females in most parts of the world tend to spend almost one-third of their lifetime beyond 50 years of age. The world’s elderly population will be more than double from 1998 to 2025, rising from 264 million in 2009 to 416 million in 2050 [1]. In 1990, it was estimated that there were almost 500 million women aged 50 years or over worldwide, and this number is expected to increase to 1.2 billion by 2030. By that time, 76% will be living in developing countries. About 50 million women worldwide reach menopause each year [2]. The term menopause relates to permanent cessation of menses that marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years due to loss of ovarian follicular activity and is a retrospective diagnosis. The event is said to have occurred after 12 consecutive months of amenorrhea for which no physiological or pathological cause have been ascertained. The term climacteric or perimenopausal phase has been replaced by menopausal transition and begins 4–7 years preceding menopause during which the endocrinological, biological, and clinical features of declining ovarian activity appear.