Obstetrics & Gynecology

Answer 1 Her serum FSH level is consistent with menopause. Consistently elevated levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (ie, greater than 30 mIU/mL) confirm menopause. Menopause is the permanent cessation of menstruation that occurs because ovarian follicular activity has ceased. The average age of onset of menopause is 51.4 years, and the average range of age for menopause is 44 to 59 years, with most patients experiencing irregular menstrual function for 4 to 5 years before menopause. Natural menopause occurs after 12 months of amenorrhea and therefore is a diagnosis of retrospection. Although there has been an increase in life expectancy for women over the years, the age of menopause has not changed over the past few centuries. In previous years, few women lived into the menopause; today, women live at least one third of their lives after menopause. Click here to return to the questions

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