Postmenopause – This is a period in life that every woman goes through without fail. The age-related loss of the functional ability of the ovaries is called menopause, that is, the moment after which a woman stops menstruating. The postmenopausal period is very important, since the hypoestrogenia that occurs in postmenopausal women affects the functioning of the entire body of a woman.
Today, menopause occurs on average at the age of 50-55 years, but there is a tendency to increase this age. Today we want to talk about the changes that occur in the body of a woman during the postmenopausal period.
How does postmenopausal estrogen deficiency affect the body
About 30% of all women on the planet are in the postmenopausal period, which lasts a third of a woman's life. In postmenopause, involutive processes occur in the body, which also affect the reproductive system. In addition, in the postmenopausal period, the incidence of various diseases associated with hypoestrogenism significantly increases.
Oncological pathology also threatens women of this age: the peak incidence of endometrial cancer is observed at 62 years old, ovarian cancer – at 60, and cervical cancer – c 51. Given all these factors, it is necessary to pay due attention to the postmenopausal period and understand what changes occur in the body during this time.
Postmenopause:
- changes in the hormonal background of a postmenopausal woman;
- how does the climacteric syndrome manifest itself in the postmenopausal period;
- urogenital disorders occurring in the postmenopausal period;
- how estrogen deficiency affects the cardiovascular and nervous systems;
- how hypoestrogenism affects the state of the skeletal system of a woman's body.
Changes in the hormonal background of a postmenopausal woman
Changes in the secretory function of the ovaries begin long before the onset of menopause itself, since this period coincides with the complete cessation of the hormonal function of the ovaries due to the development of resistance of the follicles to the follicle-stimulating hormone. In the postmenopausal period progesterone production stops and estrogen production decreases significantly, estrone prevails among them, the concentration of which is 3-4 times higher than the content of estradiol in the woman's blood. The production of androgens in the postmenopausal period also decreases: the ratio of androsterone to testosterone at this time is 20 to 40%.
How does menopausal syndrome manifest itself in the postmenopausal period
The climacteric syndrome observed in postmenopausal women implies the presence of such characteristic symptoms:
- hot flashes;
- sweating;
- blood pressure surges;
- headache;
- sleep disorders;
- emotional disturbances: irritability and depression;
- asthenic symptoms;
- sympathoadrenal crises.
Menopausal syndrome is caused by changes in hormonal levels and can last from one year to as much as 10-15 years. It is important to note that in 25% of cases there is a severe course of the climacteric syndrome, requiring appropriate treatment.
Urogenital disorders occurring in the postmenopausal period
Urogenital disorders in the postmenopausal period are caused by the development of atrophic and dystrophic processes in estrogen-sensitive areas of the genitourinary system: the urethra, bladder, vagina, ligamentous apparatus of the small pelvis, muscle and connective tissue structures of the pelvic floor. Urogenital disorders occur around 2-5 years postmenopause and are observed in 30-40% of women.
With age, the likelihood of urogenital disorders in women increases. Urogenital disorders involve the occurrence of the following symptoms and conditions:
- symptoms of atrophic vaginitis;
- dyspareunia – pain during intercourse;
- decreased lubricative function;
- development of cystourethritis;
- pollakiuria – frequent urination;
- urinary incontinence;
- genital prolapse.
How estrogen deficiency affects the cardiovascular and nervous systems
Estrogen deficiency also affects the function of the cardiovascular and nervous systems. If in women before menopause myocardial infarction occurs 10-20 times less than in men, then in the postmenopausal period this ratio changes and by the age of 70 is one to one. This can be explained by the fact that in the postmenopausal period, metabolic processes in the body are disturbed, and the concentration of cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins in the blood increases, which plays an important role in the development of atherosclerotic processes in the vessels.
The effect of hypoestrogenism on the brain is also noted. It is believed that in the postmenopausal period, in the presence of genetic factors, the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's syndrome is significantly increased.
How hypoestrogenism affects the state of the skeletal system of a woman's body
Hypoestrogenia also affects the state of the body's skeletal system: 40% of postmenopausal women develop osteoporosis. Estrogen deficiency causes a decrease in the synthesis of bone matrix by osteoblasts and an increase in resorptive processes by osteoclasts. Osteoporosis can develop asymptomatically for a long time, and the appearance of the first clinical signs may indicate significant bone loss.
That is why, after 10-15 years of postmenopausal women, the likelihood of bone fractures increases dramatically. The main risk factors for osteoporosis in the postmenopausal period are insufficient calcium intake, sedentary lifestyle, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
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