Patient's question:
Once, sometimes every six months, my friend said I'm about to go through menopause. I'm only forty-eight. I've heard that women age faster after menopause. I'd like to ask, what is the age at which menopause occurs?Doctor's answer:
The menopause refers to the period when ovarian function gradually declines and eventually ceases. According to international statistics, women who experience menopause before the age of 40 have a 39% higher risk of death compared to those who experience it between 40 and 44, a 60% higher risk compared to those between 45 and 49, and a 95% higher risk compared to those between 50 and 54. Therefore, understanding the various factors that influence menopause and delaying the age of menopause are critical issues that cannot be ignored in the health care of middle-aged and elderly women. The most important factor determining the age of menopause is the number of oocytes. At birth, each ovary contains about one million oocytes, which continue to decline after birth. When the number of oocytes decreases to a critical level, menopause occurs. To date, the mechanisms controlling or regulating the rate of oocyte decline are not yet fully understood, but the following factors are clearly associated with the timing of menopause.Nutrition and menopausal age are closely related. Research has found that women who are long-term malnourished, short in stature, and light in weight have an average menopausal age of 43.6 years, compared to those who are better nourished, relatively taller, and relatively heavier, who have an average menopausal age of 47.3 years. Smoking is a significant factor in early menopause. Benzopyrene in cigarettes is a lethal factor for oocytes. Animal experiments have shown that low doses of benzopyrene can destroy 25% of oocytes, while high doses can destroy 98% of them. A survey by the Royal University Hospital in the UK found that women who smoke experience menopause an average of 54 months earlier than those who do not smoke.
Diseases. Chronic wasting diseases, metabolic and endocrine disorders, tumors, and mumps complicated with oophoritis can all lead to the decline of ovarian function, abnormal hormone secretion from the adrenal cortex, thyroid, pituitary gland, and other glands, resulting in early menopause. Additionally, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and some autoimmune diseases can also cause early ovarian decline and menopause. Menopausal age is also related to various psychological and mental factors. Women with harmonious marital relationships and satisfying sexual lives tend to experience menopause later compared to those with poor marital relationships, excessive sexual activity, or a lack of sexual life. In particular, women under chronic psychological stress, overexertion, long-term depression, or anxiety may experience early menopause due to its impact on neuroendocrine function.
The average menopausal age for urban women in China is 49.5 years, while for rural women, it is 47.5 years. The age range for menopause can be between 35 and 55 years, with American women experiencing menopause at an average age of 51.4 years. The age range for menopause is typically between 48 and 55 years. In recent decades, the age of menarche has tended to decline, but changes in menopausal age have not been significant. Menopause before the age of 40 is referred to as "premature menopause" or "early ovarian failure." Approximately 1% of women experience menopause before the age of 40, while menopause after the age of 55 is called "delayed menopause."
A new study suggests that a woman's menopausal age may be influenced by the month of birth. Scientists at the University of Modena in Italy found that women born in March experience the earliest menopause, while those born in October experience the latest. After surveying 3,000 Italian women, researchers discovered that the menopausal age could differ by up to 18 months depending on the month of birth. Even after controlling for factors that may influence menopausal age, such as smoking, weight, and age at puberty, women born in October experienced menopause at 50 years and 3 months, while those born in March experienced it at 48 years and 9 months. This research, published in the latest issue of Human Reproduction, supports the theory that prenatal environment can affect a child's life as an adult. This indicates that the prenatal period plays a crucial role in shaping future life. Events that occur before birth, particularly during pregnancy, may determine many aspects of adult life, including the age of menopause.
Although researchers still do not fully understand the reasons, they suspect that temperature and sunlight may influence the development of the fetus in the womb and its later reproductive lifespan. The researchers further note that due to seasonal variations, the impact of birth month on menopausal age differs across different regions globally. The data from this study also show that women born in autumn develop better in utero and have a higher number of oocytes compared to those born in spring.
Currently, researchers are investigating whether the month of birth also affects women's mental and emotional well-being.