Current opinion in endocrine and metabolic research perimenopause: Utility of testing

Abstract

The menopausal transition (MT) consists of an early MT (median age at onset 47 years) and late MT (median age at onset 49 years). However, large variation in duration of these stages and their associated symptoms is observed in large samples of women studied over time. There are many proposed biomarkers to predict the onset, progress, and end of the MT. This review will discuss transition staging and the strengths and weaknesses of tests proposed to assist the clinician and patient in predicting the time course of a woman's latter reproductive life span.