Forced menopause is induced by various medical treatments that cause a woman's ovaries to stop producing the hormone estrogen, or by any type of surgery that removes both of a woman's ovaries. The average age of natural menopause is 51, but menopause may have to be induced at a much earlier age. Women who experience forced menopause also experience sudden and intense menopausal symptoms and effects.
Types
One type of forced menopause is surgical menopause, which is the removal of both ovaries, most often along with the uterus, in a hysterectomy. Chemotherapy, radiation therapy and medical treatments that are used to suppress ovarian activity and diminish hormone production, such as some breast cancer treatments, will also cause forced menopause.
Time Frame
Forced menopause is any menopause that occurs prior to natural menopause. Natural menopause typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55. Premature ovarian failure, or premature menopause, are the terms used for menopause that occurs before the age of 40. Early menopause is the term used for menopause that occurs between ages 40 and 45, whether the condition is natural or forced, although forced menopause is generally referred to as "induced menopause."
Significance
Whether it is spontaneous (natural) or forced, menopause is the end of the reproductive stage in a woman's life. The drop in estrogen production during this time is thought to be responsible for both the immediate side effects of menopause, such as hot flashes and mood swings, and, at least in part, for the long-term health issues associated with post-menopausal aging. Forced menopause results in an abrupt end to a woman's menstrual cycles as opposed to the gradual transition that occurs in natural menopause.
Effects
In a 2009 review of related studies, published in the journal Maturitas, Mayo Clinic researchers reported that forced menopause results not only in premature loss of fertility, but in more severe menopausal symptoms, psychiatric problems, neurological disease and a higher risk of developing osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Forced menopause may also increase the risk of premature death.
Considerations
A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on the influence of menopause on cardiovascular health found that increased levels of cholesterol, particularly LDL (or "bad") cholesterol, that often occur in women within one year of their final menstrual period, are directly related to natural or forced menopause. Other health-related changes that may occur, such as increased blood pressure, blood fats or blood sugar levels, are due to aging, regardless of time of menopause. Those known factors may play an important role in considering various forms of preventative care and treatment for the effects of forced menopause.
References
- Maturitas: "Premature Menopause or Early Menopause: Long-term Health Consequences"; LT Shuster, et al; 2009
- University of Cincinnati: Net Wellness: Surgical Menopause: It Is Different from Natural Menopause
- J of the American College of Cardiology: "Are Changes in Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Due to Chronological Aging or the Menopausal Transition?"; K. Matthews et al; 2009
