The endocrine transition around menopause - a five years prospective studywith profiles of gonadotropines, estrogens, androgens and SHBG among healthy women

Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate the hormonal change s during the menopausal transition in a non-clinical population. Methods. Fifty-nine healthy Norwegian women participated in a five year pro spective longitudinal study during the transition from pre- to post-menopau se, starting one to four years before menopause, and ending one to four yea rs postmenopausal. None of these women were given hormone replacement thera py (HRT). Blood samples were collected every 12 months and luteinizing horm one (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), steroid hormone binding globu line (SHBG), prolactin (PRL), estradiol (E-2), estrone (El), testosterone, androstendione, dehydroepiandrostendione-sulphate (DHEA-S), and thyroid sti mulating hormone (TSH) were analyzed. Results. The serum levels of FSH and LH, E2 and El profile essentially conf irmed previous data obtained in cross-sectional studies. A continuous incre ase in serum FSH and LH and a concomitant fall in E-2 and Fl were observed in all women before menopause and in the two postmenopausal years:. Bath an drostendione and testosterone showed a decline three years before menopause . After the menopause, however, there were fluctuations in the testosterone levels. Androstendione correlated positively with both E-2, and El and tes tosterone postmenopausally. Body mass index (BMI) did correlate with testos terone, but not with androstendione. BMI correlated negatively with SHBG. N o correlation was found between BMI and E-2, EI, FSH and LH. Conclusion. This longitudinal prospective study of hormonal changes during the transition from pre- to postmenopause indicates that not only estrogen hormonal changes, but androgen hormonal changes as well, precedes the menop ause by several years.