Are you peri-menopausal?

Perimenopause is the phase of life immediately before menopause that can last for several years. This is the time during which women experience most of the menopausal symptoms. During perimenopause, the ovaries produce hormones at fluctuating levels that eventually decrease overall.

References (Level of evidence: 3b - single-expert opinion w/data review)

• Brett KM, Cooper GS. Associations with menopause and menopausal transition in a nationally representative US sample. Maturitas. 2003 Oct;45(2)89-97.
• Bromberger JT, Assmann SF, Avis NE, et al. Persistent mood symptoms in a multiethnic community cohort of pre- and perimenopausal women. Am J Epidemiol. 2003 Sep;158(4)347-56.
• Bromberger JT, Meyer PM, Kravitz HM, et al. Psychologic distress and natural menopause: a multiethnic community study. Am J Public Health. 2001 Sep;91(9)1435-42.
• No authors listed. . . ;.
• Obermeyer CM, Reynolds RF, Price K, et al. Therapeutic decisions for menopause: results of the DAMES project in central Massachusetts. Menopause. 2004 Sep;11(4)456-65.
• Reynolds RF, Obermeyer CM. Age at natural menopause in Spain and the United States: results from the DAMES project. Am J Hum Biol. 2005 Aug;17(3)331-40.
• Santoro N, Lasley B, McConnell D, et al. Body size and ethnicity are associated with menstrual cycle alterations in women in the early menopausal transition: The Study of Women's Health across the Nation (SWAN) Daily Hormone Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Jul;89(6)2622-31.