Study Finds Menopause Triggers Sudden Shifts in Multiple Body Systems

Uri Alon’s group at the Weizmann Institute analyzed longitudinal health records from more than a million women in the US (1999-2022) and Israel (2004-2024). Their findings, published in Nature Medicine, reveal that around the time of the final menstrual bleed, 52 of 90 health indicators change abruptly, covering liver and kidney function, blood lipids, bone metabolism and sex hormones. Hormonal shifts, such as a steeper decline in anti-Müllerian hormone about 15 years before menopause and a rise in FSH roughly 14 years prior, were detected well before the last period.

Bone density loss speeds up, raising osteoporosis risk, while incidence of arthritis, gout and heart disease climbs more rapidly after menopause. Comparisons with age-matched men showed smoother, gradual changes, underscoring the menopause-specific pattern. Experts caution that the study reflects averaged trends rather than individual health crashes and note that hormone therapy appeared to soften some changes, though further research is needed.