Correlation between climacteric symptoms and serum levels of estradiol, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone

Abstract

Correlation between the climacteric symptoms and serum levels of estradiol, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH) was studied in 191 premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Significant correlation was obtained between the climacteric symptoms represented by the menopausal index of Kupperman and associates and serum levels of estradiol as well as LH in a subgroup of the premenopausal women, ages 35 to 39 years. The symptoms were shown to be significantly related to serum levels of LH and inversely related to estradiol. These results confirmed that climacteric symptoms, at least in premenopausal women 35 to 39 years of age, could result from a low output of ovarian estrogen and a high production of pituitary gonadotropin.