Menopause Overview - Concepedia

Principles

Definition

Menopause is an academic concept and research domain centered on the natural biological transition in the female reproductive system characterized by the permanent cessation of menstruation. This field investigates the underlying physiological and hormonal changes, associated physical and psychological symptoms, long-term health implications, and the socio-cultural context of this life stage. Key characteristics include its clinical definition by 12 consecutive months of amenorrhea and the multidisciplinary study of its biological basis and its impact on health and well-being.

Ontological type

Physiological Mechanisms

Long-Term Health Outcomes

Symptomatology

Key developments

Key Figures

Estrogen-Centric Paradigm era

Pentti K. Siiteri [1], with stints at University of California, San Francisco [3] and Stanford University [4], exemplified the estrogen-centric approach to menopause in this era. His work identifying the Source of Estrogen Production in Postmenopausal Women [6] and the Plasma Precursors of Estrogen [7] linked age-related hormonal changes to downstream physiology, refining the estrogen hypothesis that guided early hormone therapies. William B. Kannel [2], affiliated with Harvard University [5] and the University of California, San Francisco [3], helped situate menopause within cardiovascular risk in this era. His work, notably Menopause and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease [8], underscored menopause as a factor in cardiovascular risk and prompted consideration of estrogen-related trade-offs in management strategies.

Trial-Driven Reappraisal era

Yaakov Stern [1], affiliated with University Memory and Aging Center [3] and Harvard University [4], emerged as a leading figure in menopause-related cognitive aging research during this era. His key contribution centers on the paper 'Effect of oestrogen during menopause on risk and age at onset of Alzheimer's disease' [7], which linked oestrogen exposure to Alzheimer's risk and age at onset, a finding that helped shape the era's emphasis on trial-relevant cognitive endpoints for evaluating menopausal hormone therapy. Richard Mayeux [2], associated with University of Washington [5] and Boston University [6], contributed to this program by advancing epidemiological perspectives on how menopause-related hormonal change influences Alzheimer's risk, as reflected in the same 1996 paper 'Effect of oestrogen during menopause on risk and age at onset of Alzheimer's disease' [7]. Mayeux [2], associated with University of Washington [5] and Boston University [6], illustrated how trial-grade longitudinal evidence, as demonstrated by the 1996 paper 'Effect of oestrogen during menopause on risk and age at onset of Alzheimer's disease' [7], started to guide guideline development and patient stratification in menopause care.

Personalized Menopause Care era

Cyrus Cooper [1], Harvard University [3], and the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry [4] figure prominently as an authority in osteoporosis research and guideline development during this era. He contributed to the European guidance for the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women [7], providing evidence-based recommendations that underpin risk stratification and long-term pharmacologic strategies essential to personalized menopause care. Jean‑Yves Reginster [2], with affiliations to The University of Adelaide [5] and Geneva College [6], exemplifies cross-institutional collaboration shaping osteoporosis care in this era. He contributed to the European guidance for the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women [7], central to consensus-driven, patient-centered decisions in bone health management across diverse populations.