Loading...
Women often request hormonal testing to determine whether they are approaching menopause. Although follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels are known to rise during the late reproductive years, some studies have questioned its utility as a diagnostic indicator of reproductive stage. This analysis from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) asks whether FSH is a useful predictor of menopausal status.
A total of 576 women aged 35 to 60 were classified by reproductive stage based on standardized definitions: 304 were reproductive (menses, either regular or “usually irregular,” within past 12 months), 93 were in menopause transition (irregular menses within past 12 months, reportedly due to “going/gone through menopause”)…