A study analyzing over 300 million laboratory tests from more than one million women suggests menopause involves abrupt physiological changes across multiple body systems, not just a gradual aging process. These changes affect bone health, liver and kidney function, and blood chemistry.
Hormonal shifts, however, begin much earlier. Anti-Müllerian hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone show accelerated changes approximately 15 years before the final menstrual period. The research also noted that menopausal hormone therapy was associated with differences in 39 laboratory measurements, suggesting it may moderate some changes.
Source: Down To Earth