Menopause Hormone Levels

What is a Menopause Hormone Levels Chart?

A Menopause Hormone Levels Chart works like a hormonal road map to the often turbulent time of menopause. Menopause comes with a lot of changes, including vasomotor, urogenital, and emotional symptoms, as well as increased risks for conditions such as bone fractures and cardiovascular disease.

While there is a range of treatments to ease some of these symptoms, this chart aims to help individuals going through menopause by offering a better understanding of the hormonal changes that are leading to the symptoms being experienced.

In the time leading up to menopause, known as perimenopause or the first part of the menopause transition, when one rarely or barely goes through the menstrual cycle, changing hormone levels can lead to a range of menopause symptoms. Examples of symptoms are hot flashes, vaginal dryness, disturbed sleep, irregular periods, and mood changes, some of which can be targeted with hormonal replacement therapy (HRT).

For patients struggling with symptoms caused by menopause or considering HRT, it is important to understand the changes in hormones that are occurring in and around the menopausal transition. Our Menopause Hormone Levels chart is designed to provide a simple, visual representation of the dynam

How does it work?

Step 1: Download the Menopause Hormone Level Chart

To begin tracking menopausal hormone levels, download the menopause hormone level chart using the link on this page. 

Step 2. Add any relevant blood test results

Accurate monitoring of menopausal hormone levels involves obtaining regular blood tests to measure key hormones such as Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) levels, estrogen levels, and Luteinizing Hormone (LH). Practitioners can add these test results in the spaces provided to capture a snapshot of your client’s hormone levels.

Step 3. Add extra comments, including test result interpretation

Include extra comments to provide context and insight in the space provided. These comments may include information about lifestyle factors, the onset of specific menopause-related symptoms, or any changes in medication or hormone replacement therapy. 

When would you use this chart?

This perimenopause to menopause hormone levels chart visually represents the complex hormonal dynamics during this transitional phase in the lives of perimenopausal to postmenopausal women. It illustrates how menopause occurs and highlights the stages from perimenopause to postmenopause.

Whether patients are experiencing symptoms of perimenopausal, menopausal, or postmenopausal stages, understanding the interplay of different hormones and how these can impact your patients’ lives can help to demystify the often strange changes that occur in these life stages. 

Additionally, the hormone chart depicts the general pattern of hormone levels and can serve as a useful educational tool to inform patients of the typical changes in estrogen, LH, and FSH that occur during each stage of menopause.

Practitioners who may benefit from having this menopause hormone levels chart on hand include:

• Obstetricians and gynecologists
• Endocrinologists
• Primary care physicians
• Women’s health specialists
• Nurse practitioners

Final clinical-decision making reminders

It’s important to remember that a single blood test cannot reliably serve as a conclusive diagnosis of menopause due to the dynamic and fluctuating nature of hormone levels during this transitional phase in a woman’s life (Löfqvist, 2022).

Menopause is a gradual process marked by significant hormonal changes, including fluctuations in estradiol, FSH, and LH. It is generally a better course of action to rely on the presence of these menopausal symptoms to determine the menopausal stage, rather than a single blood test.

Furthermore, hormone levels can vary not only between individuals but also within the same individual over different periods. Thus, relying on a single blood test may not capture the full spectrum of hormonal variations and the associated physical and emotional symptoms.

Therefore, healthcare professionals should typically consider a series of blood tests, along with a comprehensive assessment of symptoms and medical history, to make a more accurate diagnosis of menopause. This multifaceted approach allows for a more nuanced understanding of hormonal patterns and ensures a more reliable foundation for personalized treatment decisions and symptom management.

References

Heinemann, L. A. J., Potthoff, P., & Schneider, H. P. G. (2003). International versions of the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS). Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 1, 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7525-1-28

Löfqvist, H. (2022). Modern Menopausal Hormone Treatment. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-92735-6_2