Normal Hormone Range After Menopause

Menopause marks the end of reproductive years for women. Though often difficult to determine normal hormone ranges in post-menopausal women, certain hormone tests, along with other indicators, may prove useful in establishing the occurrence of menopause.

Menopause

A natural part of aging, menopause represents the permanent end of menstruation and fertility in women.

Significance

Considering that menopause signifies the end of fertility, it affects reproductive hormones such as follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estrogen, and progesterone.

Follicle Stimulating Hormone

Responsible for the production of eggs and regulation of menstruation, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) plays an important role in the female reproductive system. According to the University of Michigan Health System, a premier academic medical research center, the FSH test numbers sometimes indicate the occurrence of menopause. Women who have reached menopause have values ranging from 50 mIU/mL(milli international units per milliliter) to 100 mIU/mL.

Estradiol

Women experiencing menopause have low levels of estradiol (a type of estrogen) in conjunction with high levels of FSH. Medline Plus, a U.S. National Institute of Health Service, says that normal levels range from 0 to 30 pg/mL (picograms per milliliter) for postmenopausal women.

Considerations

A snapshot of an exact moment in the world of circulating hormones, test results are highly subjective. Hormone levels vary widely during the course of a month, and from woman to woman

References

• University of Michigan: FSH Blood Test
• Medline Plus: Estradiol Test
• Mayo Clinic: Menopause

Resources

• The Merck Manual: Menopause
• Medline Plus: Menopause