Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Perimenopause
- Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
- Symptoms & Signs
- Diagnosis & Tests
- Prevention & Expectations
- Treatment & Monitoring
- Attribution
- View All
Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
Perimenopause refers to the time before menopause, that is, before a woman stops menstruating completely.
What is going on in the body?
Estrogen levels decrease during perimenopause. The levels gradually decline until a woman stops menstruating. Until then, a woman is in perimenopause. Perimenopause is also called premenopause. Egg production by the ovaries is falling, and estrogen is also diminishing. The production of progesterone also lessens, especially if a woman is no longer ovulating. These hormonal fluctuations vary from woman to woman. Both the amount of hormone produced and the timing of the decline can vary.
What are the causes and risks of the condition?
As women get closer to menopause, the risks of osteoporosis, or bone thinning, and heart disease increase. Lower estrogen levels may be part of the reason that these risks increase.