The age at the final menstrual period holds intrinsic clinical and public health interest because the age at which natural menopause occurs may be a marker of aging and health.
Later age at natural menopause has been associated with:
- Longer overall survival and greater life expectancy and reduced all-cause mortality.
- Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality from cardiovascular and ischemic heart disease, stroke, angina after myocardial infarction, and atherosclerosis.
- Less loss of bone density, and a reduced risk of osteoporosis and fracture.
- But an increased risk of breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers.
Now if there were some way to extend menopause indefinitely while controlling any increased risk of breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers. This would be gold.