Hypothyroidism more prevalent during late perimenopause, postmenopause

“Accumulated data on menopausal transition suggest that the late menopausal transition stage, among other stages, seems to be the most critical period during which various menopausal symptoms and measurable physiologic changes are likely to manifest,” Mira Kang, MD, PhD, associate professor and vice chief information officer of the data management committee at Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, South Korea, and Seungho Ryu, MD, PhD, professor at the Center for Cohort Studies, Total Healthcare Center at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, told Healio. “Our findings add to the existing line of evidence, reflecting an increasing trend in the occurrence of abnormal thyroid function in the late menopausal stage. It would be of interest to find out what mechanisms or factors play into the increased prevalence of the hypothyroid state during the late transition period in future investigations.”