Menopause

**Definition:** A condition affecting females, caused by the loss of ovarian follicular function and decline in circulating blood oestrogen levels. This condition is characterised by the cessation of menstruation, hot flushes, atrophic genital changes, psychophysiological effects, and bone loss. Confirmation is by taking a patient history to determine psychophysiological effects such as the presence of amenorrhoea, and identification of hypooestrogenaemia and elevated serum FSH levels in a blood sample.