Menopause triggers sudden changes throughout the body, Israeli study finds

Menopause is commonly associated with a gradual decline in reproductive hormones, but a new Israeli study suggests the transition also marks a sharp physiological turning point, affecting a wide range of bodily functions beyond fertility. Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science analyzed more than 300 million laboratory test results from over 1 million women in Israel and the United States, identifying abrupt changes in dozens of health indicators around the time of the final menstrual period. The findings, published in the scientific journal Nature Medicine, suggest that menopause is accompanied by a much broader biological transition than previously recognized, with measurable changes affecting nearly every major system in the body.