'Not a gradual slide': Menopause can reshape women's bodies in a sudden shift, Israeli study finds

A Weizmann Institute study analyzing over 300 million lab tests from over a million women found that menopause triggers abrupt, body-wide biological shifts in bone health, liver function, and cholesterol, rather than a gradual decline. The findings, published in Nature Medicine, open a window for early preventive care.

A new study from the Weizmann Institute of Science challenges the long-held view that menopause is a gradual process. Researchers analyzed over 300 million lab test results from more than a million women in Israel and the US, using a novel computational technique inspired by deep-space astronomy. They found that menopause triggers abrupt, body-wide biological shifts across dozens of systems, including bone health, liver function, and cholesterol levels. The changes appeared in 52 of 90 types of lab tests studied. The study also found that these sudden shifts were preceded by escalating changes in sex hormone levels beginning more than a decade before menopause. The findings were published in Nature Medicine. Prof. Uri Alon led the research, which included collaborators from Clalit Health Services and Rabin Medical Center. The study opens a new window for early preventive healthcare, suggesting women could take steps like exercise and diet improvement years before menopause.