An investigation into the climacteric in Nigerians.

The alterations in the hormonal levels during menopause have been studied in Nigerian women. There was a significant decrease in estradiol level of early menopausal and late menopausal women while the testosterone level increased (P less than 0.01). The luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) showed significant elevation (P less than 0.01). The elevation of follicle stimulating hormone was about fourteen times higher in early menopausal women and sixteen times higher in late menopausal women when compared to the level in controls. Luteinizing hormone, however, showed an elevation eight times higher in early menopausal women and twelve times higher in late menopausal women. The level of these hormones, the intensity of climacteric symptoms among menopausal Nigerian women and attainable age of menopause was found to be the same as in Caucasians.