The menopausal transition and healthy ageing and wellbeing

更年期是一个女人的关键时期？的生活。它标志着她生殖的结束，通常与心脏病风险因素，骨密度以及她拥有的肌肉和脂肪量的变化有关。这一时期也是妇女经常改变其在家庭中的角色并可能改变职业或就业状况的时期。研究表明，一些妇女对更年期感到乐观，因为它标志着对避孕的担忧的结束，并增加了追求自己的兴趣和职业的自由。另一些人对更年期持否定态度，因为它标志着青春和生殖能力的丧失，以及与之相关的一些不良症状。很少有研究详细研究所有这些变化如何相互作用，以及早期生活中的风险因素和遗传因素如何影响女性经历更年期时发生的变化。我们计划研究生物，医学，社会和经济特征，以及身体形象，性健康和家庭关系，因为妇女经历更年期。我们还将研究早期生殖健康、生活方式和遗传因素如何影响这些变化。我们将在一组2800名妇女中进行这项研究，这些妇女将在未来5年内经历更年期过渡。我们已经有了很多关于这些女性的数据，这项进一步的研究将使我们能够充分了解女性更年期发生的变化如何影响她们的健康和福祉。因此，我们的研究是物有所值的。

The menopause is a key period in a woman?s life. It marks the end of her reproduction and is often associated with changes in heart disease risk factors, bone density and how much muscle and fat mass she has. This time period is also one when women frequently change their role in the family and may change occupation or employment status. Research has shown that some women feel positive about the menopause, because it marks the end to concerns about contraception and increased freedom to pursue some of their own interests and occupations. Others feel negatively towards the menopause because it marks the loss of youth and the ability to reproduce and because of some of the adverse symptoms associated with it. Few studies have examined in detail how all of these changes interact with each other and how risk factors in earlier life and genetic factors impact on the changes that occur as women go through the menopause. We plan to study biological, medical, social and economic characteristics, as well as body image, sexual health and family relationships as women go through the menopause. We will also study how earlier reproductive health, lifestyles and genetic factors affect these changes. We will undertake this study in a group of 2800 women who will go through the menopausal transition over the next 5 years. We already have a lot of data on these women and this further study will enable us to fully understand how changes that occur as women go through the menopause affect their health and wellbeing. Thus, our research represents good value for money.