Final answer:
Menopause is confirmed by FSH levels greater than 30, with the average age for menopause being between 50 and 52 years. The hormonal changes leading up to menopause involve a decrease in estrogen and progesterone levels and an increase in FSH due to the decline in inhibin.
Step-by-step explanation:
Menopause is confirmed by FSH levels greater than 30, and the average age for this change is between 50 and 52 years of age. Menopause marks the end of a woman's reproductive years and is characterized by the cessation of menstrual cycles. During menopause, there is a decrease in estrogen and progesterone levels due to the depletion of ovarian follicles and the hormones that they produce. This hormonal change is triggered by an increase in FSH levels because of the decrease in inhibin, which normally regulates FSH production through a negative feedback loop with the pituitary gland. After a woman has not menstruated for a full year, she is considered postmenopausal.