Does inflammation increase during menopause?
Research from the long-running Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation followed women for up to 21 years across the menopause transition. Researchers measured two markers of inflammation in the blood: IL-6, a protein that helps coordinate the body’s inflammatory response, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), which is produced by the liver in response to inflammation.
The researchers found that women followed different patterns. Inflammation increased around the time of the last menstrual period mainly in women whose levels had previously been low or moderate, with changes more consistently seen in IL-6. Women who already had high levels generally remained high or experienced a decline.
These findings suggest that the menopause transition may contribute to increased low-grade inflammation—but not in every woman. Body composition, smoking, physical activity, metabolic health and wider life circumstances may also influence inflammation. Because this was an observational study, it shows an association but cannot prove that menopause directly causes inflammation.
Source: El Khoudary et al. (2025), The Relation Between Systemic Inflammation and the Menopause Transition: The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation.
