RESUMO
The objectives of this work is to assess the impact of estrogen and progesterone on menopausal women, using sodium and potassium level as the index of the menopause. This is prospective, descriptive cross sectional and case-control study was done in hundred and fifty menopausal women, the age range [45-85 years], duration of menstrual cycle [28-38 years] and duration of menopause [1-28 years], this study carry out in Khartoum and Gezira State, Central Sudan during May 2009 to July 2010. Fifty subjects volunteer as control group, the age range from 45 -55 years with match age, socioeconomic status were included. Plasma sodium and potassium were measured by flame photometer and t-test and correlation were used in statistical analysis for the comparison between test and control group. The result showed a significant difference between the mean of plasma sodium of the control group compared with that of the case group [mean +/- SD]: [140.67 +/- 4.9, 3. versus 128.00 +/- 4.3 mmol/L respectively, [P<0.05]. Poatassium is slightly increased in the test group when compared with the control group [mean 1SD]: [3.8 +/- 0.16 versus 4.60 +/- 0.72mmol/L respectively, p > 0.05]. Also, there was a strong positive correlation between plasma sodium level and the duration of the menopause in the test group [p< 0.05]. This study revealed increases of the plasma sodium and slightly plasma potassium level in menopausal women, and the elevation of plasma sodium is positively correlated with duration of the menopause