Jurnal Anestesi · Jul 8, 2026
Hubungan Kadar Estradiol terhadap Fungsi Penghidu pada Wanita Menopause
By Prathama K, Rambe AYM, Yudhistira A et al.
Olfactory dysfunction carries substantial consequences because the sense of smell guides perception of food and drink, social and sexual communication, and protection against environmental hazards. After menopause, ovarian function declines and circulating estradiol falls markedly, while estrogen is also formed extragonadally in local tissues, so serum estradiol may not fully reflect tissue-level estrogen exposure. This study aimed to determine the relationship between estradiol levels and olfactory function in menopausal women. An observational study with a cross-sectional design was conducted on 45 naturally menopausal women aged 45-65 years selected by consecutive sampling at the Gynecology Clinic of H. Adam Malik General Hospital, Medan. Olfactory function was assessed objectively using the Sniffin’ Sticks Test, measuring threshold, discrimination, and identification, and serum estradiol was measured from venous blood. Data were analyzed using SPSS with Spearman correlation and the Mann-Whitney test. The mean age of subjects was 55.6 years and most had been menopausal for at least five years. Most subjects experienced hyposmia (80%), driven mainly by lower discrimination and identification scores, while olfactory threshold was relatively preserved. Mean serum estradiol was low (22.05 pg/mL), consistent with the postmenopausal state, and showed no significant correlation with olfactory threshold, discrimination, identification, or total ADI score (all p > 0.05). Estradiol levels also did not differ significantly between normosmic and hyposmic groups (p = 0.670). In conclusion, olfactory function in menopausal women cannot be explained by serum estradiol alone but likely involves the interaction of age, postmenopausal status, hormonal changes, and central-peripheral olfactory processing.