A new study suggests that women in the late reproductive years may experience multiple symptoms often associated with menopause that can affect overall quality of life.
Summary Goals The objective of this study was to characterize and compare women’s self-reported symptoms during the late reproductive stage and the menopause transition. Methods This cross-sectional analysis used data from the Women Who Live Better in Spanish survey. Women ages 35 to 55 completed an 82-item online survey to assess menstrual cycle patterns, changes, and 61 symptoms sometimes associated with menopause. The women’s menstrual patterns were classified as late reproductive stage or menopausal transition using the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop. Demographic and health-related data were collected, including age, country of residence, race/ethnicity, education, parity, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Descriptive statistics characterized reported symptoms, and logistic regression models examined associations between reproductive stage and symptoms. Results Of 853 respondents , 358 women were included in the analyzed sample. Participants were on average 40 ± 4.1 years old, 46% reported difficulties paying for basics, 34% lived in Spain, and 20% lived in Mexico. A similar proportion of women in the late reproductive stage and menopausal transition reported 8 of 18 symptom clusters. Women in the late reproductive years had lower age-adjusted odds of musculoskeletal pain (odds ratio, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.19-0.66) and lower odds of decreased interest in sex (odds ratio , 0.49; 95% CI, 0.25-0.92). Both groups of women reported similar interference with personal relationships. Conclusions Women in the late reproductive stage experience multiple symptoms often associated with menopause. A better understanding of the symptoms experienced by Spanish-speaking women may lead to more personalized medical care and facilitate early guidance about menopause. Future cross-cultural studies focusing on symptoms during the late reproductive stage are necessary. |
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The transition to menopause is often accompanied by a number of symptoms that can affect a woman’s overall quality of life, including hot flashes, sleep disorders, and depression.
A new study suggests that women may already experience some of these symptoms several years before menopause , during the late reproductive years. The results of the study are published in Menopause , the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS).
By 2025, it is estimated that 1.1 billion women worldwide will be postmenopausal. However, the number of women experiencing menopause-like symptoms is likely to be much higher because increasing evidence suggests that women in the late reproductive years experience multiple symptoms often associated with menopause years before. the official transition to menopause.
A new study involving more than 350 Spanish-speaking respondents is the latest to document the effect of several physiological and psychosocial changes that affect women in the 4 to 10 years preceding the last menstrual period.
A woman’s late reproductive stage is characterized by low antral follicle counts and subtle changes in the length, length, and flow of the menstrual cycle. It usually marks the time when fertility begins to decline and hormonal patterns begin to change. This study sought to characterize and compare the symptoms that Spanish-speaking women around the world report experiencing during the late reproductive stage and transition to menopause.
The new study identified a similar proportion of women in the late reproductive years and menopause transition reporting 8 of 18 common menopause symptoms.
Among other findings, women in the late reproductive years had lower age-adjusted odds of musculoskeletal pain and lower odds of decreased interest in sex. But both groups reported similar interference with personal relationships and overall quality of life. Additional analyzes are needed to evaluate how changes associated with reproductive aging affect quality of life.
The results of the study are published in the article “ Experience of symptoms during the late reproductive stage versus the transition to menopause in the Women Who Live Better in Spanish Survey .”
“This study in Spanish-speaking women not only adds to the evidence that women experience multiple symptoms typically associated with the menopause transition in their late reproductive years, but also highlights opportunities for anticipatory guidance that is culturally and linguistically appropriate,” says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, NAMS medical director.
