Peter Chedraui1, Faustino R Pérez-López2, Luis Hidalgo1,3, Diego Villacreses1, Andrea Domínguez1, Gustavo S Escobar1, Andrea R Genazzani4, Tommaso Simoncini4. 1. a Institute of Biomedicine, Research Area for Women's Health, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil Guayaquil Ecuador. 2. b Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Zaragoza, Lozano Blesa University Hospital Zaragoza Spain. 3. c Enrique C. Sotomayor Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital Guayaquil Ecuador. 4. d Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa Pisa Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (METS) increases after the menopause. Reports indicate that the METS and its components, especially obesity, enhance the intensity of menopausal symptoms. OBJECTIVE: Assess the frequency and severity of menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women. Factors related to the symptom severity were also analyzed including depressive and metabolic status. METHODS: A total of 204 natural postmenopausal women (40-65 years) participating in a METS screening program were asked to fill out the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and a general socio-demographic questionnaire containing personal and partner data. Criteria of the American Heart Association were used to define the METS. RESULTS: Median age of the whole sample was 56 years. A 52.9% presented the METS, with 37.3% presenting hyperglycemia, 51.5% hypertension, 58.3% abdominal obesity, 45.6% high triglyceride and 56.4% low HDL-C levels. Total and subscale MRS scores did not differ in accordance to the presence or not of the METS. The three top prevalent menopausal symptoms were muscle and joint problems (87.2%), physical and mental exhaustion (72%) and depressive mood (64.7%). A 19.6% of women presented total MRS scores above 16 defined as severe. Multivariate linear regression analysis determined that anxiety (higher HADS anxiety subscale scores) was significantly and positively correlated with all components of the MRS (Total and subscale scores). Higher total MRS scores correlated positively with abdominal perimeter and higher parity. Somatic scores correlated inversely with female education and positively with psychotropic drug use; and psychological MRS scores positively correlated depressed mood (higher HADS depressive subscale scores) and abdominal perimeter. CONCLUSION: In this postmenopausal sample, severity of menopausal symptoms correlated to abdominal obesity, mood and other personal aspects.
BACKGROUND: The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (METS) increases after the menopause. Reports indicate that the METS and its components, especially obesity, enhance the intensity of menopausal symptoms. OBJECTIVE: Assess the frequency and severity of menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women. Factors related to the symptom severity were also analyzed including depressive and metabolic status. METHODS: A total of 204 natural postmenopausal women (40-65 years) participating in a METS screening program were asked to fill out the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and a general socio-demographic questionnaire containing personal and partner data. Criteria of the American Heart Association were used to define the METS. RESULTS: Median age of the whole sample was 56 years. A 52.9% presented the METS, with 37.3% presenting hyperglycemia, 51.5% hypertension, 58.3% abdominal obesity, 45.6% high triglyceride and 56.4% low HDL-C levels. Total and subscale MRS scores did not differ in accordance to the presence or not of the METS. The three top prevalent menopausal symptoms were muscle and joint problems (87.2%), physical and mental exhaustion (72%) and depressive mood (64.7%). A 19.6% of women presented total MRS scores above 16 defined as severe. Multivariate linear regression analysis determined that anxiety (higher HADS anxiety subscale scores) was significantly and positively correlated with all components of the MRS (Total and subscale scores). Higher total MRS scores correlated positively with abdominal perimeter and higher parity. Somatic scores correlated inversely with female education and positively with psychotropic drug use; and psychological MRS scores positively correlated depressed mood (higher HADS depressive subscale scores) and abdominal perimeter. CONCLUSION: In this postmenopausal sample, severity of menopausal symptoms correlated to abdominal obesity, mood and other personal aspects.
Authors: Ying Sheng; Janet S Carpenter; Charles D Elomba; Jennifer S Alwine; Min Yue; Caitlin A Pike; Chen X Chen; James E Tisdale Journal: Womens Midlife Health Date: 2021-05-31