Menopause and perceived health status among the women of the French GAZEL cohort.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of menopause on women's quality of life. Women (1171) aged from 45-52 years who work for the French national gas and electricity company volunteered for this study (response rate 75%). They completed a self-administered questionnaire pertaining to general health. Quality of life was measured by the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). Within this group 289 women were postmenopausal. After controlling for age, those women were more likely to show a lower quality of life than women still menstruating for 4 of the 6 sections of the NHP: social isolation (odds ratio 1.4; 95% confidence interval 1.1-1.9), pain, sleep and energy (odds ratios 1.5; 95% confidence intervals 1.1-2.0). Those alterations of quality of life are explained by the climacteric complaints the women report. Those findings suggest that the treatment of menopausal symptoms with medication of proven efficacy may prevent lowering of quality of life due to menopause.