A research to spot the association between menopausal symptoms and metabolic syndrome in post-menopausal women in a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Aim: The current research aims to document the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and investigate the association between menopausal symptoms and MetS in post-menopausal women.Materials and Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional study was performed over a period of 6 months in various departments of a tertiary care hospital. One hundred and two post-menopausal women were enrolled in the study randomly. Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) and National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III Criteria were used to assess menopausal symptoms and MetS, respectively. Data analysis was carried out using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20.Results: Majority of the post-menopausal women had MetS with a prevalence of 72.54%. Somatic symptoms were the mostly commonly encountered symptoms in the subjects (71.56%) and had association with MetS (P = 0.004). Elevated fasting blood sugar was associated with components of MRS (P = 0.019). Among the somatic symptoms, hot flushes (P = 0.002), sleep problems (P = 0.037) and joint and muscular discomfort (P = 0.004) had significant association with MetS. Psychological symptoms and urogenital sexual problems were not associated with MetS.Conclusion: Prevalence of MetS in post-menopausal women was high. Somatic symptoms such as hot flushes, sleep problem and muscle and joint discomfort were associated with MetS. Menopausal symptoms might be due to the oestrogen deficiency. However, a large study is required to investigate the association between MetS and menopausal symptoms in post-menopausal women.