Abstract
BackgroundMiddle-aged women experience various menopausal symptoms during the menopause. These symptoms can affect their quality of life and health. Several epidemiological studies reported that obesity associates with menopausal symptoms. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the associations between obesity and multiple menopausal symptoms at different stages of menopause in middle-aged Korean women.MethodsThe study population included women aged 44–56 years who visited a tertiary referral hospital for medical check-ups between November 2012 and March 2013 and were free from serious illness, could comprehend a questionnaire. The Menopause-Specific Quality of Life (MENQOL) questionnaire was used to assess the prevalence of menopausal symptoms. Overweight and obesity were defined as body mass index (BMI) of 23–24.9 and ≥25 kg/m2, respectively.ResultsOf the 2204 middle-aged women, 929 met the eligibility criteria. Of these, 533 (57.4%) and 396 (42.6%) were in perimenopause and postmenopause, respectively. In perimenopause, obese women were significantly more likely to have moderate/severe physical symptoms (MENQOL domain score ≥ 5) than normal or overweight women. In postmenopause, obese women were significantly more likely to have moderate/severe vasomotor symptoms. Multiple linear regression with adjustment for confounders showed that relative to normal weight, obesity in perimenopause and postmenopause associated independently with physical symptoms (beta coefficient = 0.35; P = 0.023) and vasomotor symptoms (beta coefficient = 0.68; P = 0.003), respectively. Overweight did not associate with menopausal symptoms. BMI did not associate significantly with psychosocial or sexual symptoms at either stage of menopause.ConclusionsObese women had more frequent menopausal symptoms than normal or overweight women but the associated menopausal symptom differed depending on the menopausal stage. Further studies are required to confirm this result and identify the underlying mechanisms.
Highlights
Middle-aged women experience various menopausal symptoms during the menopause
Earlier cross-sectional studies conducted in Australia and Turkey failed to detect significant associations between body mass index (BMI) and menopausal symptoms [9, 10], whereas longitudinal studies suggest that women with higher BMI or body fat have a higher risk of vasomotor symptoms and other menopausal symptoms [8, 11,12,13]
The associated symptom differed depending on menopausal stage: in perimenopause, obesity associated significantly with physical symptoms while, in postmenopause, obesity associated significantly with vasomotor symptoms
Summary
Middle-aged women experience various menopausal symptoms during the menopause. These symptoms can affect their quality of life and health. Several epidemiological studies reported that obesity associates with menopausal symptoms The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the associations between obesity and multiple menopausal symptoms at different stages of menopause in middle-aged Korean women. The period from peri- to postmenopause involves hormonal and metabolic changes, and associates with changes in body composition, including an increase in body fat and weight gain [4]. This suggests that menopause may partly contribute to the rising prevalence of obesity among middle-aged women. Most of studies on the associations between obesity and menopausal symptoms only focused on the vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes, despite the fact that women undergo multiple diverse symptoms during transition [6, 16,17,18,19]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
