Menopausal symptoms 'last longer' than previously thought

Conclusion This is an interesting study with a long follow-up period. It suggests the length of time women have hot flushes for may be underestimated. However, it was carried out on US women and the results may not be generalisable to other populations. That aside, unlike many other studies of its type, it did make an effort to include a range of ethnicities, including Chinese, Hispanic and African-American women. The study relied on women self-reporting their symptoms only once each year, which may affect its reliability. It also only looked at women who reported getting frequent vasomotor symptoms (at least six days in the previous two weeks). As a group, this sample may not be representative of menopausal women overall and may be more vulnerable to a longer duration of symptoms. It is interesting that women who reported more anxiety about menopause also reported a greater duration of VMS. The menopause is a perfectly natural event, and there are many ways women can learn to cope with its effects. If symptoms are making you miserable, it’s worth talking to your GP. HRT is often effective, but if you are unable or unwilling to take it, alternatives to HRT are available. Analysis by Bazian. Edited by NHS Choices. Follow Behind the Headlines on Twitter. Join the Healthy Evidence forum. Links To The Headlines Menopause lasts 'up to 14 years': Study says doctors should advise women that symptoms may occur for longer than they previously thought. Daily Mail, February 17 ...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Older people Source Type: news