- Researchers are reporting that premenstrual disorders could contribute to early menopause.
- Understanding who is at risk for early menopause can help medical professionals target women who may experience health conditions later.
- Symptoms of early menopause are the same as menopause. Treatments are available to help relieve the discomfort of these symptoms.
Researchers who evaluated health data from 3,635 women in the United States are reporting that premenstrual disorders (PMD) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PDD) are associated with early menopause and moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (VMS).
Their
In their study, the scientists defined menopause as not having menses for 12 consecutive months. Participants self-reported the age at which they reached menopause.
- Early menopause was defined as occurring before age 45.
- Normal menopause was defined as occurring between the ages of 45 and 54.
- Late menopause was defined as occurring after age 55.
Women also assessed whether VMS symptoms were mild, moderate, or severe as well as the duration of symptoms, such as less than 5 years, 5 to 9 years, or 10 or more years.
A total of 1,059 participants with PMD and 2,235 women without PMD reached menopause during the study period.
After evaluating the data, researchers determined that:
- Women with PMD had an increased risk of early menopause.
- There was an association between PMDs and VMS, although this was a plus/minus result.
Health information came from the Nurses’ Health Study II, which collected data from 1991 to 2017.
The researchers note that this information could help medical professionals target women in their reproductive years with the highest risk of health conditions due to early menopause.
Early menopause puts women at risk for premature mortality, cardiovascular, neurological disease, psychiatric disease, and osteoporosis, according to the
In some cases, it is possible to…
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