title: Analysis of the climacteric syndrome.
abstract: The climacteric syndrome (CS) was investigated in a large sample of women (over 4000) who spontaneously attended the Menopause Clinic at the University of Bologna between 1976 and 1986. The participants selected had received no hormonal replacement therapy for at least 6 mth or any other drug for at least 3 mth previously. They were all free from any disease that could influence any of the CS symptoms. The frequency of 12 symptoms considered typical of the CS was investigated. The interrelationships between these symptoms were determined as well as the frequency of the occurrence of individual symptoms in association with various climacteric complaints. The results indicated (a) that the CS is not uniform but both variable and individual, (b) that the frequency of its constituent symptoms remains high in advanced fertile age and the advanced postmenopause, (c) that the symptoms are preferentially interlinked, (d) that many, but not all, symptoms exhibit a differentiated pattern during the course of the natural and surgical menopause/age progression, and (e) that hot flushes and sweating, and to some extent insomnia and headache, are menopause-dependent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Bologna University, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: de Aloysio
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Fabiani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mauloni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bottiglioni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002979:Climacteric / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013577:Syndrome; D013997:Time Factors