Symptoms during the menopausal transition and early postmenopause and their relation to endocrine levels over time: observations from the Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether hot flashes, depressed mood, sleep, cognitive and sexual symptoms correlate with urinary follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estrone (E(1)G), and testosterone (T) and with each other during the menopausal transition and early postmenopause (PM).


METHODS
Forty-one women who transitioned from middle or late transition stage to PM rated symptoms and provided monthly urine specimens as part of a longitudinal study of the menopausal transition.


RESULTS
Correlations between endocrine levels and symptom severity ratings over time revealed that hot flash severity was significantly and positively related to FSH and negatively to E1 G. Vaginal dryness was positively correlated with FSH and negatively correlated with T. Decreased sexual desire was correlated negatively with E(1)G levels. Forgetfulness was positively correlated with FSH; difficulty concentrating was negatively correlated with T. Severity of sleep symptoms and depressed mood were not correlated with E(1)G, FSH, or T. Correlations among the symptoms revealed that severity of hot flashes was associated with sleep disruption and forgetfulness. Depressed mood was correlated with sleep disruption, difficulty concentrating, and decreased sexual desire but not with hot flashes or vaginal dryness. Awakening during the night was correlated with decreased sexual desire and vaginal dryness, as well as hot flashes. Forgetfulness was associated with hot flashes and difficulty concentrating, whereas difficulty concentrating was associated with depressed mood and early awakening.


CONCLUSIONS
Symptoms many women experience during the menopausal transition and early PM are related to different endocrine levels (FSH, E(1)G, and T).
Woods
Nancy Fugate
NF
Department of Family and Child Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-7260, USA. nfwoods@u.washington.edu
Smith-Dijulio
Kathleen
K
Percival
Donald B
DB
Tao
Eunice Y
EY
Taylor
Heather J
HJ
Mitchell
Ellen Sullivan
ES
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis; D004970:Estrone / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D043373:Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Human / Q000652:urine*; D006304:Health Status; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000652:urine*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D013739:Testosterone / Q000652:urine*; D014481:United States; D014621:Vagina / Q000473:pathology; D016387:Women's Health
D015415:Biomarkers; D043373:Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Human; D004970:Estrone; D013739:Testosterone