Symptoms at postmenopause:  genetic and psychosocial factors.
OBJECTIVE
Menopause symptoms result from the interaction of estrogen deprivation, psychosocial influences, and genetic factors. We examined the influence of stress and of estrogen receptor-α (ER-α; PvuII and XbaI) and serotonin transporter (5-HTT) polymorphisms on symptoms at postmenopause.


METHODS
We studied 290 urban women from three cities in Mexico. General characteristics, menopause symptoms, and scores of perceived stress, effort-reward imbalance, dominance, and submission were collected. A fasting blood sample was obtained for hormone measurements and genotypification.


RESULTS
Women had a mean ± SD age of 54.4 ± 4.5 years and BMI of 29.5 ± 4.9 kg/m. The frequency of hot flashes was 75.5%; vaginal dryness, 57.8%; and diminished sexual interest, 78.7%. Follicle-stimulating hormone and estradiol levels were 59 ± 27 mIU/mL and 22 ± 29 pg/mL, respectively. Women from Torreón had higher schooling and less parity but higher scores for depression and lower submission. Hot flashes were more frequent in women from León. Genotype distribution was similar among cities. Lower scores for dominance were found in women with the pp and xx ER-α genotypes. Increased smoking habit was found for the SS genotype of 5-HTT. Factors significantly associated with symptoms were years since menopause, with hot flashes (negative), and with diminished sexual interest (positive); dominance was negatively associated with depression, perceived stress, and vaginal dryness; submission was positively associated with depression, perceived stress, anxiety, and hot flashes; and effort-reward imbalance was positively associated with anxiety, hot flashes, and perceived stress.


CONCLUSIONS
Symptoms at postmenopause were associated mainly with dominance, submission, and effort-reward imbalance. The pp genotype of ER-α showed lower scores of dominance.
Departamento de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Guanajuato Campus León, León Guanajuato, Mexico.
Herlinda
H
Aguilar-Zavala
Elva L
EL
Pérez-Luque
Francisco
F
Luna-Martínez
Susana
S
Bassol-Mayagoitia
Thelma
T
Canto-de-Cetina
Maillil
M
López-Conesa
Juan M
JM
Malacara
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D003863:Depression / Q000235:genetics; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D005838:Genotype; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D011584:Psychology; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D014623:Vaginal Diseases / Q000235:genetics
D017931:DNA Primers; C506487:ESR1 protein, human; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D004958:Estradiol; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone