title: Prevalence of vasomotor, psychological, psychosomatic and sexual symptoms in perimenopausal and recently postmenopausal Greek women: association with demographic, life-style and hormonal factors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of climacteric symptoms and their association with demographic, life-style and hormonal parameters in Greek peri- and recently postmenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  1025 Greek women who were either perimenopausal or within their first 5 postmenopausal years participated in this cross-sectional observational study. Menopausal symptoms were assessed by the Greene Climacteric Scale and were tested for associations with demographic, anthropometric, life-style and hormonal parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  29.8% Of the women reported moderate to severe menopausal symptoms. More specifically, 39.2% reported vasomotor, 21.3% psychological, 6.3% psychosomatic and 34.5% sexual symptoms. Years since menopause (r = 0.13, p < 0.01), waist circumference (r = 0.11, p < 0.05) as well as serum FSH, LH and estradiol (r = 0.15, r = 0.118, r = -0.157; p < 0.01) correlated with the intensity of menopausal symptoms. In the multivariate analysis years since menopause and serum estradiol were the only significant predictors of menopausal symptoms (b = -0.158 and b = -0.198, p < 0.001, respectively), explaining though only 4.8% of the variance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One out of three Greek women has moderate to severe climacteric symptoms during the menopause transition or the first postmenopausal years. This frequency is comparable to other White populations. Menopausal age and endogenous estrogens are significant predictors of climacteric symptoms.
authors: 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, Aretaieio Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors: Vasileios
authors: V
authors: Grigoriou
authors: Areti
authors: A
authors: Augoulea
authors: Eleni
authors: E
authors: Armeni
authors: Demetrios
authors: D
authors: Rizos
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Alexandrou
authors: Spyridon
authors: S
authors: Dendrinos
authors: Konstantinos
authors: K
authors: Panoulis
authors: Irene
authors: I
authors: Lambrinoudaki
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D043373:Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Human / Q000097:blood; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008593:Menopause / Q000097:blood / Q000523:psychology*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D047648:Perimenopause; D017698:Postmenopause; D015995:Prevalence; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014666:Vasomotor System / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D043373:Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Human; D004958:Estradiol; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone