title: [Survey on characteristics of menopause of Chinese women with the age of 40-60 years at gynecological clinic from 14 hospitals].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the characteristics of menopause of Chinese women with the age of 40-60 years concerning gynecologic clinics in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  From Mar.2008 to Sept.2008, a face-to-face questionnaire was conducted in gynecological clinic in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women in 14 hospitals in China, which included general demographic data, menstrual change process, climacteric symptoms and knowledge about menopause. Modified Kupperman index were used to evaluate climacteric symptoms during the recent week and awareness of hormonal replacement therapy were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1641 women were investigated. The ages of onset of menopause transition, climacteric symptoms and natural menopause were (47 ± 4), (46 ± 4), (49 ± 3) years old respectively. Climacteric symptoms could be found in 78.43% (1287/1641) women during menopausal transition, which were mainly mild to moderate symptoms. The top 5 symptoms were fatigue and weakness (71.48%, 1173/1641), irritability (68.68%, 1127/1641), insomnia (67.65%, 1110/1641), muscle and joint pain (64.11%, 1052/1641) and hot flush (57.90%, 950/1641). The climacteric symptoms were not constant during menopausal transition, usually more severe in late transition and postmenopausal periods, during which the moderate and severe symptoms were 59.1% (189/320) and 51.1% (291/570) respectively. Although most symptoms primarily appeared along with menstruation change, there are about 17.5% (172/981) patients experienced climacteric symptoms before menstruation change occurrence. There were 56.39% (733/1300) women had ever heard (mostly from gynecologist) about hormone replacement therapy from Obstetrician and Gynecologist.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most of the women during menopausal transition had climacteric symptoms, usually mild and moderate ones. Although most symptoms primarily appeared along with menstruation change, there are other patients' experienced climacteric symptoms before menstruation change occurrence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Email: yuqimd@163.com.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ke-hui
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Mei-qing
authors.initials: MQ
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Xiao-min
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Mu-lan
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Xiang-yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Ruan
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Shu-xin
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Hui-lan
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yi-Yong
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Shao-fen
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xue-tao
authors.initials: XT
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000523:psychology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007508:Irritable Mood / Q000502:physiology*; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016387:Women's Health