title: Assessment of hot flushes and vaginal dryness among obese women undergoing bariatric surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Menopausal symptoms are associated with a negative impact on the quality of life, leading women to seek medical treatment. Obesity has been linked to higher levels of menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes. This assessment will explore whether the prevalence and bother of hot flushes and vaginal dryness change from pre- to post-bariatric surgery among obese midlife women.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is a longitudinal analysis of data from 69 women (ages 35-72 years) undergoing bariatric surgery with reported reproductive histories and menopausal symptoms at preoperative and 6-month postoperative visits. Prevalence of and degree of bother of hot flushes and vaginal dryness at pre- and post-surgery were compared using McNemar's test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The reported degree of bother of symptoms associated with hot flushes decreased from pre- to post-surgery (p < 0.01). There was no significant change in the prevalence of hot flushes or vaginal dryness in the overall study sample.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The degree of bother of symptoms associated with hot flushes among midlife women may decrease after bariatric surgery. These results highlight important secondary gains, including less bothersome menopausal symptoms, for women who choose bariatric surgery for weight loss.
authors.affiliation: a Magee-Women's Research Institute, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences , University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , Pittsburgh, PA , USA ;
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Goughnour
authors.affiliation: b Department of Epidemiology , University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health , PA , USA ;|c Department of Psychiatry , University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , Pittsburgh, PA , USA ;
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Thurston
authors.affiliation: a Magee-Women's Research Institute, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences , University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , Pittsburgh, PA , USA ;
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Althouse
authors.affiliation: b Department of Epidemiology , University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health , PA , USA ;
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Freese
authors.affiliation: a Magee-Women's Research Institute, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences , University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , Pittsburgh, PA , USA ;
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: d Minimally Invasive Bariatric & General Surgery , University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, PA , USA ;
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Hamad
authors.affiliation: d Minimally Invasive Bariatric & General Surgery , University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, PA , USA ;
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McCloskey
authors.affiliation: d Minimally Invasive Bariatric & General Surgery , University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, PA , USA ;
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramanathan
authors.affiliation: c Department of Psychiatry , University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , Pittsburgh, PA , USA ;|e Biobehavioral Medicine in Oncology Program , University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute , Pittsburgh, PA , USA.
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Bovbjerg
authors.affiliation: a Magee-Women's Research Institute, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences , University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , Pittsburgh, PA , USA ;|b Department of Epidemiology , University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health , PA , USA ;
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Linkov
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D050110:Bariatric Surgery; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014623:Vaginal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: Menopausal symptoms; bariatric surgery; hot flushes; vaginal dryness; weight loss