title: Climacteric symptoms in middle-aged women with chronic somatic diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chronic diseases may aggravate or simulate climacteric symptoms. Although acknowledged in clinical practice, there is a lack of research systematically analysing the association between chronic diseases and climacteric symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our study was a cross-sectional population-based study, which included 3421 women, aged 41-54 years. Climacteric symptoms were evaluated using the Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ), of which we included seven symptom domains (vasomotor, sleep, depressive, anxiety/fears, cognitive, sexual, and menstrual) and a question concerning whether the women were worried about growing old. The occurrence of various diseases (cardiovascular, neurological, sensory organ, bronchopulmonary, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, urological, dermatological, and thyroid disease, diabetes, and cancer) was recorded. The associations between the diseases and symptoms were defined with multivariable analyses, adjusting for various confounding factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The women with the diseases had more symptoms. Vasomotor symptoms and sleep problems were associated only with gastrointestinal diseases, and lower sexual functioning only with diabetes. The remaining symptoms were associated with several diseases, except being worried about growing old, which was not associated with any.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many symptoms connected to the climacteric may manifest also due to chronic diseases. Thus, health-care professionals should consider the origin of the symptoms when treating middle-aged women with chronic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland. Electronic address: riina.katainen@utu.fi.
authors.forename: Riina E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Katainen
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Janne R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Engblom
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Tiina J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Siirtola
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Risto U
authors.initials: RU
authors.lastname: Erkkola
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Päivi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Polo-Kantola
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D019529:Sexuality; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014570:Urologic Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D014666:Vasomotor System / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: Climacteric; Medical condition; Menopausal symptoms; Menopause; Middle-age; Quality of life