Prevalence, severity, and association of serum follicle-stimulating hormone level with vasomotor and genitourinary symptoms in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND

The changes associated with menopause can affect a woman's quality of life. About 50%-80% of women complain of menopausal symptoms such as vasomotor symptoms and genitourinary symptoms.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To investigate the prevalence, severity, and association of serum follicle-stimulating hormone (s.FSH) levels with vasomotor and genitourinary symptoms in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

It was a cross-sectional study conducted to assess the severity of the menopausal symptoms using the Menopause Rating Scale, which categorized symptoms on a five-point scale ranging from "none" (0) to "very severe." The correlation of s.FSH with prevalence of genitourinary symptoms was calculated.

RESULTS

144 women were included in the study, out of which 63 (43.75%) belonged to the perimenopausal group and 81 (56.25%) belonged to the menopausal group. The mean age of the study population was 47.03 ± 7.13 years. In the perimenopausal women group, out of 63 women, 54 (85.71%) had joint pain and muscular discomfort, whereas 80 (98.76%) of the menopausal women experienced joint pain. 25 (39.68%) of perimenopausal women had mild vasomotor symptoms. The majority of menopausal women had more severe vasomotor symptoms as compared to premenopausal women. In the perimenopausal women, out of 63, 40 (77.08%) of the women experienced bladder problems, whereas in the menopausal females, a higher percentage, 71 (87.65%) experienced bladder problems. In contrast with the perimenopausal females, the majority of menopausal women had more severe urogenital symptoms. Mild mental exhaustion was reported by 27 (42.85%) perimenopausal women and 45 (55.56%) menopausal women. The majority of women in both groups had minimal symptoms. A significant positive correlation was observed between the severity of vasomotor symptoms and mean s.FSH.

CONCLUSION

The higher prevalence of severe vasomotor, genitourinary, and psychological symptoms in menopausal women compared to perimenopausal women, as observed in our study, is a common trend in the literature. This trend highlights the progressive nature of menopausal symptoms, emphasizing the need for timely and effective management strategies.