Climacteric symptoms in middle-aged women with chronic somatic diseases

• This cross-sectional study included 3421 women, aged 41–54.
• We studied associations between chronic diseases and climacteric symptoms.
• We used multivariable analyses, adjusting for various confounding factors.
• Women with chronic diseases had more symptoms across several symptom domains.
• Vasomotor, sleep, and sexual symptoms were rarely associated with chronic diseases.

ObjectivesChronic 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.Study design and main outcome measuresOur 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.ResultsThe 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.ConclusionsMany 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.