Prevalence of menopausal hormone therapy and alternative methods; health benefits experienced by peri- and postmenopausal polish women
Monika Krzyzanowska
University of Wroclaw, Poland
: Androl Gynecol: Curr Res
Abstract
Although some women go through the menopausal transition without symptoms, changes observed in a hormonal profile of women at midlife are directly connected with specific symptoms. The duration and intensity of menopausal symptoms induce women to apply methods aimed at their alleviation. Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is the main conventional therapy. Due to serious side effects of MHT, the increasingly effectiveness of alternative therapies (AT) in counteracting the experienced symptoms and thus improving the quality of life of menopausal women is highlighted. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of menopausal symptoms, and the use of menopausal hormone therapy and nonconventional methods of alleviating menopausal symptoms and their health benefits in peri- and postmenopausal women. A sample of 349 peri- or postmenopausal women were studied, all of whom had experienced menopausal symptoms. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to assess the kinds of menopausal symptoms experienced, the types of therapies used, and the health benefits of using MHT or AT. The mean age of peri- and postmenopausal women was 49.55 (± 2.51) and 61.32 (± 6.77) years, respectively. The most common symptoms in both groups of peri- and postmenopausal women related to mental health. Altogether 45% of women used MHT and 27.8% AT. Those using MHT reported significant benefits in their sexual life (p < 0.001), whereas those using AT reported significant benefits of better sexual life (p < 0.001), skin condition (p < 0.001), and physical activity (p < 0.05). This study indicated that the most common symptoms connected with the menopausal transition were mental ailments. In order to prevent them, the women more frequently applied MHT in comparison to alternative methods, with postmenopausal women using MHT more often than perimenopausal women. Satisfaction was found with both conventional and alternative treatments for the relief of menopausal symptoms.
Biography
Monika is interested in various aspects of human population biology and ecology. My most recent research is on biological background of menopausal transition as well as age at menopause. I would like to know whether changes in the functioning of the HPA axis are related to the content and distribution of adipose tissue among premenopausal, perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, and to what extent these factors affect the occurrence of vasomotor symptoms. I am also interested in biological background of social mobility and migration with particular focus on the intra and inter-generational social and geographical mobility in the British national cohorts in relation to height, weight and Body Mass Index (BMI), as well as other biosocial and biomedical variables. I also work on mating patterns for a variety of characteristics.
