Each menopause is unique for each woman. If for some, this period of life marks a new liberating chapter, for others, menopause can be an ordeal. Scientists are interested in the impact that weight can have on menopause, via a new study. Do overweight women suffer more distressing symptoms?
While excess weight affects 57.3% of those aged 65 and over according to Inserm estimates dating from February 2023, an American study attempted to answer the question, presented at the annual congress of the Menopause Society ( NAMS), which took place in Philadelphia, from September 27 to 30, 2023. For the moment, the research has not yet been published.
Obese women more prone to certain symptoms of menopause
For five years, American scientists conducted a study on 119 women. They were divided into two groups: those whose body mass index (BMI) was less than 30, and those whose BMI was greater than 30, therefore considered obese. There was no significant difference between the two groups with respect to age, duration of menopause, use of hormonal therapy or acceptance of therapy. After reviewing each person’s medical records, the researchers observed that obese women were more likely to report certain symptomsincluding vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes, genitourinary/vulvovaginal symptoms, mood disturbances, and decreased libido.
And this is not the only observation made by the researchers. They also observed that participants suffering from obesity were less likely to get relief from their symptoms after taking a hormonal treatment systemic and/or localizedcompared to women not suffering from obesity.
Menopause: a study of underrepresented obese women to help practitioners
Researchers came to the conclusion that postmenopausal women with obesity had an increased prevalence of menopausal symptoms and decreased effectiveness of hormone treatment. “We studied the symptoms of menopause withinan underrepresented patient population that is not often included in women’s health studies“, underlined the main author of the study, Anita Pershad, who works at the Eastern Virginia Medical School, in Virginia. And continued: “This research can help practitioners caring for a more racially and socioeconomically diverse patient population severely affected by social determinants of health provide better care and advice for patients seeking treatment for menopausal symptoms.“
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