More than half of women aged 30 to 35 suffer moderate to severe symptoms associated with menopause, but wait decades before seeking treatment, new research from UVA Health and the Flo women’s health app reveals.
The research sheds important light on “perimenopause,” the transition leading to menopause, and challenges the misconception that women first experience symptoms in their 50s, which often leaves younger women to suffer in silence.
“Physical and emotional symptoms associated with perimenopause are understudied and often dismissed by physicians,” said study co-author Dr. Jennifer Payne, an expert in reproductive psychiatry at UVA Health and the University of Virginia School of Medicine. “This research is important to more fully understand how common these symptoms are, their impact on women and to raise awareness amongst physicians as well as the general public.
Dr. Jennifer Payne, the co-author of the study, is an expert in reproductive psychiatry at UVA Health and the University of Virginia School of Medicine. (Contributed photo)
“Knowing this type of progression of perimenopause-associated symptoms can help both women and their doctors know what to expect as women enter the perimenopausal portion of their lives,” she said.
Understanding Perimenopause
The new study analyzes self-reported symptoms collected from more than 4,400 American women aged 30 and older who participated in an online survey and in the Flo app, which tracks menstrual cycles, ovulation and pregnancy. Among women 30 to 35, 55.4% reported symptoms meeting the criteria for “moderate” or “severe” on the Menopause Rating Scale. This number increased to 64.3% with women 36 to 40. Despite those numbers, most women don’t seek treatment for menopause symptoms until they are 56 or older.
“We had a significant number of women who are typically thought to be too young for perimenopause tell us that they have high levels of perimenopause-related symptoms,” Liudmila Zhaunova, director of science at Flo, said. “It’s important that we keep doing research to understand better what is happening with these women so that they can get the care they need.”
The researchers found psychological symptoms associated with menopause like anxiety, depression and irritability appeared well before the physical symptoms. These symptoms peaked among women aged 41 to 45, before declining to their lowest levels in women ages 56 and older.
Physical problems such as sexual dysfunction, bladder issues and vaginal dryness were most common in women 51 and older and least common in women ages 30 to 35.
