Webster AD, et al. - This article is written with the goal to measure the quality of life in postmenopausal women aged 50-70 years. The outcomes of this descriptive investigation of postmenopausal women may help clinicians counsel women about expectations and treatment alternatives to address menopause-related symptoms and the connection between postmenopausal symptoms and overall health.

Methods

• A menopause-specific quality-of-life (MENQOL) questionnaire was completed by women selected in the Minnesota Green Tea Trial (n=932) to evaluate vasomotor, physical, sexual, and psychosocial symptoms in the years following menopause.
• Responses were coded; mean overall and domain scores ranged from 1 to 8.
• More severe symptoms were indicated by the higher score.

Results

• They observed that the mean overall MENQOL scores were highest in women aged 50-54.9 years.
• A pattern of decreased symptom severity with increasing age was observed overall and within each domain.
• Women aged 50-54.9 years had more severe night sweats and sweating than other age groups (P≤ 0.001) and more severe hot flashes than women aged ≥60 years (P<0.001).
• There were no differences between age groups on mean score in the Sexual domain.
• Compared with women aged 50.0-54.9 years (the reference group), study participants aged 60-64.9 and≥ 65 years had lower MENQOL scores in the Psychosocial domain (P=0.029 and P<0.001).
• Women aged 50-54.9 years had more severe symptoms associated with negative mood than women ≥ 65 years (P≤ 0.009).
• Compared with women aged 50-54.9 years, those in the age groups 60-64.9 and ≥ 65 years had lower scores for “poor memory” (2.98±1.75 and 2.66±1.68 vs. 3.43±1.87,P< 0.001).
• Women ≥ 65 years reported lower scores for “feeling tired or worn out”, “difficulty sleeping”, and “lack of energy” than all other age groups (P≤ 0.003).