The majority of 30-year-old women are already experiencing menopausal symptoms

More than half of women aged 30 to 35 have moderate to severe symptoms associated with menopause, but most will wait more than a decade before broaching the subject with a health professional.These are the findings of a survey of 4,400 American women aged between 30 and 56, describing the severity of perimenopausal symptoms according to age.Many patients mistakenly believe they are too young to be affected by perimenopause. “Many women feel unprepared for this phase, just as they do for menopause. They don't feel adequately supported by the healthcare system or their workplace,” said the team of researchers, who published their findings in npj Women's Health.Survey participants were asked to answer a series of questions about their health and complete the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) to assess the severity of their symptoms. The results showed that 55% of respondents aged 30 to 35 had moderate to severe symptoms. This percentage climbed to 64% for women aged 36 to 40, i.e., almost two out of three women.Few medical consultationsAround 20% of respondents had already consulted a health professional about perimenopause or menopause. Of these, a third were under the age of 46.However, in the 30 to 35 age group, just 4% of respondents had sought medical advice. In a quarter of these cases, the professional they met concluded that their patient was perimenopausal.“There is a significant proportion of women who are concerned about perimenopause or who may even meet the criteria for perimenopause, despite being younger than the average age of onset of perimenopause of 47.5 years,” the study stated. “Perimenopausal care and education should be addressed even with patients whose age is generally considered part of the reproductive phase to prevent symptoms from worsening.”Trajectory of symptomsPerimenopause generally lasts from five to 10 years. The early stage is characterized by irregularity of the menstrual cycle, or even interruption of the cycle for a month or two. The advanced stage is characterized by longer periods of amenorrhea, from 60 days to a year. Symptoms of the early stage are mainly related to menstrual irregularity, while those of the advanced stage are associated with physiological changes due to the decline in ovarian function.Read: How menopause awareness among employers, patients is changing the workplaceIndeed, survey results indicate that urogenital and vasomotor symptoms were more frequent and severe in post-menopausal individuals, while psychological symptoms (anxiety, depression, irritability) were more prevalent in early perimenopausal individuals. This could indicate a symptom trajectory during perimenopause. “For example, mood symptoms may worsen in early perimenopause, while urogenital symptoms may become progressively more severe as a woman approaches menopause,” the researchers said.This article was translated from its original French and first appeared on our sister site Profession Santé.

The majority of 30-year-old women are already experiencing menopausal symptoms

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