Key Points
• Source: Menopause
• Conclusions: “Premenopausal stage women with either vasomotor or nonvasomotor menopausal symptoms have significantly higher prevalence of poor CVH [cardiovascular health] metrics, compared with those without any menopausal symptoms.”
• In the current cross-sectional study, Korean researchers assessed the association between menopause symptoms and the prevalence of ideal cardiovascular health metrics in 4611 premenopausal women aged between 42 and 52 years.
• Physical and psychosocial symptoms were more common compared with other menopausal symptoms. A higher prevalence of CVH was correlated with more bothersome menopausal symptoms, including those in the vasomotor, psychosocial, physical, and sexual domains.
• The authors wrote, “Women with bothersome menopausal symptoms, even in the premenopausal stage, may benefit from relevant surveillance of CV risk factors and management as well as measures to reduce discomfort from those symptoms. Further research is required to confirm the role of menopausal symptoms in CVD risk and demonstrate that the management strategies targeted for menopause symptoms of premenopausal and middle-aged women of diverse ethnicities can improve CV health and subsequent CVD complications.”
• Limitations of the current study include the use of self-reported questionnaires to assess CVH and a lack of dietary data.