The impact of menopause on health-related quality of life: results from the STRIDE longitudinal study (original) (raw)

Impact of hormone therapy on quality of life after menopause

Menopause, 2013

Objective: Given the complexity of the literature on quality of life (QOL) and hormone therapy (HT) among women in the menopausal transition and postmenopause, the purposes of this integrative review were to (1) define QOL as a multidimensional construct; (2) review validated instruments for measurement of QOL; (3) review results of HT and QOL clinical trials that have used validated instruments; and (4) assess the effectiveness of HT on QOL, including health-related QOL (HRQOL), menopause-specific QOL (MSQOL), and global QOL (GQOL). Methods: The literature on HT and QOL was searched for definitions of QOL and validated instruments for measuring QOL, and the results were summarized. The purposes of this integrative review were to evaluate the effects of HT on HRQOL, differentiating the effects of HT on GQOL, HRQOL, and MSQOL. As a basis for this review, we searched for published controlled clinical trials in which the effects of HT on QOL were studied using validated QOL instruments, in particular menopause-specific validated instruments. Results: Clear definitions are elucidated. Validated instruments for the measurements of HRQOL, GQOL, and MSQOL are summarized, and the necessity of their incorporation into future research and clinical practice is emphasized. The published effects on QOL of estrogens and progestogens administered to symptomatic and nonsymptomatic women in the menopausal transition and beyond are reviewed. Conclusions: The impact of various health stateYrelated symptoms on HRQOL and GQOL is now an integral component of contemporary health care. Effects of HT include GQOL and HRQOL and should be menopausespecific. There is clearly a need for further studies on menopause and menopause-related therapies using appropriate and validated instruments. Literature review shows that HT provides a significant benefit for MSQOL in midlife women, mainly through relief of symptoms, but treatment also may result in a global increase in sense of well-being (GQOL). HRQOL benefits are contingent on symptom status, as are MSQOL outcomes. Women who are severely symptomatic experience a significant improvement in HRQOL and MSQOL, although this improvement is not significant among women without severe symptoms at baseline measures in clinical trials.

Quality of life (QOL) in menopause

Maturitas, 2007

Quality of life (QOL) is generally not precisely defined or measured. This has resulted in confusing and often misleading conclusions in multiple publications, including those coming from both the HERS and the WHI writing groups. Health-related QOL and global QOL are accurately defined, and current instruments for measuring them are available. In the continuing effort to determine the true risks and benefits of postmenopausal hormone usage, it is critical that the full spectrum of effects be measured. There is no excuse for future studies on hormone use not to include well-validated instruments for measuring QOL and for not reporting those effects as part of the rest of the study. Questionnaire instruments can often provide more information than many of the invasive tests that are part of contemporary trials. They also add little cost, yet can be invaluable in the analysis of real cost-effectiveness of interventions in contemporary women's health care. Beyond safety and efficacy evaluation of drug therapies, there is an absolute need to know about the real impact of these therapies on overall quality of life.

Literature review of instruments to assess health-related quality of life during and after menopause

Quality of Life Research, 2005

Background and objectives: Menopause is a physiological event occurring in women at about the age of 50. It signals the end of the reproductive years and is associated with signs of estrogen deficiency having a considerable impact on women’s health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The most common form of treatment is hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Studies have shown negative events can arise from long-term use of HRT. The aim of this review is to determine if there are any HRQoL instruments that address the impact of menopausal symptoms including positive and negative effects of HRT. Methods: The following eight instruments were identified: Greene Climacteric Scale, Women’s Health Questionnaire (WHQ), Qualifemme, Menopause-Specific QOL Questionnaire (MENQOL), Menopausal Symptoms List (MSL), Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), Menopausal Quality of Life Scale (MQOL), and the Utian Quality of Life Scale (UQOL). Results: All instruments reviewed proved to be reasonably structured and have their place in applied research. None were found that addressed all aspects of the impact of HRT on HRQoL. Conclusion: In order to capture the possible short-term side effects of HRT on HRQoL, it is necessary to modify one or more of the existing instruments or develop a new instrument applicable in many different countries and languages.

Quality of life among menopausal women

International Journal of Reproduction, Contraception, Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2014

The transition through menopause is a life event that can profoundly affect quality of life. More than 80% of women report physical and psychological symptoms that commonly accompany menopause, with varying degree of severity and life disruption. The aim of this study was to assess the menopausal related symptoms and their impact on the women"s quality of life. Research questions: Are the menopausal symptoms impacts on the women"s quality of life? Methods: A descriptive design was used. A convenient sample composed of 90 women at range of age between 40-60 years was recruited from gynecological department. An interviewing sheet was designed by the researchers and menopause specific quality of life questionnaire were used to collect the data.

Assessment of the QoL in Italian menopausal women: comparison between HRT users and non-users

Maturitas, 2002

Objectives: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to describe QoL in a large sample of women attending menopause centres and compare untreated postmenopausal women and matched HRT users by employing the Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ) and two generic instruments, the SF-36 and the EQ-5D. Methods: Overall, 2906 women were recruited by 64 menopause centres throughout Italy, of whom 2160 filled in the questionnaire (1093 on HRT and 1067 not on HRT; response rate: 74%). Results: HRT users tended to be younger, healthier and with shorter menopause duration as opposed to non users, while no major socioeconomic differences were present. At multivariate analysis, the presence of chronic diseases, low socioeconomic status and living in Southern Italy represented the most important predictors of poor QoL. Furthermore, HRT users showed a lower probability of reporting problems in usual activities and pain/discomfort (EQ-5D), role limitations due to emotional problems (SF-36) and anxiety/fears (WHQ). HRT users also showed highly significant better outcomes in those areas that are more directly attributable to hormonal changes of mid age, namely vasomotor symptoms and sexual problems. Conclusions: Although QoL is mainly influenced by socioeconomic and cultural factors, HRT has the potential for improving not only symptoms, but also more general aspects of physical and psychological well-being of symptomatic postmenopausal women.

Understanding menopause-postmenopausal complications, management and quality of life

International Journal of Pharmaceutics and Drug Analysis

Menopause is a commonly occurring transition that all women go through with advancing age. The permanent cessation of menstruation is defined as natural menopause it happens with the termination of a woman’s final menstrual period. Variations in race and ethnicity may be a reason for different menopausal onsets in women which may also be affected by lifestyle and demographic factors. A negative effect on the common health and quality of life (QOL) as well as the contentment of middle-aged women may occur due to Menopause and associated biological changes. From one individual to another, symptoms of menopause and their severity differ due to the effects of different factors such as social status, lifestyle, psychological status, and body composition. QOL in women may be diminished due to Menopausal symptoms, mostly sexual and vasomotor symptoms.

Quality of life and its determinants in postmenopausal women: a population-based study

Applied Nursing Research, 2016

This study aimed to assess quality of life (QOL) and its determinants in Iranian postmenopausal women. Methods: This population-based cross-sectional survey was conducted using cluster sampling design. The samples consisted of postmenopausal women aged 40-60 years with total household in Rasht city (north Iran) as the sample frame. Quality of life was assessed by Menopause-Specific QOL (MENQOL) Questionnaire. Mean domain scores and factors related to the higher score of each domain were determined. Results: Findings showed that the mean scores for each domain were: vasomotor: 2.14 ± 1.49; psycho-social: 1.56 ± 0.85; physical: 1.91 ± 0.52 and sexual: 1.37 ± 1.05. Comparing the median of the studied domains, physical domain had the worst score in menopausal women. Pain in joint and muscle, one item of physical domain, had the highest score. The univariate analysis demonstrated that women aged 60-65 (p b 0.0001), women with postmenopausal stage 5 or more years (p b 0.0001), married women (p b 0.05), women holding higher education degree (p b 0.05), employed women (p b 0.05), women with a body mass index (BMI) b18.5 kg/m 2 (p b 0.05) and women who do physical activity (p b 0.05) showed better QOL. Based on Logistic Regression model, the predictive factors of normal QOL in menopause status were: age, husband education, score of Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and BMI. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that menopause-related symptoms had negative impact on QOL. Confirmation by further research is needed.

Quality of Life and Menopause

Quality of Life - Biopsychosocial Perspectives, 2020

Since the middle of twentieth century, the concept of Quality of Life (QoL) has been a point of interest for many investigators and clinicians for different health and physiological issues. Menopause has not been an exemption of this, due to the increase of the life expectation, the importance of Women's Health and the view of this period of life as important as the reproductive one. Many of us work, trying to offer these women with treatments, health solutions, and psychological tools to embrace and enjoy this new chapter in her life. In this chapter, we present a review of the QoL studies on this period and the new trends on treatments and help for these women on health problems, their mental and sexual well-being.