Prevalence and severity of symptoms across the menopause transition: cross-sectional findings from the Australian Women's Midlife Years (AMY) Study
An erratum to this article was published (Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol, Oct 2025 ↗)
Main finding · Moderately-to-severely bothersome hot flushesResult — go to the resultAdjusted prevalence ratio 4.74 95% CI 3.64–6.19Authors' conclusion
Our findings suggest that moderately-to-severely bothersome vasomotor symptoms can reliably indicate the onset of perimenopause in women with oligomenorrhoea or amenorrhoea. Although other symptoms might be caused or exacerbated by menopause, other factors contributing to their occurrence need to be considered and included in management and care. Additionally, treatment options and care pathways are crucial to improve wellbeing during the perimenopause.
Study context
- Population
- Women aged 40–69 years in Australia able to complete an English questionnaire, recruited Oct 2023–Mar 20245,509 classified by STRAW+10
- Participants
- 8,096 women
- Exposure
- STRAW+10 menopause stages
- Premenopausaln = 1,250reference
- Early perimenopausaln = 344
- Late perimenopausaln = 271
- Postmenopausaln = 3,644
- Outcome
- Prevalence and severity of menopausal symptoms (MENQOL) over previous 4 weeks
- Follow-up
- Previous 4 weeks
Methodological detailsnationally representative, non-probability panel recruitment
- Nationally representative
- Non-probability panel recruitment
Main finding
Moderately-to-severely bothersome hot flushes
Adjusted prevalence ratio
4.74
95% CI 3.64–6.19
By group
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Moderately-to-severely bothersome vaginal dryness (most discriminative sexual symptom) · previous 4 weeks
- Adjusted prevalence ratio, premenopause to late perimenopause
- 2.54 (95% CI 1.78-3.61)
- Adjusted for age, BMI and other demographic variables
Other moderately-to-severely bothersome symptoms incl. poor memory and low mood · previous 4 weeks
- Less variation was apparent for other symptoms, including poor memory and low mood
Moderately-to-severely bothersome symptoms by VMS and changed menstrual flow · previous 4 weeks
- Women with VMS and changed menstrual flow had more prevalent moderately-to-severely bothersome symptoms vs women without VMS
Poor memory, early perimenopausal women with VMS vs premenopausal women with VMS and changed menstrual flow · previous 4 weeks
- Higher prevalence of poor memory in early perimenopausal women with VMS; adjusted prevalence ratio
- 1.36 (95% CI 1.06-1.75)
Original publication
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