ABSTRACT
Furthermore, when well-being was measured
in a cross-sectional and prospective Australian
study of the menopause transition, no effects
of menopausal status were found.8 Despite the
fact that a wide variety of physical and
psychological symptoms have been attributed
to hormone changes during the menopause-
such as irritability, headaches, depression,
anxiety, weight gain, aches and pains, poor
memory and concentration, and loss of
libido-hot flushes and night sweats
(vasomotor symptoms) are the only definite
symptoms of the menopause.9 Even if
symptoms are reported by women in surveys
this does not necessarily mean that the
symptoms are problematic. Porter and
colleagues10 asked a random sample of 6084
Scottish women whether they experienced a
number of symptoms and then whether they
perceived them to be a problem. Vasomotor
symptoms and atrophic vaginal changes were
the only symptoms to be associated with
menopausal status; 57% reported having hot
flushes and 22% regarded these as a problem.
