When Menopause-Like Symptoms Start Early

This transcript has been edited for clarity.

Perimenopausal status (also known as entry into the menopausal transition) is defined by menstrual changes in age-appropriate women.

However, symptoms characteristic of perimenopause, including sleep disruption and hot flashes, often start prior to the occurrence of menstrual changes. This earlier time period is referred to as the late reproductive stage (LRS).

Starting in 2018, an evidence-based website has encouraged women aged 34-55 years who tracked their menses to contribute information regarding their symptoms by completing a detailed survey. Among all respondents, more than 900 met criteria for LRS and almost 600 for perimenopause. The mean age of LRS and perimenopausal respondents was 46 and 50 years, respectively. Overall, 80% of respondents had a college degree or had attended graduate school; 69% were White, 5% Hispanic, 3% Black, and 2% Asian.

For most of the symptoms assessed, including sleep disruption, mood changes, headaches, brain fog, and dizziness, the proportion of women in the LRS and perimenopause groups reporting these was similar. Among perimenopausal women reporting hot flashes, night sweats, palpitations, or mood symptoms, the daily frequency of these symptoms was higher than in LRS women. The only symptom rated by one group as significantly more bothersome was hot flashes