Why middle-aged women are 4 times more likely to experience fatigue: Study

Heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding during menopause transition may explain why middleaged women are twotofour times more likely to experience fatigue suggests a new study calling for more attention on tiredness among femalesBesides the commonly known menopause symptoms such as hot flashes sleep problems pain and depression heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding may increase fatigueMost women transitioning through menopause experience changes in the amount and duration of menstrual flow with many reporting episodes of prolonged PMB or heavy HMB menstrual bleeding that meet the criteria for abnormal uterine bleeding AUBThe team led by researchers from the University of Michigan revealed that one in three women transitioning through menopause had episodes of AUBDespite the high occurrence of AUB only a few prior studies have focused on the problem and no known studies have attempted to link AUB during the menopause transition with fatigue or an overall decreased quality of life lamented the researchersHeavy menstrual bleeding in particular is linked to iron deficiency anaemia a wellrecognised cause of fatigue said the team in the paper published online in the journal MenopauseFor the study the team assessed the daily menstrual calendar data from more than 2300 midlife women to determine whether HMB or PMB recorded during the 6 months before a followup visit were associated with the reporting of four specific symptoms of fatigue feeling worn out feeling tired not feeling full of pep or not having energyThe team found that HMB and PMB during the menopause transition were associated with an increased risk of fatigue even after adjusting for other causes They suggest that greater clinical awareness is required of bleeding changes during this life stage especially when fatigue is also reportedBecause iron deficiency and related anaemia can be readily treated an early assessment and remediation in women with these symptoms would be helpfulldquoThis study highlights the need for greater clinical awareness of abnormal uterine bleeding particularly given the increased frequency during the menopause transition and its association with low energy or fatigue symptomsrdquo said Dr Stephanie Faubion medical director for The Menopause SocietyFaubion urged the need for educating women about the possibility of prolonged or heavy menstrual bleeding during the menopause transitionThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever