Somatic and urogenital menopausal symptoms, rather than vasomotor symptoms, occur more commonly in women with a history of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), suggests a new study presented at the recently concluded annual meeting of the North American Menopause Society.

Somatic symptoms include symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, numbness, muscle and joint pains, tiredness, headaches. Vasomotor symptoms are usually referred to as hot flashes.

The cross-sectional study analysed data of 3308 women, 45-60 years of age from the Data Registry on the Experiences of Aging, Menopause, and Sexuality (DREAMS). The study was conducted at three Mayo Clinic centers between May 2015 and December 2019

Nearly 5% of women self-reported PCOS and more than half of them reported symptoms of depression in comparison to 42% of women who did not have a history of PCOS. Women with PCOS were more obese than women without PCOS; 42% vs 22%, respectively. They also had higher average overall score on the Menopause Rating Scale, a health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scale (17.7 vs. 14.7; P < .001).

The average scores for somatic symptoms and urogenital symptoms were higher in women with PCOS than in women without PCOS; 6.7 vs. 5.6 and 5.2 vs. 4.3, respectively. These high scores were noted even after adjustment for menopause status, body mass index, depression, anxiety and current use of hormone therapy. Hot flashes in women with PCOS were as less likely to occur as in the other study participants.

This study has shown an association between PCOS and menopause symptoms. However, a surprising finding was a lack of correlation between PCOS and severity of vasomotor symptoms. Given the difference in presentation of symptoms, management of menopausal symptoms should consider a history of PCOS.

(Source: PCOS linked to menopausal urogenital symptoms but not hot flashes - Medscape - Sep 28, 2021).