Skip to main content

Infertility Tied to More Severe Menopause Symptoms in Midlife

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Aug. 3, 2023 -- Women with a history of infertility are more likely to experience more severe menopausal symptoms at midlife, according to a study published online Aug. 1 in Menopause.

Victoria W. Fitz, M.D., from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues examined longitudinal associations between history of infertility and menopausal symptoms in midlife. The analysis included 695 midlife women participants in Project Viva. Participants were enrolled during 1999 to 2002 during pregnancy and were followed for 18 years (age 45 years or older or reporting ≥12 months of amenorrhea at the midlife visit).

The researchers found that women with prior infertility were more likely to score above the median on the Menopause Rating Scale (adjusted odds ratio, 1.45) and had higher odds for reporting any depressive mood (adjusted odds ratio, 1.56) and irritability (adjusted odds ratio, 1.57). Among women with prior infertility, there was a trend toward greater severity of sleep problems, but there was no association seen between prior infertility and other menopausal symptoms or age of menopause.

"This study shows an association between a history of infertility and increased odds of depression and sleep symptoms in midlife," Stephanie Faubion, M.D., medical director of the North American Menopause Society, said in a statement. "Women in midlife with a history of infertility may benefit from increased screening for depression."

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted August 2023

Read this next

Risk for Depressive Symptoms Increased for Perimenopausal Women

THURSDAY, May 9, 2024 -- Perimenopausal women have an increased risk for depressive symptoms and diagnoses, according to a review published in the July 15 issue of the Journal of...

Surgical Premature Menopause Tied to Risk for Muscle Disorders

TUESDAY, May 7, 2024 -- Women experiencing surgical premature menopause (PM) have a higher likelihood of developing musculoskeletal disorders, according to a study published...

Risk for Most Cardiovascular Diseases No Higher With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

FRIDAY, May 3, 2024 -- Among postmenopausal women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), there is no higher risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with women without IBD...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.