There has been much debate about how age at menopause affects menopausal symptoms. A new study compared the prevalence and severity of menopausal symptoms in women who reach menopause at an average age of about 51 years with those with premature ovarian insufficiency and showed a similar symptom burden in psychological and genitourinary domains. The research results will be published online today. menopauseJournal of the Menopause Society.
Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is the loss of ovarian function before the age of 40, leading to early onset of symptoms and other long-term health effects. The most common menopausal symptoms include hot flashes and night sweats, vaginal dryness and itching, frequent or urgent need to urinate, frequent urinary tract infections, joint pain, mood changes, memory loss, hair and skin changes, and sexual dysfunction. All of these symptoms, alone or in combination, can have a dramatic impact on a woman’s quality of life. Loss of estrogen during the transition to menopause can also increase a woman’s risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.
Previous studies have shown that women with POI have significantly lower health-related quality of life scores, but few studies have compared symptoms in women with POI and women who reach menopause at the average age. The new study, which included more than 500 women, analyzed differences between the two patient groups and found that women experiencing menopause at the average age had a significantly higher overall symptom burden. However, there were no significant differences in psychological or genitourinary symptom scores between the two groups, with genitourinary symptoms being the most commonly reported in both groups. This category includes sexual problems, bladder problems (including incontinence), vaginal dryness or burning, and pain during intercourse.
Based on this result, the researchers concluded that menopausal symptoms were common and often severe in both groups, although women experiencing menopause at the average age experienced a greater overall symptom burden, with the exception of psychiatric and genitourinary symptoms. These results highlight the need for timely and effective management of symptoms associated with estrogen loss and highlight the need to pay particular attention to the genitourinary and sexual health of women entering menopause at any age.
The findings are published in the paper “Menopausal symptoms and premature ovarian insufficiency at the average age of menopause.”
These findings highlight the burden of menopausal symptoms in patients with early-onset ovarian insufficiency and emphasize the importance of aggressive and comprehensive symptom screening in all women experiencing perimenopause or menopause. ”
Dr. Stephanie Fabion, Medical Director, Menopause Medicine Society
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Reference magazines:
Zamani, R. others. (2026). Menopausal symptoms and premature ovarian insufficiency at mean age of menopause. menopause. DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000000002815. https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/press-release/MENO-D-26-00028.pdf
