• Experiencing menopause can come with a wide range of symptoms and challenges.
• One area of interest is how factors like gut health influence menopause symptoms.
• Data from a recent study found that increased perceived stress and certain gastrointestinal symptoms were associated with worse menopause symptoms.
• Future research in this area may help discover ways to improve menopause symptoms.

Does stress make menopause symptoms worse?

Researchers of the current study sought to “evaluate whether there is a relationship between menopausal symptoms, subjectively perceived stress, and reported gastrointestinal symptoms in midlife women.”

The study was a cross-sectional study that included 693 participants.

All participants were around 50 years old. Researchers included premenopausal and postmenopausal females in their survey. They excluded some individuals, including females with hysterectomies and those currently taking hormonal contraceptives.

To examine at menopause symptoms, researchers had participants fill out the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MENQOL)Trusted Source.

The MENQOL questionnaire examines several areas of menopause-related symptoms and the degree to which the symptoms bothered participants. A higher score indicates a worse quality of life because of menopausal symptoms.

Participants filled out a questionnaire to measure perceived stress. They also answered several questions about their health, obstetric and gynecological history, and certain gastrointestinal symptoms.

When looking at gastrointestinal symptoms, participants had to answer questions about their frequency of bowel movements and stool consistency. Participants also had to answer specific demographic questions like their age and level of education.

Results of the study found that diagnoses of anxiety and depression and higher levels of perceived stress were associated with a more severe impact of menopausal symptoms.