Symptoms at the menopausal and premenopausal years: Their relationship with insulin, glucose, cortisol, FSH, prolactin, obesity and attitudes towards sexuality

The symptoms of 81 premenopausal and 70 menopausal women were studied to determine the association with obesity, attitudes towards sexuality (ATS), and diverse hormone values: fasting and postprandial glucose (FG, PG) and insulin (FI, PI), cortisol, prolactin, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). The mean age of the women studied was 49.1 years. The frequency of symptoms was 35.4% for depression, 34.3% for nonspecific symptoms of depression (NSSD), 38.6% for empty nest syndrome (ENS), and 42.3% for anxiety. NSSD, ENS, FSH and cortisol levels all possessed higher values at late-menopausal stage. A multiple regression analysis revealed the following results; NSSD was associated to ATS (negative); sleep alterations were correlated to prolactin, FSH, PI/PG, FI/FG and waist/hip ratio; FSH was associated with both a decreased sexual interest and depression. In the study of hormone levels it was found that cortisol, insulin and FI/FG were associated with ATS; PI, cortisol, FI/FG and PI/PG were associated with body mass index (BMI) and FSH; prolactin and FI/FG were associated with age. We concluded that: (1) data indicative of insulin resistance correlated to both depression and sleep alterations; (2) overweight is related to NSSD, sleep alterations, and hormonal changes.