To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: DG DISPATCH - APA: Depression Linked to Perimenopause URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/1D1CB2.htm Doctor's Guide May 16, 2000
By Lara Pullen Special to DG News CHICAGO, IL -- May 16, 2000 -- After controlling for past depression, perimenopausal women are 2.5 times more likely to have significant depressive symptoms than are aged-matched pre- and postmenopausal women. At the 2000 Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, Hadine Joffe, MD, of Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, reported the results of a self-administered questionnaire that was given during a six-month period to all women entering women's primary care clinic for treatment. The study included 588 women, 29 percent of whom fell in the target age range (40-60 years). Approximately one-third of these women were premenopausal, one-third were perimenopausal and one-third were postmenopausal. The mean age was 48 years, and most women were married and caucasian. The questionnaire found that 7.4 percent of the premenopausal women were significantly depressed compared to 14.5 percent for perimenopausal women and 13.6 percent for postmenopausal women. The data show that women who are perimenopausal and have hot flashes seem to be at an increased risk for depression. Hot flashes increased the risk of depressive symptoms in perimenopausal women 4.6-fold. Past depression increased the risk of depressive symptoms in perimenopausal women 3.4 fold. "The data argue in favor of an estrogen withdrawal phenomenon," Dr. Joffe concluded. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.