Addressing Menopause Symptoms: Barriers and Opportunities for Improvement.

Abstract

To assess the burden of menopause symptoms and evaluate potential barriers to receiving care for these symptoms among midlife US women. This cross-sectional study enrolled women 45 to 60 years of age from the Mayo Clinic Registry of Midlife Women (Hormones and Experiences of Aging [HERA]). The participants, who were all receiving primary care at one of four geographic Mayo Clinic sites, completed a questionnaire assessing their menopause experience, including its impact on their personal and professional lives. They also responded to questions relating to the perceived quality of care, and reasons for not seeking or receiving care for menopause symptoms. Of 32,469 surveys sent, 4914 responses were received (15.1% response rate). The mean age of the responders was 54.1 years, and 34% reported moderate, severe, or very severe menopause symptoms, with sleep and sexual problems commonly rated as severe or very severe. Approximately 87% of women did not seek medical care for menopause symptoms, with most of them citing the reasons of "being too busy" or "lacking awareness about effective treatment options." This large cross-sectional study conducted at a US tertiary care center reveals a significant burden of menopause symptoms among midlife women. Given the availability of safe and effective treatment options to manage menopause symptoms, these results highlight the need for proactive patient identification to facilitate discussion and provision of effective treatment options. Future steps may include using medical record data and artificial intelligence to develop algorithms for identifying women with menopause-related symptoms.