Night sweats, sleep disturbance, and depression associated with diminished libido in late menopausal transition and early postmenopause: baseline data from the Herbal Alternatives for Menopause Trial (HALT)
Presented at the 73rd Annual Meeting of the Pacific Coast Obstetrical and Gynecological Society, Oct. 4-8, 2006, Sun Valley, ID.
Received 4 July 2006; received in revised form 16 November 2006; accepted 2 March 2007.
Objective
The objective of the study was to evaluate the association of depression, sleep disturbance, and menopausal symptoms with diminished libido.
Study Design
Data from a 2001-2002 baseline survey of 341 peri- and postmenopausal women, aged 45-55 years, participating in a randomized trial, was analyzed. Eligibility included at least 2 hot flashes and/or night sweats per day and no hormone therapy for at least the prior 3 months. The survey evaluated sexual function, depression, sleep, and vasomotor symptoms. We examined the association between these factors, using multivariate regression models.
Results
Of 341 women, 64% had diminished libido, 18% had moderate to severe depression, and 43% had poor sleep quality. Women averaged 4.6 hot flashes and 1.9 night sweats per day. Depressive symptoms (P = .003), poor sleep (P = .02), and night sweats (P = .04) were significantly associated with diminished libido.
Conclusion
Factors associated with diminished libido in midlife are complex but include depression, disturbed sleep, and night sweats, all common symptoms of the menopausal transition and early menopause.
1Center for Health Studies, Group Health Cooperative, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA
2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA
3Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA
4Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Public Health Sciences Division, Seattle, WA.
Cite this article as: Reed SD, Newton KM, LaCroix AZ, et al. Night sweats, sleep disturbance, and depression associated with diminished libido in late menopausal transition and early postmenopause: Baseline data from the herbal alternatives for menopause trial (HALT). Am J Obstet Gynecol 2007;196;593.e1-593.e7.
Reprints not available from the authors.
This work was supported by the National Institute on Aging and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Grant R01AG17057, Alternative Therapies for Menopause: A Randomized Trial.
ABSTRACT