Association between type 2 diabetes mellitus and menopausal symptoms among Korean midlife women
You Lee Yang, YeonKyung Kim, YoungJoo ShinObjective:
Menopausal symptoms are challenging conditions with a significant impact on women’s health, especially in managing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, few studies have explored the link between T2DM and menopausal symptoms in South Korea. Therefore, this study aims to examine the association between T2DM and the number and severity of menopausal symptoms among Korean midlife women.
Methods:
A cross-sectional observational study was conducted involving 296 women aged 40–64 in South Korea. Based on their fasting blood glucose and HbA1c levels, participants were classified into the diabetic group and the nondiabetic group. The Midlife Women’s Symptom Index (MSI) was used to measure menopausal symptoms, and various background and health-related characteristics were also assessed. Data analyses were conducted using independent
Results:
Women in the diabetic group showed a significantly greater number and higher severity of menopausal symptoms compared with those in the nondiabetic group. Subgroup analyses revealed significant differences in both the number and severity of menopausal symptoms, particularly among postmenopausal stage, with no differences observed in the premenopausal and perimenopausal stages. Furthermore, T2DM was significantly associated with both the number and the severity of menopausal symptoms after controlling for confounding variables.
Conclusion:
T2DM was significantly associated with the number and severity of menopausal symptoms among Korean midlife women. Postmenopausal women with T2DM also reported a greater menopausal symptom burden than those without T2DM. Tailored interventions may help managing symptom burden and improve overall quality of life in this population.