Trauma Worsens Menopause Transition

When I first started caring for women 19 years ago, I noticed that women with a history of trauma as children had a much rougher transition in perimenopause. This is a recent article documenting this finding. SG

Childhood abuse or neglect is associated with increased vasomotor symptom reporting among midlife women.
Articles
Menopause. 15(1):16-22, January 2008.
Thurston, Rebecca C. PhD 1,2; Bromberger, Joyce PhD 1,2; Chang, Yuefang PhD 2; Goldbacher, Edie MA 1; Brown, Charlotte PhD 1; Cyranowski, Jill M. PhD 1; Matthews, Karen A. PhD 1,2
Abstract: 
Objectives: This study tested the hypothesis that women exposed to childhood abuse or neglect would have an increased likelihood of reporting hot flashes and night sweats during the menopausal transition.
Design: This hypothesis was evaluated in 332 white and African American women participating in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation Mental Health Study, a prospective investigation of women transitioning through menopause. Childhood abuse and neglect were measured once with the Child Trauma Questionnaire. Vasomotor symptoms (any/none hot flashes, night sweats) were reported annually over 8 years. Associations between maltreatment and vasomotor symptoms were estimated with generalized estimating equations.
Results: Childhood abuse or neglect was associated with increased reporting of hot flashes (odds ratio = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.23-2.43) and night sweats (odds ratio = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.26-2.43) in age-adjusted models. Results persisted in multivariable models and across several types of abuse and neglect.