Why some women are more prone to menopause misery than others

August 2, 2016

Common symptoms of menopause can last for more than a decade
1 in 5 who had hysterectomies were afflicted by ‘constant night sweats’
Undergoing transition earlier in life is behind longer term symptoms

Stephen Matthews For Mailonline

Published:
12:49 EST, 2 August 2016

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Updated:
13:44 EST, 2 August 2016

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Having a hysterectomy doubles the odds of a woman enduring persistent hot flushes and night sweats, scientists have found.

Researchers found many symptoms of the menopause can last for more than a decade after surgery, seriously affecting a woman’s life – even when the ovaries have been retained.

Women who have gone under the knife to have their womb removed were twice as likely to have vasomotor symptoms – such as flushes or sweats, the experts claim.

Having a hysterectomy doubles the odds of a woman having hot flushes and night sweats that last for more than a decade, new research has found

Researchers from the University of Queensland examined 17 years of data from more than 6,000 women from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH).

They found approximately 20 per cent of the women had a hysterectomy – with ovary conservation – before turning 50.

And almost a third of these women experienced hot flushes that persisted long term, and around one in five were afflicted by constant night sweats.

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Louise Wilson, lead researcher, said: ‘These rates were double those of women who did not have a hysterectomy during the study period.’

But she added their findings could not be explained by any differences in lifestyle or income.

Hysterectomy remains one of the most common gynaecological procedures performed worldwide.

In economically developed countries, rates are highest among women aged between 40 and 50.

Women who had the procedure with both ovaries removed were consistently reported to have more frequent or severe hot flushes and night sweats.

Hysterectomy remains one of the most common female procedures performed worldwide. The surgical procedure removes all or part of the womb from women

Professor Gita Mishra, from the ALSWH, said: ‘That is thought to be related to the abrupt decline in oestrogen levels post-surgery.

‘However, the effect of a hysterectomy when ovaries are retained has been less clear.

‘This study shows that for many women hot flushes and night sweats can have a major impact on their quality of life, productivity and social life for well over a decade.’

But he said further research was needed to determine the reasons for this higher risk.

He added: ‘It is likely that the biological mechanism is extremely complex, but transition to menopause earlier in life is likely to be a factor for these women who all underwent the procedure before the age of 50.

‘Women and their medical practitioners need to be aware of the increased risk of persistent vasomotor symptoms when considering treatment options.’