Early-onset vasomotor symptoms and development of depressive symptoms among premenopausal women

• Published in: Journal of affective disorders 2024-06, Vol.354, p.376-384
• Main Authors: Choi, Hye Rin, Chang, Yoosoo, Park, Jungeun, Cho, Yoosun, Kim, Chanmin, Kwon, Min-Jung, Kang, Jeonggyu, Kwon, Ria, Lim, Ga-young, Ahn, Jiin, Kim, Kye-Hyun, Kim, Hoon, Hong, Yun Soo, Park, Jihwan, Zhao, Di, Cho, Juhee, Guallar, Eliseo, Park, Hyun-Young, Ryu, Seungho
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Depressive symptom; Hot flash; Menopause transition; Night sweat; Sleep quality; Vasomotor symptom
• ISSN: 0165-0327; 1573-2517
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.083

We investigated the association between vasomotor symptoms (VMSs) and the onset of depressive symptoms among premenopausal women. This cross-sectional study included 4376 premenopausal women aged 42–52 years, and the cohort study included 2832 women without clinically relevant depressive symptoms at baseline. VMSs included the symptoms of hot flashes and night sweats. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale; a score of ≥16 was considered to define clinically relevant depressive symptoms. Premenopausal Women with VMSs at baseline exhibited a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms compared with women without VMSs at baseline (multivariable-adjusted prevalence ratio 1.76, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.47–2.11). Among the 2832 women followed up (median, 6.1 years), 406 developed clinically relevant depressive symptoms. Women with versus without VMSs had a significantly higher risk of developing clinically relevant depressive symptoms (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio, 1.72; 95 % CI 1.39–2.14). VMS severity exhibited a dose-response relationship with depressive symptoms (P for trend