The influence of hormone replacement therapy on the quality of life of women in menopause

Česká verzia

Authors: R. Bužgová; J. Kanioková
Authors place of work: Ústav ošetřovatelství a porodní asistence, Lékařská fakulta, Ostravská univerzita, Ostrava, vedoucí pracoviště doc. PhDr. D. Jarošová, Ph. D.
Published in the journal: Ceska Gynekol 2013; 78(5): 420-426
Category: Original Article

Summary

Objective:
The objective of the study was to find out the quality of life of women in menopause and the extent of their menopausal symptoms in relation with hormone replacement therapy.

Design:
Interventional study.

Setting:
Institute of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine, the University of Ostrava.

Methods:
A sample was made up of 136 women from 41 to 58 years, who started to take hormone replacement therapy in order to improve their menopausal symptoms. For the assessment of the quality of life the WHOQOL – BREF questionnaire was used, and for the assessment of menopausal symptoms a Czech version of the standardized The Menopause - Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire MENQOL was used. Both questionnaires were given to the women twice – before the treatment was started and six months later.

Results:
When comparing the quality of life in relation with the treatment we found out a significantly better assessment of the quality of life in all domains of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, as well as in individual items of the assessment of the overall quality of life (Q1) and health (Q2), and also in all domains of the questionnaire of menopausal symptoms MENQOL, six months after the replacement treatment was initiated. Before the treatment women pointed out the biggest problems with weight gain (4.2), avoiding intimate relationships (4.1), hot flashes (4.0), the changes of the skin (3.9), night sweats (3.9), feelings of fatigue (3.9) and the loss of energy (3.7). Out of 28 individual items of the questionnaire MENQOL a subjective improvement in the perception of menopausal symptoms were in 26 items, the biggest difference was in the item of night sweats (1.7), hot flashes (1.6), feelings of loss of energy (1.0) and fatigue (0.8).

Conclusion:
Hormone replacement therapy improves subjective assessment of the quality of life of women and the extent of menopausal symptoms already six months after a treatment initiation.

Keywords:
hormone replacement therapy – quality of life – menopause

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