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J Evid Based Integr Med 2019 Jan-Dec;24:2515690X19829380

1 Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA.

Menopause is associated with problematic symptoms, including hot flashes, sleep problems, mood disorders, sexual dysfunction, weight gain, and declines in cognitive functioning. Many women seek complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for symptom management. This article critically reviews the existing literature on CAM treatments most commonly used for menopausal symptoms. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Feb;98(7):e14574

Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, Yunnan.

Background: Perimenopausal depressive disorder (PDD) is a disease that plagues many perimenopausal women. There is an urgent need for a safe way to treat the disease. With few side effects, acupuncture treatment for PDD has been gradually accepted. Read More

J Affect Disord 2019 04 25;248:13-17. Epub 2018 Dec 25.

Department of Health Convergence, Ewha Womans University, 52 Ewhayeodae-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Objective: The relationship between breastfeeding and maternal depression in later life has not yet been investigated. We examined whether the number of breastfed infants or the period of breastfeeding influenced maternal depression in postmenopausal women.

Methods: We analyzed 1,372 parous postmenopausal women aged ≥ 50 years who had participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2014. Read More

Aging (Albany NY) 2019 Jan;11(1):174-184

Cajal Institute, Madrid, Spain.

We recently reported that exercise increases resilience to stress in young female mice. Underlying mechanisms include an interaction of the ovarian hormone estradiol (E2) with insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), and an increase in the hippocampal levels of the latter. Since changes in mood regulation during aging may contribute to increasing incidence of affective disorders at older age, we determined whether the protective actions of exercise are maintained at later ages. Read More

Psychooncology 2019 Jan 20;28(1):22-30. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

School of Women and Children's Health, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

Objective: Cancer patients experience reproductive concerns from diagnosis through to survivorship. However, research has yet to investigate the degree of fertility-related psychological distress at different treatment time points: diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Currently, cancer patients are offered fertility counselling at the time of diagnosis, to assist fertility preservation decision making. Read More

Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am 2018 Dec 25;45(4):613-628. Epub 2018 Oct 25.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12631 East 17th Avenue, Mail Stop B-198, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. Electronic address:

Key cycle changes occur as women transition from reproductive life to menopause, and they can be roughly linked to menopausal staging. It is important to understand the types of studies that inform the current knowledge. Patterns of symptoms within menstrual cycles (sleep, headache) generally favor worsening in association with the perimenstrual phase of the cycle, and patterns of chronic symptoms, such as hot flashes and adverse mood, appear to be worse when hormones are more variable. Read More

Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am 2018 Dec 25;45(4):585-597. Epub 2018 Oct 25.

Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.

Although more than 80% of women experience some degree of psychological or physical symptoms around menopause, both women and clinicians have misconceptions about how hormonal changes relate to menopausal symptoms and psychological conditions. Recently, several large-scale, longitudinal studies have been conducted to better characterize symptoms and changes that occur around menopause. This article offers current evidence for symptoms that occur in the early menopause transition, including vasomotor symptoms, mood changes, sleep problems, and changes in sexual functioning. Read More

Prim Care 2018 Dec 5;45(4):625-641. Epub 2018 Oct 5.

Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 1100 Delaplaine, Madison, WI 53715, USA.

The menopausal transition is a time when many physical and psychological changes are occurring for women. Women may experience irregular menses, vasomotor symptoms, sleep disruption, mood disorders as well as genitourinary symptoms. Despite irregular menstrual cycles, some women can still conceive. Read More

Int J Gynaecol Obstet 2018 Dec 24;143(3):367-373. Epub 2018 Sep 24.

Post Graduation Program in Health Sciences: Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Clinical Hospital of Porto Alegre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Objective: To identify possible relationships between postpartum depression and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), as well as the associated risk factors for developing postpartum depression.

Methods: The present prospective descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among postpartum women who attended a public maternity hospital in Brazil between January 15, 2015, and January 15, 2017. The diagnosis and severity of HDP were based on blood pressure measurements (systolic ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic ≥90 mm Hg), proteinuria, clinical findings, and laboratory findings. Read More

Menopause 2018 Oct;25(10):1069-1085

Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University School of Medicine, Ontario CA.

There is a new appreciation of the perimenopause - defined as the early and late menopause transition stages as well as the early postmenopause - as a window of vulnerability for the development of both depressive symptoms and major depressive episodes. However, clinical recommendations on how to identify, characterize and treat clinical depression are lacking. To address this gap, an expert panel was convened to systematically review the published literature and develop guidelines on the evaluation and management of perimenopausal depression. Read More

Complement Med Res 2018 28;25(6):398-405. Epub 2018 Aug 28.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between the body constitution and menopausal symptoms in climacteric women.

Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 427 women aged 40-60 years from the hospital and nearby community. In addition to filling out a questionnaire on menopause rating scale - Traditional Chinese version, the participants completed the body constitution questionnaire. Read More

Transl Psychiatry 2018 06 28;8(1):123. Epub 2018 Jun 28.

Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc), Central Clinical School, Monash University and The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

The menopause transition is a time when women experience an increased risk for new onset depression, as well as relapse of depression. While there are overlapping symptoms between major depression and depression during menopause, differences suggest 'perimenopausal depression' may be a unique subtype of depression associated with characteristic symptoms. There is currently no validated scale designed to measure perimenopausal depression. Read More

Clin Obstet Gynecol 2018 09;61(3):419-432

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado.

Perimenopause, or the menopausal transition, represents a period of time during which newly arising symptoms can present complex management decisions for providers. Many women present to care with complaints of hot flashes, vaginal and sexual changes, altered mood and sleep, and changing bleeding patterns. The effect of these symptoms on quality of life, even before a woman enters menopause, can be significant. Read More

Clin Obstet Gynecol 2018 09;61(3):433-446

Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of California School of Medicine, San Diego, La Jolla, California.

Vasomotor symptoms are the most common manifestation of the menopause transition and postmenopausal phases of reproductive life. They interfere not only in quality of life, but also contribute to sleep and mood disturbances that potentially compromise home and work effectiveness. Treatment options include hormone therapy (HT), nonhormonal prescription drugs, mind body and behavior therapies, and over-the-counter preparations. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2018 04 10;15(4). Epub 2018 Apr 10.

Department of Clinical Nursing, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, ul. Żołnierska 48, 71-210 Szczecin, Poland.

Depressive symptoms that are faced by women in the pre-, peri-, and postmenopausal periods are determined by a wide array of sociodemographic, psychological, and biological variables. The aim of our study was to identify factors that contribute to depressive problems at this stage of life. The study included 815 healthy Polish women aged 45-60 years. Read More

Oncology 2018 26;94(4):200-206. Epub 2018 Jan 26.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of menopausal symptoms in young cancer survivors immediately following the completion of chemotherapy.

Methods: This prospective cohort study followed 124 young females with a new diagnosis of cancer requiring chemotherapy to assess symptoms of menopause before treatment and immediately following chemotherapy. Symptoms were compared before and after treatment using the McNemar test and between cancer patients and 133 similar-aged healthy controls using Pearson χ2 and Fisher's exact tests. Read More

Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care 2018 Feb 22;23(1):1-11. Epub 2018 Jan 22.

h Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology , APHP Tenon Hospital, Pierre and Marie Curie University , Paris , France.

Objective: To assess men's perceptions about monthly bleeding and associated inconveniences for their partner, as well as men's attitudes regarding the desired menstruation frequency for their partner and knowledge about hormonal contraceptives.

Methods: A 15 min quantitative online survey was conducted among 5044 men aged 18-45 years, who had been in a relationship for more than 6 months, across 13 European countries (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland). Responses were compared to those obtained in a similar study among European women. Read More

Arch Gynecol Obstet 2018 03 13;297(3):717-724. Epub 2018 Jan 13.

Psychiatric Research Center, Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, South Kargar Street, Tehran, 13337, Iran.

Purpose: Due to concerns regarding the side effects of hormone therapy, many studies have focused on the development of non-hormonal agents for treatment of hot flashes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of saffron (stigma of Crocus sativus) in treatment of major depressive disorder associated with post-menopausal hot flashes.

Methods: Sixty women with post-menopausal hot flashes participated in this study. Read More

Post Reprod Health 2018 Jun 10;24(2):79-81. Epub 2018 Jan 10.

2 Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.

Reclaim the Menopause is a community-based menopause course developed by Hands Inc. and supported by Hackney Learning Trust. The course provides evidence-based education, cognitive behaviour therapy and psychosocial support to promote menopause awareness, challenge stigma and increase self-management amongst menopausal women. Read More

Maturitas 2018 Feb 2;108:1-6. Epub 2017 Nov 2.

University of Minnesota, United States. Electronic address:

Background: Postmenopausal symptomatology has not been elucidated in large, long-term human clinical trials. Our objective was to measure quality of life in postmenopausal women aged 50-70 years.

Methods: A Menopause-Specific Quality of Life-Intervention (MENQOL) questionnaire was completed by women enrolled in the Minnesota Green Tea Trial (n=932) to assess vasomotor, physical, sexual, and psychosocial symptoms in the years following menopause. Read More

Pain 2018 03;159(3):610-613

Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.

Primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is defined as an "intraoral burning or dysaesthetic sensation, recurring daily… more than 3 months, without clinically evident causative lesions" (IHS 2013). In addition to pain, taste alterations are frequent (dysgeusia, xerostomia). Although lacking clinical signs of neuropathy, more accurate diagnostic methods have shown neuropathic involvement at various levels of the neuraxis in BMS: peripheral small fiber damage (thermal quantitative sensory testing, electrogustatometry, epithelial nerve fiber density), trigeminal system lesions in the periphery or the brainstem (brainstem reflex recordings, trigeminal neurography, evoked potentials), or signs of decreased inhibition within the central nervous system (deficient brainstem reflex habituation, positive signs in quantitative sensory testing, neurotransmitter-positron emission tomography findings indicative of deficient striatal dopamine function). Read More

Horm Behav 2018 02 22;98:33-44. Epub 2017 Dec 22.

Department of Psychology Experimental Psychology Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45237, United States; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45237, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45237, United States. Electronic address:

Declining estradiol (E2), as occurs during menopause, increases risk for obesity and psychopathology (i.e., depression, anxiety). Read More

BMC Womens Health 2017 Dec 8;17(1):128. Epub 2017 Dec 8.

Research and Development Center Södra Älvsborg, Närhälsan, Research and Development, Primary Health Care Region, Västra Götaland, Sweden.

Background: Women's physical and mental ill-health such as stress-related symptoms, depression, pain, hypertension and urogenital health shows a marked increase around the ages 45-55 years. These women are an important group for Primary Health Care (PHC) due to their prevalent symptoms and illnesses. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of somatic, psychological and urogenital symptoms in women aged 45-55 attending PHC and evaluate factors associated with severe symptoms. Read More

Nutr Health 2017 Dec;23(4):271-279

1 Laboratory of Cardiorespiratory and Metabolic Physiology, Federal University of Uberlândia, Brazil.

Background: Exercise and supplementation with isoflavones are therapies used to prevent and treat climacteric symptoms.

Aim: To verify the effects of 10 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance training and isoflavone supplementation on climacteric symptoms in postmenopausal women.

Methods: A randomised, double-blind, controlled clinical trial was performed. Read More

Int Rev Psychiatry 2017 12 4;29(6):580-596. Epub 2017 Dec 4.

a Emotion NeuroimaGinG(EGG)-Lab , Max Planck Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences , Leipzig , Germany.

Ovarian hormones, particularly oestrogen and progesterone, undergo major fluctuations across the female lifespan. These hormone transition periods, such as the transition from pregnancy to postpartum, as well as the transition into menopause (perimenopause), are also known to be times of elevated susceptibility to depression. This study reviews how these transition periods likely influence neurochemical changes in the brain that result in disease vulnerability. Read More

Clin Anat 2018 Apr 30;31(3):387-391. Epub 2018 Jan 30.

Department of Anatomical Sciences, St. George's University, St. George's, Grenada.

Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by pain and a spectrum of psychological comorbidities, rendering treatment difficult, and often a financial burden. Findings regarding diagnosis, prevalence, comorbidities, and potential pathophysiological links are discussed herein. Fibromyalgia is a complex disorder and there are specific criteria that patients must meet for diagnosis, including scores on fibromyalgia questionnaires, commonalities of age, gender, menopause status, sleep disturbances, and mood symptoms. Read More

Ann Clin Psychiatry 2017 Nov;29(4):249-257

Ammon-Pinizzotto Center for Women's, Mental Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. E-mail:

Background: In a preliminary trial, we assessed the efficacy of vortioxetine for major depressive disorder (MDD) during the menopausal transition. Secondary outcomes included hot flashes (HFs), anxiety, and cognitive complaints.

Methods: Perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women with MDD (N = 27) received 8 weeks of open-label, flexible-dose treatment with vortioxetine. Read More

J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2018 03;73(4):506-512

Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Background: Positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) reflect subjective emotional experiences. Although related to depression and anxiety, these dimensions are distinct constructs representing affective states and patterns. Prior studies suggest that elevated depressive symptoms are associated with risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and probable dementia, but whether affective states are associated with cognitive impairment is still unknown. Read More

Ann Clin Biochem 2018 Jan 2;55(1):18-33. Epub 2017 Nov 2.

Institute of Women's Health, University College London, London, UK.

The life of a human female is characterized from teenage years by monthly menstruation which ceases (the menopause) typically between the age of 40 and 60 years. The potential for reproduction declines and ceases as the ovaries become depleted of follicles. A transition period in mid-life, for 2 to 10 years, when menstruation is less regular is called the perimenopause. Read More

Mayo Clin Proc 2017 10;92(10):1552-1558

Women's Health Clinic, Division of General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

Weight gain accompanied by an increased tendency for central fat distribution is common among women in midlife. These changes are a result of aging, decreasing estrogen levels after menopause, and other unique influences in menopausal women that interfere with the adoption of healthy lifestyle measures. Central obesity, in particular, results in several adverse metabolic consequences, including dysglycemia, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Read More

Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2017 13;13:2389-2396. Epub 2017 Sep 13.

King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK.

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Among the survivors, depression is one of the most common psychiatric comorbidities. This paper reports the point prevalence of major depressive disorder among breast cancer patients and the association between family support and major depressive disorder. Read More

Am Health Drug Benefits 2017 Sep;10(6):311-321

Manager, Women's Health, Pfizer.

Background: The direct costs associated with menopausal and postmenopausal symptoms (hereafter "menopausal symptoms") may include the costs of physician and emergency department visits, medications, laboratory testing, and the management of side effects. However, much remains unknown about the costs related to menopausal symptoms, including how they compare with the costs of other diseases that are common among menopausal women.

Objective: To compare the economic burden of menopausal symptoms with other select prevalent chronic conditions among a nationally representative sample of US menopausal women aged 45 to 65 years. Read More

Sleep Sci 2017 Jan-Mar;10(1):11-18

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.

The pineal hormone Melatonin plays an important role in the regulation of the circadian sleep/wake cycle, mood, and perhaps immune functions, carcinogensis and reproduction. The human circadian rhythm of melatonin release from the pineal gland is tightly synchronized with the habitual hours of sleep. Peri- and postmenopausal women often complain of difficulties initiating and/or maintaining sleep, with frequent nocturnal and early morning awakenings. Read More

J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2017 10;102(10):3647-3661

Department of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, University of Glasgow School of Medicine, Glasgow G31 2ER, Scotland.

Objective: Review evidence to guide management of menopausal signs and symptoms in women after breast cancer and make recommendations accordingly.

Evidence: Randomized controlled clinical trials, observational studies, evidence-based guidelines, and expert opinion from professional societies.

Background: Symptoms and clinical problems associated with estrogen depletion-sleep disorders, vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA), vasomotor symptoms (VMS), mood changes, depressive symptoms, cardiovascular disease, osteopenia, and osteoporosis-confront the estimated 9. Read More

Gynecol Endocrinol 2018 Feb 31;34(2):144-147. Epub 2017 Aug 31.

d Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , University of Pisa , Pisa , Italy.

Objectives: This observational, cross-sectional study included 140 women with climacteric symptoms. The aim of the study was to evaluate the correlation between the presence and severity of depressive symptoms and allopregnanolone levels in women during late menopausal transition and early postmenopause.

Methods: The study group was divided into two groups: 45 women in late menopausal transition and 95 early postmenopausal women. Read More

Obstet Gynecol 2017 09;130(3):674

The management of psychiatric disorders in women is complicated by reproductive life cycle events. Psychiatric disorders can be initiated or exacerbated during times of hormonal change (such as menarche, the premenstrual period, the postpartum period, and perimenopause), and during the childbearing years, treatment is complicated by pregnancy and breastfeeding. These issues make determining the appropriate psychiatric medications to use in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders in women complex. Read More

Med Clin North Am 2017 Sep 14;101(5):955-975. Epub 2017 Jul 14.

Co-Director Resiliency Center, Office of Wellness and Integrative Health, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Utah, 555 Foothill Boulevard, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.

This article addresses the common women's health concerns of menopause-related symptoms, premenstrual syndrome, and chronic pelvic pain. Each can be effectively addressed with an integrative approach that incorporates interventions such as pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, mind-body approaches, acupuncture, and lifestyle modification. Read More

Menopause 2018 Jan;25(1):46-53

School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence and factors associated with hormone therapy (HT) use among Canadian women.

Methods: Baseline data from the Tracking cohort of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) was used for this analysis. The main outcome was HT use among women aged 45-85 years, defined as current, past, and never users. Read More

Menopause 2018 Jan;25(1):109-120

School of Pharmacy, University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia.

Objective: To explore the nature of the bidirectional relationship between vasomotor symptoms (VMS) and depression, and to determine whether hot flashes and night sweats differentially affect the association between VMS and depression through their effect on sleep disruption.

Methods: Multiple databases were searched from 1961 until July 31, 2016, and a manual search of reference lists of identified articles was conducted. Sixteen articles that involved 10,008 participants were identified and analyzed. Read More

Arch Womens Ment Health 2017 12 13;20(6):733-745. Epub 2017 Jul 13.

Institut du Savoir Montfort - Recherche, 202-745A Montréal Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1K 0T1, Canada.

The menopause transition is characterized by significant hormonal changes that may predispose women to psychosocial maladjustment. Prospective studies to date have focused primarily on negative mood states and show equivocal findings. The primary goal of this study was to identify patterns of change with respect to positive and negative mood states (vigor, depression, tension, and stress) over a 5-year period in a cohort of women undergoing the transition to menopause. Read More

Qual Life Res 2017 11 3;26(11):3069-3073. Epub 2017 Jul 3.

Keio University Law School, 2-15-45 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8343, Japan.

Purpose: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) refers to the depression that occurs during the premenstrual phase and remits soon after the onset of menses. It affects the quality of life (QOL) of patients with PMDD. Therefore, this preliminary survey from chart recordings aimed to understand the symptom appearance and QOL reduction patterns in patients with PMDD, and to examine the extent of the loss of their quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Read More

Dis Mon 2017 Jun;63(6):149-157

Division of General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.

Menopause 2017 Nov;24(11):1289-1294

1Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Key Clinical Center for Metabolic Disease, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai, China 2Department of Radiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China.

Objective: Depression is one of the most common mental disorders, and women are more vulnerable to depression than men, particularly during stages of hormonal fluctuations. After menopause, fat accumulation shifts from the subcutaneous area to the visceral area, and the risk of metabolic disorder increases in parallel. The present study aimed to evaluate the association between abdominal fat distribution and the presence of depressive symptoms in postmenopausal women. Read More

Menopause 2017 Nov;24(11):1282-1288

1Institute of Biomedicine, Research Area for Women's Health, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil, Guayaquil, Ecuador 2Enrique C. Sotomayor Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Guayaquil, Ecuador 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia 4Universidad Andina de Cusco, Cusco, Peru 5Hospital Central Dr. Emilio Cubas, Instituto de Previsión Social, Facultad Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Católica de Nuestra Señora de Asunción, Asunción, Paraguay 6Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Zaragoza, Hospital Clínico Dr. Lozano Blesa, Zaragoza, Spain.

Objective: To evaluate depressive symptoms and related factors among mid-aged women using the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10).

Methods: This was a cross-sectional multicenter study in which women aged 40 to 65 from various South American countries were surveyed with the CESD-10 and a general questionnaire containing personal and partner data.

Results: In all, 864 women were interviewed from Colombia (Afro-Colombian, n = 215), Ecuador (Mestizo, n = 202), Perú (Quechua at high altitude, n = 231), and Paraguay (Mestizo, n = 216). Read More

Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2018 Dec 26;268(8):771-781. Epub 2017 May 26.

Women's Health Concerns Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada.

Prospective studies have shown during the years preceding and following menopause, also known as "menopause transition", that midlife women are at higher risk for developing first-onset major depressive disorder (MDD). The biological factors associated with risk and resilience in this population are, however, largely unknown. Considering the growing body of evidence suggesting that inflammation, oxidative stress, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are associated with the pathophysiology of MDD, we investigated serum levels of protein carbonyl, lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances-TBARS), thiol group content, BDNF, 3-nitrotyrosine, and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in a longitudinal cohort of first-onset MDD. Read More

Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017 Aug 18;82:107-116. Epub 2017 May 18.

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA. Electronic address:

Depression currently affects 350 million people worldwide and 19 million Americans each year. Women are 2.5 times more likely to experience major depression than men, with some women appearing to be at a heightened risk during the menopausal transition. Read More

Basic Clin Neurosci 2017 Mar-Apr;8(2):113-119

Physiology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Introduction: Mood disorders such as anxiety and depression are common following menopause and andropause. Lack of sex steroid hormones is suggested as the primary cause of these disturbances. The level of luteinizing hormone (LH) would also rise 3-4 times than normal in these people. Read More

Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2017 08 9;78:12-17. Epub 2017 May 9.

Worldwide Clinical Trials, 401 N. Maple Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, United States.

Background: Several studies have found that depressed, post-menopausal females may respond differently to antidepressants compared to pre-menopausal females. The atypical antipsychotic lurasidone, whose mechanism of action differs from SSRIs and other standard antidepressants, was shown in a 6-week randomized, flexible-dose, placebo-controlled study (n=209), to be effective in treating major depressive disorder (MDD) with mixed features (subthreshold hypomanic symptoms). This post-hoc analysis assessed the efficacy of lurasidone in this study by menopausal status. Read More

Depress Anxiety 2017 09 10;34(9):826-835. Epub 2017 May 10.

Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Background: This study evaluated whether family history of depression predicts major depression in midlife women above and beyond static risk factors (such as personal history of depression prior to midlife) and risks that may change dynamically across midlife (such as menopausal, psychosocial, and health profiles).

Methods: Participants were 303 African American and Caucasian women (42-52 years at baseline) recruited into the Study of Women's Health across the Nation (SWAN) Mental Health Study (MHS) in Pittsburgh. Major depression was assessed annually with Structured Clinical Interviews for DSM-IV. Read More