February 26, 2025, 3:38 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
Hot flushes, sleep problems, mood swings — many women only expect these signs of menopause in their late 40s. A recent study shows that women between the ages of 30 and 45 already frequently experience perimenopausal symptoms — but wait far too long to seek medical advice about the symptoms. Are affected women given sufficient information and support?
Menopause is considered to have occurred when a woman has not had a menstrual period for more than a year. This definition is straightforward and clarifies the condition. It becomes more complicated in the time before this: the period shortly before the last menstrual period, so-called perimenopause. This phase is accompanied by hormonal changes and numerous physical and psychological symptoms.1 A recent study from the USA indicates that these signs may manifest at a younger age than previously thought. Apparently, many women in perimenopause assume that they are too young to suffer from menopause symptoms.
Overview
4400 Women Surveyed on Perimenopause Symptoms
Studies on menopause rarely focus on women younger than 40. Jennifer Payne, a physician at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and her team wanted to change this. They focused on the 30 to 45 age group and wanted to find out to what extent women with perimenopause symptoms seek medical help.
4432 women aged 30 and over (the oldest were 45) were asked about symptoms of perimenopause — such as hot flushes, cycle irregularities, and vaginal dryness. They were asked to rate the severity of their symptoms on a scale and indicate whether they had consulted a doctor. Payne and her colleagues took a particularly close look at the symptoms of women who had been confirmed as perimenopausal by a doctor — and those without a diagnosis.
What Happens During Perimenopause
During the perimenopause, the hormonal system changes. On average, it begins at the age of 47.5 and lasts just under four years. The production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone gradually decreases. Fewer and fewer eggs mature in the ovaries. Cycle length and bleeding duration often fluctuate. While in early perimenopause, the cycles vary by up to seven days from the cycle lengths before, phases of more than 60 days without menstruation are typical of late perimenopause.2 If you are unsure whether your own periods are unusually long or heavier than those of other women, you can do a “self-check” on this website.
Study: Over Half of 30 to 35-Year-Olds Suffered From Severe Symptoms
The researchers’ findings show that many women experience perimenopausal symptoms much earlier than generally assumed: As early as between the ages of 30 and 45.3
- Only one in five (20.7 percent) sought medical advice
- Almost a third of these women were between 30 and 45 years old (30.2 percent)
- One in four of the women surveyed between 30 and 35 received medical confirmation of perimenopause (25.4 percent)
- Particularly common symptoms associated with a perimenopause diagnosis were missing periods for 60 days or longer, hot flushes, vaginal dryness, pain during intercourse, and increased urination
- Over half of 30- to 35-year-olds reported moderate to severe symptoms
- As expected, women in the 51-55 age group had the highest overall symptom severity scores
The results of the study show that perimenopausal symptoms can start earlier than previously thought. Many women in their 30s already experience significant symptoms — although perimenopause, the phase before the last menstrual period, is estimated at 47.5 years. This indicates that a significant proportion of women may be inadequately informed or medically underserved.
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More Education About Perimenopause Needed — for Women and Doctors
Many perimenopausal women seem to assume that they are too young to suffer from menopause symptoms. They believe that the symptoms only appear in their 50s. However, according to the researchers, this misconception only leads to women suffering in silence.
“Physical and emotional symptoms associated with perimenopause are under-researched and often ignored by doctors. This research is important to better understand how common these symptoms are, the impact they have on women, and to raise awareness among physicians and the general public,” Jennifer Payne, an expert in reproductive psychiatry at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, explains in a university news release.4 “Knowing about this type of progression of symptoms associated with perimenopause can help both women and their physicians know what to expect as women enter the perimenopausal phase of their lives.”
The previous practice of only considering perimenopause in women in their late 40s or 50s could now be reconsidered based on these study results. Gynecologists and general practitioners should also consider the possibility of perimenopause in younger patients with corresponding symptoms and offer appropriate support.