Abdominal pain during the menopause transition and early postmenopause: observations from the Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study

Pain in midlife women: a growing problem in need of further research

More than 10% of American adults experience some level of daily pain, and nearly 40 million (17.6%) experience episodes of severe pain annually. Women are particularly impacted by both episodic and chronic pain with higher prevalence and a greater level of pain-related disability compared to men. Midlife is a critical period for women during which the frequency of pain complaints begins to increase. Although pain is known to be influenced and controlled by sex hormones, it has not been widely recognized as a symptom of the menopausal transition outside of the menopause research community. The recent thematic series in this journal has specifically highlighted pain related conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, migraine and abdominal pain for which the significance among midlife women is not typically recognized. The studies presented in this thematic series present a small fraction of relevant, understudied questions regarding pain and its impact on women in midlife. Addressing the gaps in knowledge will require longitudinal studies that consider the emergence of pain symptomatology in relation to midlife trajectories of other symptoms and health determinants, as well as further study of new and emerging therapies.

Chronic Pain in the Elderly: Mechanisms and Perspectives

Chronic pain affects a large part of the population causing functional disability, being often associated with coexisting psychological disorders, such as depression and anxiety, besides cognitive deficits, and sleep disturbance. The world elderly population has been growing over the last decades and the negative consequences of chronic pain for these individuals represent a current clinical challenge. The main painful complaints in the elderly are related to neurodegenerative and musculoskeletal conditions, peripheral vascular diseases, arthritis, and osteoarthritis, contributing toward poorly life quality, social isolation, impaired physical activity, and dependence to carry out daily activities. Organ dysfunction and other existing diseases can significantly affect the perception and responses to chronic pain in this group. It has been proposed that elderly people have an altered pain experience, with changes in pain processing mechanisms, which might be associated with the degeneration of circuits that modulate the descending inhibitory pathways of pain. Aging has also been linked to an increase in the pain threshold, a decline of painful sensations, and a decrease in pain tolerance. Still, elderly patients with chronic pain show an increased risk for dementia and cognitive impairment. The present review article is aimed to provide the state-of-art of pre-clinical and clinical research about chronic pain in elderly, emphasizing the altered mechanisms, comorbidities, challenges, and potential therapeutic alternatives.

Gastrointestinal symptoms in four major racial/ethnic groups of midlife women: race/ethnicity and menopausal status

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to explore the associations of race/ethnicity and menopausal status to gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms experienced during the menopausal transition while considering multiple factors that could influence the symptoms.

METHODS

This secondary analysis was conducted with the data from 1,051 women from 2 Internet-based studies on midlife women's health issues. In the original studies, the data were collected using a dozen questions on sociodemographic and health/menopausal factors and the GI Index for Midlife Women. The data were analyzed utilizing ANOVA, multiple logistic regression, and hierarchical linear regression analyses.

RESULTS

When covariates were controlled, being Non-Hispanic (N-H) Asian was a significant factor that influenced the total numbers of GI symptoms (β = -0.26) and total severity scores of GI symptoms (β = -0.26). When covariates were controlled, premenopausal status was the strongest factor that influenced the total numbers of GI symptoms in all participants, Hispanics, N-H Whites, N-H African Americans, and N-H Asians (β = 53, -0.40, -0.77, -0.76, -0.26, respectively) and the total severity scores of GI symptoms in all participants, Hispanics, N-H Whites, N-H African Americans, and N-H Asians (β = -0.50, -0.38, -0.72, -0.75, -0.25, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

This study supports the association of race/ethnicity and menopausal status to GI symptoms experienced during the menopausal transition.

From Menopause to Neurodegeneration-Molecular Basis and Potential Therapy

The impacts of menopause on neurodegenerative diseases, especially the changes in steroid hormones, have been well described in cell models, animal models, and humans. However, the therapeutic effects of hormone replacement therapy on postmenopausal women with neurodegenerative diseases remain controversial. The steroid hormones, steroid hormone receptors, and downstream signal pathways in the brain change with aging and contribute to disease progression. Estrogen and progesterone are two steroid hormones which decline in circulation and the brain during menopause. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which plays an import role in neuroprotection, is rapidly decreased in serum after menopause. Here, we summarize the actions of estrogen, progesterone, and IGF-1 and their signaling pathways in the brain. Since the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is higher in women than in men, the associations of steroid hormone changes and AD are emphasized. The signaling pathways and cellular mechanisms for how steroid hormones and IGF-1 provide neuroprotection are also addressed. Finally, the molecular mechanisms of potential estrogen modulation on N-methyl-d-aspartic acid receptors (NMDARs) are also addressed. We provide the viewpoint of why hormone therapy has inconclusive results based on signaling pathways considering their complex response to aging and hormone treatments. Nonetheless, while diagnosable AD may not be treatable by hormone therapy, its preceding stage of mild cognitive impairment may very well be treatable by hormone therapy.

Irritable bowel syndrome in midlife women: a narrative review

Midlife women between the ages of 40 and 65 years have reported multiple challenges due to menopausal, developmental, and situational transitions from younger to older adulthood. During the midlife period, many women seek health care for gastrointestinal symptoms and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Multiple factors including stress, poor sleep, diet, and physical inactivity may contribute to IBS or gastrointestinal symptoms in midlife women. As such, a comprehensive assessment and treatment approach is needed for midlife women suffering gastrointestinal symptoms. This article reviews the main aspects of the menopausal transition, sex hormonal changes, abdominal and pelvic surgery, psychosocial distress, behavioral factors, and gut microbiome, as well as their relevance on IBS and gastrointestinal symptoms in midlife women. Also, management strategies for IBS in midlife women are discussed. To date, gastrointestinal symptoms during midlife years remain a critical area of women’s health. Additional research is needed to better understand the contributors to gastrointestinal symptoms in this group. Such efforts may provide a new window to refine or develop treatments of gastrointestinal symptoms for midlife women.