A team of researchers led by You Lee Kang, of Eulji University (South Korea), found that women with type 2 diabetes report a significantly higher number of menopause symptoms, and greater overall severity, than women without diabetes, at every stage of the process.
The study, published in the journal Menopause, followed nearly 300 women aged 40 to 64 in South Korea. Diabetes status was determined through blood tests, and symptom severity was measured with a specific menopause symptom questionnaire.
Both the study's authors and other specialists consulted agree that these results suggest menopause management should be integrated into regular diabetes care for middle-aged women, rather than treated as two separate health issues.