Therapies targeting insomnia may be valuable in treating menopause-associated depression, according to Harvard Medical School researchers.
Their study suggested improved sleep quality, rather than changes in hot flushes, predicted improvement in depression during the menopausal transition. Increasing oestradiol levels also predicted improved mood in perimenopausal but not postmenopausal women.
They randomised 72 peri/postmenopausal women with depressive disorders, hot flushes and sleep disturbance to eight weeks of oestrogen, antidepressants or placebo.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Apr 27 2011 online http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/early/2011/04/27/jc.2010-2503.abstract
Content updated 25 May 2011