Elder Family Caregiving Can Spike Menopause Symptoms: Study

By Mary Helen Gillespie

Menopause symptoms for family caregivers can become more severe due to the burden of caring for olde adults, and additional public and private resources are needed to address and mitigate these health concerns, according to a new study by the Mayo Clinic. The proportion of women with moderate or worse menopause symptoms in at least one symptom — such as night sweats or hot flashes — increased as the number of caregiving hours increased, up to as high as 50 percent worse for those women providing 15 or more hours of caregiving per week.