Every day with menopause symptoms seems to last a long time, but how long does menopause really last? What’s the average experience for a woman like yourself, and what’s the worst-case scenario on a long-running menopause?
Medical studies of menopause are rare, but in 2015, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a detailed menopause study from Wake Forest University that gathered data from more than a thousand women between 1996 and 2013. They highlighted women who frequently experienced “vasomotor symptoms” (aka hot flashes or night sweats). As you might expect, they found that menopause is more of a marathon than a sprint, and that balanced lifestyle changes like those we encourage at b-untethered are the remedies that seem most effective.
The study also revealed some insights about the duration of menopause for many women of different backgrounds and ethnicities. On average, menopause symptoms lasted seven years, but that number jumps to 10 for Black women. Worst case scenario? Some women at the extreme end of the curve experienced symptoms for 14 years.
Researchers also found that women who start menopause symptoms earlier tend to experience them for longer periods of time. Those who had hot flashes while still having periods eventually endured symptoms for almost 12 years on average. On the other hand, those fortunate enough not to have hot flashes until after their periods stopped averaged three years of menopausal symptoms.
As for ethnicity, women of Asian descent average five years of symptoms, while Hispanic women averaged a bit under nine. (You may also want to read When Does Menopause Start?, our related article.)
If you’re wondering how to minimize menopause‘s impact on your life, you should consider maximizing your midlife with b-untethered. Our Midlife Reset bootcamps are the perfect way to get individualized, step-by-step guidance on nutrition, exercise, lifestyle, mindset, and forming a supportive peer group. Or check out our Midlife Maintenance program and free menopause macronutrient app.
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