RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To determine the symptoms that women refer during peri and postmenopause. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A cross-sectional study was carried out from April to December 2005; 500 women between 45 and 65 years old were included. We applied them the NR 1 questionnaire of symptoms for mature women. Data were obtained by means of a face-to-face interview. Results were analyzed through descriptive statistics, with percentage values, arithmetic mean and standard deviation. Differences between groups were evaluated with Student's T test, chi square test, and Fisher exact test. RESULTS: Perimenopausal women had higher levels of depression (p = 0.03). Postmenopausal women presented higher frequency of sleep disturbances (p = 0.003). We found that perimenopausal women had more night sweats (p = 0.005), excessive hot (p = 0.006), hot flashes (p = 0.001), headaches (p = 0.001), vaginal dryness (p = 0.03), and dyspareunia (p = 0.005). On the other hand, postmenopausal women presented higher frequency of changes in libido (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In general, perimenopausal women have more symptoms than posmenopausal women. It is advisable an exhaustive analysis of the perimenopausal women symptoms in order to offer them an integral substitutive treatment.