Insomnia, night sweats and daytime hot flashes were reported as the most vexing problems, and 56 percent said they deal with symptoms daily. Nearly eight out of 10 reported mental or emotional symptoms such as forgetfulness and irritability.
Forty-one percent had used hormone pills such as Premarin or Prempro to control symptoms.
About half of the women reported lack of sexual desire and painful intercourse due to vaginal dryness. That could explain why emotional well-being and romantic relationships were ranked as the two areas most affected by menopause symptoms, ahead of professional life, said Dr. James Simon, a gynecologist and menopause specialist at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., who helped design the survey questionnaire.
Plenty of earlier studies have examined how menopause affects women in general, said Simon, but "a generation ago, there weren't enough female executives to bother" doing a survey of that group.
He said menopause symptoms may be more prevalent because of the growing obesity problem. "Fatter women are more likely to have hot flashes than thinner women," he explained.
Simon said he was not compensated for the survey by Barr Laboratories, of Woodcliff Lake, N.J. The company makes Cenestin, a synthetic, plant-derived prescription drug for menopause symptoms. The survey was conducted online by pollster Harris Interactive in February.
Amy Niles, president of the National Women's Health Resource Center in Red Bank, N.J., said past educational campaigns about menopause have not targeted women in the work force. They are more likely than their mothers to have to deal with menopause.
"I think we've made great improvements over the last few years in creating awareness that this is a significant issue" that women should discuss with their doctors, Niles said.
Dr. Lauren Streicher, a gynecologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago and author of "The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy," which addresses menopause, said her lower-income, less-educated patients are more likely to accept the strains of menopause as just another big bump in life. Her well-educated professional patients are more likely to seek help and often complain about lack of sleep, which leaves them less motivated and less focused at work.
"This has an incredible impact on their ability to function in the corporate world," she said.
Streicher said many women were confused and scared of hormone therapy after federal researchers reported in 2002 that estrogen-progestin pills sold as Prempro could increase risks for heart attacks, breast cancer and strokes. Many doctors still recommend short-term hormone treatment.
"In an executive position ... you have to look your best," and project a calm, focused and capable image, said Rosalie Roberts, a 61-year-old survey participant who owns an Omaha, Neb., public-relations business.
She had moderate symptoms until several years ago but occasionally would sweat enough during meetings that she would head to the restroom during breaks.
"In my business, that's very, very unfortunate," Roberts said.
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