[Relationship between climacteric symptoms and serum neuropeptide Y level in postmenopausal women]

The aim of this study was to determine circulating levels of neuropeptide Y (NPY) in postmenopausal women with climacteric symptoms in comparison with regularly menstruating women in reproductive age and to assess the relationship between serum NPY levels and the presence of climacteric symptoms in postmenopausal women.

We studied 41 postmenopausal patients attending the Clinic of Gynecological Endocrinology, University of Medical Sciences, Poznań because of climacteric complaints. The controls were 20 regularly menstruating women in reproductive age. In the study group the severity of climacteric symptoms was assessed using the Kupperman index. Serum 17 beta-estradiol, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and NPY concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay in both groups.

The mean value of the Kupperman index in the study group was 23.4 points (SD +/- 10.4 points); 17 beta-estradiol serum concentration was lower than 0.014 ng/ml in 30 women from the study group and the mean serum estradiol level for the remaining group was 0.023 ng/ml (SD +/- 0.03 ng/ml); the mean serum FSH concentration in the study group was 98.2 Ul/l (SD +/- 11.8 IU/l), the mean serum NPY concentration in the study group was 18.4 ng/ml (SD +/- 8.3 ng/ml). The mean serum NPY concentration in the control group was 12.9 ng/ml (SD +/- 6.3 ng/ml) and was lower than in the study group (t-test: p < 0.05). The difference between serum NPY concentration in patients with a particular climacteric symptom and patients without was not statistically significant for any symptom (t-test: p > 0.05).

Serum NPY level is higher in postmenopausal women than regularly menstruating women in reproductive age an may be responsible for climacteric symptoms presence.