In menopausal women, does fatigue indicate disease?

Abstract

Though fatigue is a commonly reported symptom, high-quality studies evaluating it as a marker for diseases among menopausal women are lacking. Middle-aged women who report fatigue are more apt to screen positive for clinical depression or anxiety (strength of recommendation [SOR]: B, case series). Fatigue may signal obstructive sleep apnea (SOR: B, retrospective cohort). For menopausal women with cardiac risk factors, extreme fatigue may be a sign of coronary artery disease (SOR: C, review without critical appraisal).