Table 4.

Menopause Rating Scale (MRS-I). The investigator assesses each of ten items on a scale ranging from 0 (no complaints) to 1 (severe symptoms) in increments of 0.1. Subsequently to the original scale [14], subscores were established by factor analyses [15]. Total score and subscores are calculated as the mean of the comprising items

Item	Pertaining to subscore	Symptom group	Climacteric symptoms
1	HOT FLUSHES	Hot flushes, sweating	Sensation of rising heat, outbreaks of sweating (frequency/intensity per 24 h)
2	SOMA	Cardiac symptoms	Palpitations, racing heartbeat, irregular beats, tightness in chest
3	HOT FLUSHES	Sleep disorders	Difficulty in falling asleep, difficulty in remaining asleep through the night, waking too early
4	PSYCHE	Depressive moods	Despondency, sadness, tearfulness, lack of drive, mood fluctuations
5	PSYCHE	Nervousness, irritability	Nervousness, inner tension, aggressivity
6	PSYCHE	Impaired performance/memory	Susceptibility to physical and mental exhaustion, poor concentration, forgetfulness
7	ATROPHY	Disorders of sexuality	Reduced libido, sexual activity and satisfaction
8	ATROPHY	Urinary symptoms	Symptoms during urination, frequent need to pass urine, accidential incontinence
9	ATROPHY	Vaginal dryness	Feeling of dryness of the vagina, symptoms during sexual intercourse
10	SOMA	Joint and muscle symptoms	Pain predominantly affecting the finger joints, rheumatic symptoms, itching