The analysis of anxiety and mood in healthy late-reproductive-stage women with regard to hormonal and genetic factors

The purpose of this study was to determine whether anxiety and mood disorders in late-reproductive-stage women are related to the serotonin transporter and monoamine oxidase A gene polymorphisms. Research instrument used in this study were the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the UWIST Mood Adjective Checklist. The 44-bp VNTR polymorphism in the 5-HTT (SLC 6A4) promoter region and the 30-bp VNTR polymorphism in the MAO-A promoter region were analyzed. The study included 345 healthy Polish women in the late reproductive stage. The mean age of the participants was 42.3 ± 4.5 years. State anxiety was observed in 16.8 % of the women and trait anxiety in 14.5 %. There were no statistically significant differences in the mood and the mean levels of anxiety depending on the presence of the polymorphisms analyzed in this study. Depressed mood is frequent among healthy women in the late reproductive stage. Anxiety is definitely less common. The study did not demonstrate the relationship between the 5-HTT and MAO-A gene polymorphisms, and the severity of anxiety and mood disorders in healthy late-reproductive-stage women.