Related Experiment Videos
Age at natural menopause and cause-specific mortality
Alison M Mondul1, Carmen Rodriguez, Eric J Jacobs
1Epidemiology and Surveillance Research Department, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA 30329-4251, USA.
American Journal of Epidemiology
|October 14, 2005
Summary
Younger age at menopause increases mortality risk from various causes, not just heart disease. Early menopause (40-44 years) is linked to higher death rates from coronary, respiratory, genitourinary diseases, and external causes.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Epidemiology
- Mortality Studies
Background:
- Previous research links early menopause to increased all-cause mortality.
- Limited studies have investigated the impact of menopause age on specific mortality causes beyond coronary heart disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between age at natural menopause and all-cause and cause-specific mortality.
- Focus on women who never used hormone replacement therapy, never smoked, and had natural menopause between ages 40-54.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of US adults with 20 years of follow-up (1982-2002).
- Analysis of 68,154 women, with 23,067 deaths recorded.
- Cox proportional hazards models used to assess mortality risks.
Main Results:
- Women experiencing menopause at ages 40-44 had higher all-cause mortality rates compared to those menopausal at 50-54 (RR=1.04).
- Increased risk was associated with higher mortality from coronary heart disease (RR=1.09), respiratory disease (RR=1.19), genitourinary disease (RR=1.39), and external causes (RR=1.56).
Conclusions:
- Younger age at menopause is associated with increased mortality risk from multiple causes.
- Findings suggest that mortality from diseases beyond coronary heart disease contribute to the elevated risk observed with early menopause.