Respiratory symptoms, pulmonary function, and reproductive history: Isparta Menopause and Health Study

We aimed to investigate the influence of reproductive factors on chronic respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function in a cross-sectional study of premenopausal and postmenopausal women 44-61 years of age.

Self-reported data on respiratory symptoms were obtained from 1082 women. Usable forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1)) (2.27 +/- 0.44 L) and forced vital capacity (FVC) (2.75 +/- 0.55 L) measurements were obtained from 1070 women. The influence of reproductive factors on FEV(1), FVC, and chronic respiratory symptoms was assessed by linear and logistic regression analyses.

Menopause is associated with lower FEV(1) (p < 0.0001, r = -0.181) and FVC (p < 0.0001, r = -0.198) only in univariate analysis. The association disappears when age is adjusted for. However, association of menopause with increased odds of chronic cough plus phlegm is significant in multivariate analysis (odds ratio [OR] 1.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-2.92, p = 0.0088). Among reproductive factors, only age at first birth is independently associated with FEV(1) (p = 0.01, r = 0.008) and FVC (p = 0.004, r = 0.013). Results were similar when restricting analyses to those who never smoked and after exclusion of asthmatics.

Postmenopausal status is independently associated with increased odds of chronic cough plus phlegm, whereas it does not appear to be independently associated with FEV(1) or FVC. Among the reproductive factors, age at first birth is the only independent predictor of FEV(1) and FVC. These findings suggest that reproductive factors may influence women's pulmonary health.