Cigarette smoking, relative weight, and menopause.

Area of Science:

• Reproductive epidemiology
• Public health

Background:

• Cigarette smoking is a known factor influencing reproductive health.
• The relationship between smoking, body weight, and the timing of natural menopause requires further clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the associations between cigarette smoking, relative weight, and the occurrence of natural menopause.
• To determine how age influences these relationships.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study of 66,663 premenopausal US registered nurses.
• Data collected on smoking habits, relative weight, and menopausal status over a two-year period.
• Analysis included rate ratios and median ages at menopause, with adjustments for confounding factors.

Main Results:

• Current smokers had a higher likelihood of experiencing menopause compared to never smokers, with effects diminishing at older ages.
• Median age at menopause decreased with increasing daily cigarette consumption.
• A crude linear relationship between relative weight and menopause was observed, though partially explained by smoking status.

Conclusions:

• Cigarette smoking is strongly associated with an earlier onset of natural menopause.
• While relative weight shows a weaker association, it may interact with smoking in influencing menopausal timing.
• These findings highlight the detrimental impact of smoking on reproductive aging.