Age at natural menopause and risk of type 2 diabetes: a prospective cohort study

Abstract

Aims/hypothesis In this study, we aimed to examine the association between age at natural menopause and risk of type 2 diabetes, and to assess whether this association is independent of potential mediators. Methods We included 3639 postmenopausal women from the prospective, population-based Rotterdam Study. Age at natural menopause was self-reported retrospectively and was treated as a continuous variable and in categories (premature, <40 years; early, 40-44 years; normal, 45-55 years; and late menopause, >55 years [reference]). Type 2 diabetes events were diagnosed on the basis of medical records and glucose measurements from Rotterdam Study visits. HRs and 95% CIs were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for confounding factors; in another model, they were additionally adjusted for potential mediators, including obesity, C-reactive protein, glucose and insulin, as well as for levels of total oestradiol and androgens.Results During a median follow-up of 9.2 years, we identified 348 individuals with incident type 2 diabetes. After adjustment for confounders, HRs for type 2 diabetes were 3.7 (95% CI 1.8, 7.5), 2.4 (95% CI 1.3, 4.3) and 1.60 (95% CI 1.0, 2.8) for women with premature, early and normal menopause, respectively, relative to those with late menopause (ptrend <0.001). The HR for type 2 diabetes per 1 year older at menopause was 0.96 (95% CI 0.94, 0.98). Further adjustment for BMI, glycaemic traits, metabolic risk factors, C-reactive protein, endogenous sex hormone levels or shared genetic factors did not affect this association. Conclusions/interpretation Early onset of natural menopause is an independent marker for type 2 diabetes in postmenopausal women.

Female reproductive history and risk of type 2 diabetes: A prospective analysis of 126 721 women

“…Previous studies have suggested that premature and early natural menopause are associated with subsequent risk of diabetes. 34 Most recently, data from the Rotterdam Study showed a 3-fold increased risk of diabetes for women who experienced premature menopause compared with those who experienced menopause after the age of 55 years, although the number of incident cases of diabetes in both groups (n = 29) was much smaller than in the present study. Previous authors have speculated on possible genetic mechanisms linking early age at menopause (possibly a proxy for premature ageing and DNA damage) with risk of incident diabetes and other chronic, age-related conditions.…”

Age at natural menopause and risk of diabetes in adult women: Findings from the China Kadoorie Biobank study in the Zhejiang area

“…However, it is worth noting that some other studies examining the association between age at menopause and diabetes have yielded completely contradictory results, showing that early menopause is associated with a greater risk of type 2 diabetes. Most recently, Muka et al ,. in a prospective, population‐based study, confirmed the increased risk of type 2 diabetes with early onset menopause in postmenopausal women.…”

Dynamics of Echocardiogram Indicators in Patients with Climacteric Syndrome on Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 after а Complex Therapy

“…Слід зазначити, що жінки старші 45 років хворіють на ЦД в 2 рази частіше за чоловіків [16]. Частота виникнення ЦД у жінок після 50 років значно збільшується і, на дум-ку більшості фахівців, менопауза певним чином впливає на підвищення його поширеності серед жінок старшої вікової групи [13,19].…”