Early-onset climacterium is not associated with impaired vitamin D status: a population-based study

Abstract

Objective:To investigate vitamin D status in women with the onset of the climacteric phase by age 46 as both early menopause and inadequate vitamin D status may increase the risk of adverse health outcomes.Methods:A cross-sectional study included 2,544, 46-year-old women from a birth cohort. Women were divided into the following two groups according to their menstrual history and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) concentration: 1) climacteric (FSH ≥25 IU/L and amenorrhea ≥4 mo, n = 351) and 2) preclimacteric women (FSH <25 IU/L and having regular/irregular menstrual cycles, n = 2,193). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations were compared between the groups. A linear regression model was performed to investigate which factors are associated with 25(OH)D status.Results:Mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations were higher in climacteric compared with preclimacteric women (68.1 ± 19.8 nmol/L vs 65.2 ± 19.3 nmol/L, P = 0.01). However, in the linear regression model, climacteric status was not associated with 25(OH)D status (multivariable adjusted mean difference 4.5 nmol/L, 95% confidence interval −1.4 to 10.4, P = 0.137). A total of 76 of the climacteric women were using systemic estrogen hormone therapy (HT). In a subanalysis, including only climacteric women, the use of HT was associated with higher 25(OH)D status (multivariable adjusted mean difference 5.9 nmol/L, 95% confidence interval 1.3-10.5, P = 0.013).Conclusions:The onset of the climacteric phase by age 46 was not associated with inadequate 25(OH)D concentrations, whereas HT use was associated with higher 25(OH)D status in women with early-onset climacterium.

Gravidity, parity and knee breadth at midlife: a population-based cohort study

“…The confounding effects of duration of lactation, hormonal factors, infertility or other comorbidities could not be fully ruled out. Also, we did not have data on menopausal status or use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) of the participants, but in the previous study 16% of women in Northern Finland Birth Cohort were menopausal or late perimenopausal and 22% of them (3% of the whole female cohort) were using HRT 29 . These women were thus a minor group.…”