The Association Between Irregular Menstruations and Acne With Asthma and Atopy Phenotypes

Abstract

Earlier menarche and irregular periods, among other markers of sex-hormone levels, have been associated with a higher risk of asthma and allergic diseases. This has suggested an etiologic role of sex hormones in the development of these conditions. The authors investigated the association of age at menarche, irregular periods, duration of menstruation, and acne with reported medical history of asthma and/or atopy (hay fever and/or eczema/urticaria) in a historical cohort of students born before the rise in asthma prevalence in the United Kingdom and attending university in 1948–1968. Finding consistent associations in a cohort that has experienced different life-course exposures and has different confounding structure can help to identify causal associations. In the Glasgow Alumni Cohort, irregular periods were associated with atopic asthma (multinomial odds ratio (MOR) = 2.79, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.33, 5.83) and atopy alone (MOR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.84) but not with nonatopic asthma (MOR = 1.02, 95% CI: 0.45, 2.30), compared with students reporting no asthma and no atopy. The authors found no association with acne, a marker of high testosterone levels, that they hypothesized could point to polycystic ovary syndrome underpinning these associations. In summary, the authors found evidence for a potentially etiologic role of irregular menstruations with some specific asthma phenotypes, namely, atopic asthma and atopy, but not with nonatopic asthma.

The influence of childhood asthma on puberty and height in Swedish adolescents

“…To our knowledge, only one previous report on atopic asthma in relation to pubertal stages has been published (30). Despite differences in the operationalization of 'atopic asthma' in our study and elsewhere (30), there is a seemingly consistent association between atopic asthma and later age at menarche.…”

Fertility outcomes in asthma: a clinical study of 245 women with unexplained infertility

“…The semen quality after purification was obtained and semen motility was classified into four categories: immobile (0), non-progressive (1), slow (2), and progressive (3).…”

“…Particularly, asthma has been associated with age at menarche, menstrual cycle, oral contraceptive use, pregnancy, menopause and hormone replacement therapy [1][2][3][4][5][6].…”

Perimenstrual asthma: from pathophysiology to treatment strategies

“… ➢ Bronchial hyperreactivity is more likely in the perimenstrual period than at other points in the cycle; PMA seems to be closely linked to total IgE levels but not to specific allergens [ 53 ]. ➢ Atopic asthma, a specific asthma phenotype, is often associated to an irregular menstrual cycle [ 54 , 55 ] …”

“…➢ Atopic asthma, a specific asthma phenotype, is often associated to an irregular menstrual cycle [ 54 , 55 ]…”