Early menopause tied to greater type 2 diabetes risk

Judith S. Brand, from the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands, and colleagues analyzed data from 3,691 postmenopausal case subjects with type 2 diabetes and 4,408 subcohort members included in the InterAct study, a prospective case-cohort study nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study.

The researchers found that, over a median follow-up of 11 years, relative to women with menopause at age 50 to 54 years, for women with menopause at ages younger than 40; 40 to 44; 45 to 49; and 55 years and older, the hazard ratios (HRs) for type 2 diabetes were 1.32 (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.04 to 1.69); 1.09 (95 percent CI, 0.90 to 1.31); 0.97 (95 percent CI, 0.86 to 1.10); and 0.85 (95 percent CI, 0.70 to 1.03), respectively. There was a higher diabetes risk with shorter reproductive life span (HR per SD lower reproductive life span, 1.06; 95 percent CI, 1.01 to 1.12). The effect was not significantly modified by body mass index, waist circumference, or smoking.

"Early menopause is associated with a greater risk of type 2 diabetes," Brand and colleagues conclude.

One author disclosed receiving funding from Novo Nordisk.

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Journal reference: Diabetes Care

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