(HealthDay News) – For Chinese women, the age of menarche and menopause is not related to the risk of diabetes, but does correlate with cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis, according to a study published online March 7 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Changsheng Qiu, from the Fujian Provincial Hospital in Wuyishan, China, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional, population-based study to examine the correlation between age at menarche and menopause with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis in a cohort of 3,304 post-menopausal Chinese women.
The researchers found that there were no significant correlations for menarche age, diabetes, and osteoporosis. However, later menarche (>18 years) correlated significantly with lower risk of cardiovascular disease (odds ratio (OR), 0.71). Age at menopause was not related to diabetes, but higher age at menopause correlated with a decreasing risk of cardiovascular disease. Earlier menopause (≤46 years) was linked to a significantly increased risk of osteoporosis (OR, 1.59).
“Ascertaining a history of menarche and menopause may help to identify women predisposed to increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis,” the authors write.
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