Early menopause is associated with increased risk of heart failure and atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Age of menopause, healthy lifestyle and cardiovascular disease in women: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Menopause is a timely opportunity to screen for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and intervene with healthier lifestyles. We investigated the association between premature/early menopause and the likelihood of CVD and whether a healthy lifestyle is associated with a lower likelihood of CVD in menopausal woman.

METHODS

The Sax Institute's 45 and Up Study prospectively recruited participants aged ≥45 years (n=267 357) between 2005 and 2009 (New South Wales, Australia). Our study included women without prior CVD and reporting menopausal age at baseline. Primary outcome was new-onset CVD (self-reported heart disease/stroke) based on survey data at Wave 2 (2012-2015) and/or Wave 3 (2018-2020). Logistic regression models assessed the associations of premature (age <40 years) and early (age 40-44 years) menopause with CVD, compared with menopause between 50 and 52 years, adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical variables. Healthy lifestyle adherence was assessed using a score of five factors: smoking, physical activity, sitting, sleep and diet.

RESULTS

We included 46 238 women (mean age 62.1±8.2 years), with 5416 (11.7%) cases of CVD over 15-year follow-up. After adjustment, the odds of CVD was higher in women with premature menopause (OR 1.36, 95% CIs 1.17 to 1.59; p<0.0001) and early menopause (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.28; p=0.013) compared with menopause between 50 and 52 years. Among all women, high (score 9-10) versus low (score 0-5) healthy lifestyle adherence led to 23% lower odds of CVD (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.86; p<0.0001), and in women with premature menopause, led to 52% lower odds of CVD (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.77, p=0.0022). Lifestyle effect did not significantly differ between menopause categories (interaction, p=0.71).

CONCLUSION

Women with premature/early menopause are at higher likelihood for CVD. Lifestyle modification is associated with consistent reduction of the likelihood of CVD in women and should be encouraged across the life course.

Association of Depression with Age at Natural Menopause: A Cross-Sectional Analysis with NHANES Data

Purpose

To evaluate the association between depression and age of natural menopause in American women.

Patients and Methods

This cross-sectional study utilized eight cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted from 2005 to 2023. We assessed depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). We obtained ANM information from the Reproductive Health questionnaire. We screened menopausal women between the ages of 40 and 70 years, excluding those with surgical menopause. We used multivariable logistic regression models to investigate the association between depression and ANM. Additionally, we conducted subgroup analyses and interaction tests.

Results

A total of 4732 women were included, and the mean age of natural menopause was 47.9 ± 6.8 years. Of these, 1123 (23.7%) were classified as early menopause, 2971 (62.8%) as normal menopause, and 638 (13.5%) as late menopause. Preliminary analysis showed a positive association between PHQ-9 score and the risk of early menopause (OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.06-1.16). After full adjustment in multivariate logistic regression, it was estimated that each one-unit increase in the PHQ-9 score was associated with a 7% increased risk of early menopause (OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.02-1.12). After classifying depression into three grades: no, mild, and severe, it was found that, compared with American women without depression, the risk of early menopause increased significantly. American women with major depression had an increased risk of early menopause (OR = 2.49, 95% CI = 1.10-5.63). In College or above (OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.02-1.19), PIR≤1 (OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.04-1.16), Current smoker (OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.00-1.24), the positive association between depression and early menopause was more significant.

Conclusion

In this cross-sectional study, the severity of depression in American women was positively correlated with the risk of early menopause. This suggests that women should pay more attention to their mental health and actively manage depression. For women with depression, early intervention and treatment may help improve their reproductive health and delay menopause.

Is Early Menopause a Different Entity From Premature Ovarian Insufficiency?

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI, defined as age at menopause < 40 years) affects 1%-3% of postmenopausal women. It is positively associated with an increased risk of diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, fractures, cognitive impairment, and depression. Early menopause (EM, defined as age at menopause < 45 years) is also associated with these adverse health consequences, in most cases to the same degree as in POI. Therefore, a unifying term for EM and POI, such as 'premature menopause', may be proposed, using the age threshold of < 45 years. This could provide broader coverage of these women, substantiating the need for prompt administration of menopausal hormone therapy (in this case, 'hormone replacement therapy'). However, the benefits of this approach, which precludes a higher oestrogen dose up to the normal age of menopause, need to be proven in well-designed randomized controlled trials.

The Impact of Hormone Replacement Therapy on the Risk of Heart Failure in Postmenopausal Women: A Meta-Analysis of Clinical and Observational Studies

PURPOSE

The relationship between heart failure (HF) and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in postmenopausal women remains unclear. This paper aimed to elucidate the association between HRT and HF outcomes in postmenopausal women by scrutinizing evidence from clinical trials and observational studies.

METHODS

The meta-analysis was systematically executed following the PRISMA guidelines to include studies identified from the electronic databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, EBSCO, ICTRP, and NIH clinical trials. The primary endpoint of the effect comprised risk ratios (RR) for HF incidence and mortality, attended by 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The risk of bias was assessed employing the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB2) tool for clinical trials and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for observational studies.

RESULTS

The search yielded a total of eight reports, originating from six individual studies, for inclusion in the current study, and 25 047 participants were included. The meta-analysis demonstrated no remarkable association between HRT and the incidence of HF in postmenopausal women (RR: 1.07, 95% CI: 0.91-1.25, p = 0.37). However, a significant reduction in all-cause mortality was observed among post-menopausal HF patients who received HRT (RR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.49-0.87, p = 0.003). In age-related subgroup analyses, no significant change in the risk of HF was noticed among participants on HRT.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this paper demonstrate that HRT use is not associated with a significant increase in the risk of incident HF. This meta-analysis also suggests a benefit in all-cause mortality when HRT is administered to postmenopausal women with HF.

Association of age at menarche, reproductive lifespan and age at menopause with the risk of atrial fibrillation: The HUNT study

BACKGROUND

Age at menarche, reproductive lifespan, and age at menopause are associated with several cardiovascular diseases, but their relationship with atrial fibrillation (AF) is uncertain.

METHODS

We linked information on all women who participated in the third survey of the population-based, longitudinal HUNT study in Norway with medical records from all local hospitals. A total of 14,632 women aged 60 or more were followed for validated incident AF. We retrieved age at menarche and age at menopause from the HUNT questionnaires. Reproductive lifespan was defined as the difference between age at menarche and age at menopause. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to assess associations between AF and age at menarche, reproductive lifespan, and age at menopause.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 8.17 years (136,494 person-years), 1217 (8.3 %) participants developed AF. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, we observed no associations between early or late age at menarche and AF (hazard ratios (HRs): <12 years: 0.85 [95 % confidence interval (CI), 0.65-1.12]; ≥16 years: 0.99 [95 % CI, 0.80-1.24] compared to those who attained menarche at 13-14 years). The HR for a reproductive lifespan shorter than 30 years was 0.91 [95 % CI, 0.72-1.15] compared to 34-37 years. Likewise, there was no clear association between premature or early age at menopause and AF (HRs: <40 years: 1.21 [95 % CI, 0.83-1.75]; 40-44 years: 0.97 [95 % CI, 0.77-1.22] compared to 50-54 years).

CONCLUSIONS

In this population of women aged 60 years and over, the risk of AF was not associated with age at menarche, reproductive lifespan, or age at menopause.

Pregnancy, Reproductive Factors, and Female Heart Failure Risk and Outcomes

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of recent evidence on female-specific risk factors related to reproductive status or pregnancy.

RECENT FINDINGS

Pregnancy-related factors, including hypertensive disorders and gestational diabetes, increase the risk of heart failure in women, while breastfeeding and hormone therapy may offer protection. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome, placental abruption, younger maternal age at first live birth, younger maternal age at last live birth, number of stillbirths, number of pregnancies, onset of menstruation before 12 years of age, shorter reproductive age, ovariectomy, and prolonged absence of ovarian hormones may increase the risk of heart failure in women. Conversely, breastfeeding status and hormone therapy (for menopause or contraception) may serve as protective factors, while fertility treatments have no discernible effect on the risk of heart failure.

Impact of Gender on Chronic Complications in Participants With Type 2 Diabetes: Evidence From a Cross-Sectional Study

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to assess and compare the prevalence of diabetes complications between men and women with Type 2 diabetes (T2D), as well as how gender relates to these complications.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, complications of diabetes, including coronary artery disease (CAD), retinopathy, neuropathy and diabetic kidney disease (DKD), were evaluated in 1867 participants with T2D. Additionally, baseline characteristics of the individuals, including anthropometric measurements, metabolic parameters and the use of dyslipidaemia drugs and antihyperglycaemic agents, were assessed. Gender differences in complications were examined using the chi-squared test. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to investigate the relationship between gender and T2D complications, with and without adjusting for the characteristics of the studied population.

RESULTS

In the studied population, 62.1% had at least one complication, and complications were 33.5% for DKD, 29.6% for CAD, 22.9% for neuropathy and 19.1% for retinopathy. The prevalence of CAD and neuropathy was higher in men. However, DKD and retinopathy were more prevalent among women. Odds ratios of experiencing any complication, CAD and retinopathy in men compared with women were 1.57 (95% CI: 1.27-2.03), 2.27 (95% CI: 1.72-2.99) and 0.72 (95% CI: 0.52-0.98), respectively, after adjusting for demographic factors, anthropometric measures, metabolic parameters and the consumption of dyslipidaemia drugs and antihyperglycaemic agents.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of diabetes complications was significantly higher in men with diabetes, highlighting the need for better treatment adherence. CAD was associated with the male gender, whereas retinopathy was associated with the female gender. Men and women with diabetes should be monitored closely for CAD and retinopathy, respectively, regardless of their age, diabetes duration, anthropometric measures, laboratory findings and medications.