Early onset of menopause is known to increase health risks in women, including heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and depression. However, researchers have now identified health impacts associated with late menopause.
Menopause is a critical phase in a woman’s life characterized by significant physiological and hormonal changes, marking the end of her menstrual cycles. On average, women experience natural menopause around the age of 51, while early-onset menopause occurs between the ages of 40 and 44.
According to the latest study published in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society, entering menopause at a later age is linked to a greater risk for asthma.
Earlier studies have revealed significant links between asthma and sex hormones. Evidence indicates that adult-onset asthma is more common in women than in men. While childhood asthma is more prevalent in boys, the trend shifts after puberty, with asthma occurring more frequently in girls. Additionally, women often experience more severe asthma symptoms and are less likely to achieve remission from the disease.
Some studies have shown that women have a higher risk of asthma around age 40, the age of the menopause transition, and the risk peak at 51, the average age of menopause.
Since there are several conflicting findings surrounding the impact of menopause on asthma incidence and the fact that most previous studies focused on menopause status rather than the age at which menopause occurs, researchers decided to conduct a large-scale investigation. The latest study analyzed data from over 14,000 postmenopausal women, tracking their health outcomes over a decade.
“The study researchers found that women with early menopause (which occurs between 40 and 44 years of age) are at a reduced risk of asthma, which led them to suggest a role of estrogen with asthma risk,” the news release stated.
“This study highlights sex-based differences in asthma, with women at a greater risk for asthma than men in adulthood. It also showed that women with later onset of menopause are at greater risk than those with early onset of menopause. Clinicians should be aware of this link and should monitor women with later age at natural menopause for asthma symptoms,” said Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for The Menopause Society.