Early menopause ‘makes you more likely to die young’
WOMEN who start the menopause before the age of 40 are more likely to die young, research suggests.
Most women experience menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, but about one in 100 go through menopause before the age of 40, which is known as premature menopause or premature ovarian insufficiency (POI).
Scientists said women can lower the risk associated with early menopause with hormone therapy.
Researchers say the Finnish study’s findings highlight the importance of regular medical check-ups and appropriate hormone therapy use in those affected.
Previous research has shown that women who go through the menopause early are at greater risk of long-term health problems such as heart disease.
Scientists say the cause of POI is largely unknown, but can be brought on spontaneously or by some medical treatments such as chemotherapy or by surgically removing the ovaries.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the most common treatment, but the majority of women who go through premature menopause do not take those drugs in accordance with recommendations.
Researchers from the University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital examined more than 5,800 women who were diagnosed with spontaneous or surgical premature ovarian insufficiency in Finland between 1988 and 2017.
They found that women with spontaneous premature ovarian insufficiency were more than twice as likely to die of any cause or of heart disease, and more than four times as likely to die of cancer.
The risk of any cause and cancer mortality roughly halved in women who used HRT for more than six months.
Women who went through premature menopause as a result of surgery did not have any added risk of dying young. Hilla Haapakoski, the study leader, said: “Our findings suggest specific attention should be paid to the health of women with spontaneous premature ovarian insufficiency to decrease excess mortality.”
The findings are due to be presented at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Stockholm, Sweden, today.