Premature, Early Menopause Linked With Increased Type 2 Diabetes Risk
After adjusting for confounding factors, women who experienced premature menopause had an increased risk of T2D.
Premature and earlier age at menopause were associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to data published in JAMA Network Open.1 The authors of the study said the findings support the need for targeted public health strategies that aim to help prevent or delay T2D among postmenopausal women.
Premature, Early Menopause Linked With Increased Type 2 Diabetes Risk / Liudmila Dutko - stock.adobe.com
In the United States, more than 38 million people have diabetes and 90% to 95% of cases are T2D.2 Roughly 25 million women in the country have diabetes, which increases their risk for certain complications like heart disease, vision loss, kidney disease and depression. Women also experience an increased risk for T2D as they age, especially from menopause to older age. While risk factors for T2D—like obesity and lifestyle factors—are well known, risk factors for women specifically are not well understood.
READ MORE: Pregnant Women Generally Prefer Maternal RSV Vaccine to Infant Injections
“Despite advancements in therapeutic drugs and efforts to diagnose and treat T2D, its prevalence continues to increase, and control rates remain low,” the authors wrote. “Recently, there has been a greater emphasis on the prevention of T2D, early diagnosis, and stringent glucose control in early stages to prevent or delay complications. Thus, it is crucial to identify individuals with risk factors associated with T2D and prioritize these individuals for screening over other groups.”
Investigators conducted a study to investigate if age at menopause and premature menopause are associated with T2D incidence in postmenopausal women. Data for the study was collected from the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database, which covers 97% of the South Korean population. The data includes demographic information, health checkup records, and diagnoses and treatments.
The study cohort included 1125378 participants with a mean age of 61.2 years and a mean age of 50 years at menopause. The primary study endpoint was new-onset T2D from the index date to the end of the study. New-onset T2D was defined as a fasting blood glucose level of 126 mg/dL or greater during an NHIS health examination or a history of claims for antidiabetic medication. Participants were followed up until the occurrence of T2D, death, or December 31, 2018.
Of the participants, 19311 were younger than 40 at time of menopause, 64700 were between the ages of 40 to 44, 310772 were between the ages of 45 to 49, and 730595 were older than 50 years of age. The study found that 113864 participants were diagnosed with T2D during the median follow-up time of 8.4 years. Of those, 2337 were in the premature menopause group, 6912 were in the 40 to 44 group, 30008 were in the 45 to 49 group, and 74607 were in the 50 years or older group.
After adjusting for confounding factors such as smoking status, alcohol use, level of physical activity, BMI and oral contraceptive use, participants who experienced premature menopause had an increased risk of T2D compared to those without premature menopause. Additionally, a younger age at menopause was associated with an increased risk of T2D.
“Women who have experienced premature or early menopause may have a higher risk of T2D compared to the average woman, so it's necessary to pay more attention to maintaining an appropriate weight and lifestyle modification, such as engaging in regular exercise and keeping a balanced diet,” Ga Eun Nam, MD, PhD, an author on the study, said in a release.3 “It's important to deal with it early through active regular check-ups.”
READ MORE: Women's Health Resource Center
Are you ready to elevate your pharmacy practice? Sign up today for our free Drug Topics newsletter and get the latest drug information, industry trends, and patient care tips, straight to your inbox.
