Age at menopause and its association with comorbidities in older women

Background — Menopause age is a potential mediator of subsequent mortality, morbidity, and quality of life after menopause. Objective — Since limited studies have reported an association between age at menopause and chronic diseases in the elderly population, this study aimed to investigate this association. Methods — This retrospective cohort study was conducted among elderly women aged ≥60 years living in the northern part of Iran. Demographic characteristics, history of harmful habits (smoking), and self-reported age at menopause were collected through direct interviews. Participants were divided into three groups based on the age at menopause (normal menopause age: 45–54 years; early menopause: <45 years; and late menopause: ≥55 years). The situation with chronic diseases including diabetes, hypertension, cognitive impairment and depression was compared between the three groups. Results — A total of 811 eligible elderly women (mean age 68.93±6.72 years) were included in the study. The mean age at menopause was 47.12±5.82 years. Among them, 537 women (66.2%) had normal menopause age, 83 (10.2%) experienced late menopause, and 191 (23.6%) reported early menopause. An inverse correlation was detected between menopause age and geriatric depression score (r=-0.093; P=0.008); however, the three menopause age groups had no significant association with diabetes (P=0.579), hypertension (P=0.532), or cognitive impairment (P=0.077). Conclusion — Although we did not find a statistically significant association between menopause age and diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cognitive impairment, chronic diseases (especially, depressive disorders) should be given more attention in elderly women.