Timing of menopause and menarche influences COPD risk: study
Both younger and older age at menarche were tied to an increased likelihood of COPD, say researchers.
Women who experience natural menopause before the age of 40 are nearly 70% more likely to develop COPD than those who reach menopause at 50, an Australian-led study shows.
Similarly, age at menarche appears to play a role in later COPD risk, with both early and late onset tied to a “greater disposition” to COPD, according to University of Queensland researchers.
While the increased susceptibility to COPD in women compared with men has been reported previously, they say the impact of reproductive life stages and fertility factors has been unclear.
The team analysed data from three large cohorts — including the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health 1946-51 — with a combined 283,000 participants.
