Estrogen May Lower CV, Cerebrovascular Disease Risk in Older Women
Women with longer duration of reproductive years prior to menarche and menopause have a lower risk of cardiovascular (CV) and cerebrovascular diseases, including angina and stroke, a recent study showed.1
Previous research has provided conflicting information about the association between the age at menarche and menopause and the risk of CV and cerebrovascular diseases in older women.
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In the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the researchers analyzed 3081 participants ages 60 years or older. In the survey, participants indicated their age of menarche and menopause, as well as any CV and cerebrovascular diseases.
Participants were classified into either a longer reproductive duration group (more than 30 reproductive years) or a shorter reproductive duration group (30 or fewer reproductive years).
The researchers performed subgroup analysis for each 5-year increment in the longer reproductive duration group. Additionally, relative risk regression was determined using a generalized linear model and by adjusting for several confounding factors.
Results indicated that a longer duration of reproductive years was related to lower risk of CV and cerebrovascular diseases, compared with a shorter duration, due to a reduced risk of stroke and angina. Each 1-year increase in reproductive duration was related to a 3% lower risk of events.
“By evaluating women’s risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events based on the duration of their reproductive years, rather than just their age at menarche or their age at menopause as individual variables, [the researchers] take into account the effect of cumulative exposure to sex hormones such as estrogen,” says Susan G. Kornstein, MD, editor-in-chief of Journal of Women’s Health, executive director of the Virginia Commonwealth University Institute for Women’s Health, and president of the Academy of Women’s Health.2
—Christina Vogt
Reference:
1. Mansoor H, Elgendy IY, Segal R, Hartzema A. Duration of reproductive years and the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in older women: insights from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey [Published online May 19, 2017]. J Womens Health. doi:10.1089/jwh.2016.6013.
2. Longer duration of reproductive years linked to 30% lower risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in women [press release]. New Rochelle, NY: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Publishers; June 28, 2017. http://www.liebertpub.com/global/pressrelease/longer-duration-of-reproductive-years-linked-to-30-lower-risk-of-cardiovascular-and-cerebrovascular-events-in-women/2210/. Accessed June 29, 2017.