Relationship between menarche age and menopausal age with non-communicable chronic diseases in Azar cohort population

Abstract

Considering the rise of chronic non-communicable diseases and the importance of women's health in the society, the existence of few studies in this field and their small sample sizes, in the present study the relationship between age at menarche (AAM) and multimorbidity and chronic diseases in the Azar group was investigated. Methods: The study used data regarding the reproductive history of 8,294women who participated in the Azar Cohort Study. A questionnaire was used to assess the participants’ demographic information, reproductive history, personal behaviors, smoking status, socioeconomic status, activity status, and wealth score index. Results: Among 8,286 women included in the analysis, the AAM was <12 years (early) in 648 (7.8%), 12-14 years (normal) in 4,911 (59.3%), and >14 years (late) in 2,727 (32.9%) individuals. Early menarche was associated with a high risk of diabetes, obesity, and high WHR. On the other hand, late menarche was associated with higher rates of hypertension, diabetes, stroke, high WHR but a lower risk of obesity, multimorbidity, and rheumatoid arthritis.