A woman’s fertility declines with the aging of the ovaries, eventually leading to menopause, and a shorter reproductive lifespan is linked with a higher risk of multimorbidity, said a latest study.
Recent years have seen increased focus on the effects of reproductive-related factors on women’s health. Previous studies have identified the ovaries as one of the earliest and most rapidly aging organs in the female body, typically leading to menopause around the age of 50.
Research has also explored the associations between age at menarche and menopause with women’s health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease risk. One large study involving over 120,000 postmenopausal women linked the length of the reproductive lifespan with the risk of stroke. The new study was published in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society.
REPRODUCTIVE LIFESPAN AND MULTIMORBIDITY
The duration between menarche and menopause reflects exposure to endogenous estrogens. Generally, the longer this duration, the lower the risk of disease and the higher the likelihood of longer life. This new study, involving over 1,300 postmenopausal Chinese women with an average reproductive lifespan of 34 years, is among the first to study the association between reproductive factors and multimorbidity, defined as the presence of two or more chronic diseases. Previous research has found multimorbidity to be significantly higher in women than men.
For the study, participants were divided into four quartiles based on the duration of their reproductive lifespans:
- Q1: ≤32 years
- Q2: 33-34 years
- Q3: 35-37 years
- Q4: ≥38 years
The study confirmed that a longer reproductive lifespan correlates with a lower risk of multimorbidity. Women in Q3 and Q4, who had the longest reproductive lifespans, were less likely to have multimorbidity compared to those in Q1, who had the shortest reproductive lifespans. The study also revealed a linear trend: the longer the reproductive lifespan, the lower the risk of multimorbidity.
Given these findings, researchers suggest that healthcare professionals should screen and assess reproductive factors to identify high-risk individuals.
FURTHER RESEARCH NEEDED
The article, titled “Association between reproductive lifespan and multimorbidity among Chinese postmenopausal women,” highlights the growing evidence linking reproductive lifespan duration with health outcomes such as cardiovascular disease and mortality. However, as Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for The Menopause Society, points out, the direction of this association remains unclear. Further research is needed to determine whether multiple chronic diseases cause the ovaries to stop functioning earlier or if these diseases result from earlier ovarian aging.
This study underscores the importance of understanding reproductive health and its broader implications for women’s long-term well-being. By identifying and supporting women with shorter reproductive lifespans, healthcare providers can better manage and mitigate the risk of multimorbidity, ensuring healthier lives for postmenopausal women.