Lower Risk for Asthma Seen With Younger Age at Natural Menopause

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 30, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Women with younger age at natural menopause have a reduced risk for asthma, according to a study published online Oct. 29 in Menopause.

Durmalouk Kesibi, from York University in Toronto, and colleagues followed women aged 45 to 85 years for a 10-year period to examine the association between age at natural menopause and the incidence of asthma among nonsmokers. Age at natural menopause was categorized as 40 to 44, 45 to 49, 50 to 54 (reference), and 55 years and older.

The study included 14,406 postmenopausal women. Incident asthma was reported in 5.08 percent of the women. The researchers found that women with age at natural menopause of 40 to 44 years versus 50 to 54 years had a hazard ratio of 0.70 for asthma.

"This study highlights sex-based differences in asthma, with women at a greater risk for asthma than men in adulthood. It also showed that women with later onset of menopause are at greater risk than those with early onset of menopause," Stephanie Faubion, M.D., medical director of The Menopause Society, said in a statement. "Clinicians should be aware of this link and should monitor women with later age at natural menopause for asthma symptoms."

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