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International Review of Psychiatry... May 2019Psychiatric symptoms that coincide with reproductive transitions are related to changes in sex steroids, but studies show that this relationship is governed by... (Review)
Review
Psychiatric symptoms that coincide with reproductive transitions are related to changes in sex steroids, but studies show that this relationship is governed by individual women's vulnerability to change rather than by differences in level. There is growing interest in the role of allopregnanolone (ALLO), a 3- reduced metabolite of progesterone and a strong allosteric modulator of the GABA receptor, in such symptoms, with enough evidence now across various times of reproductive transition to offer an overview of the role of this hormone in reproductive psychiatry. This review offers a brief overview, focusing on literature of the last 3 years, of the relationship between allopregnanolone and mood at menarche; in the menstrual cycle; in the peripartum; and in the menopausal transition. ALLO dysregulation is identified in all of these transitions and found to be associated with mood symptoms, although evidence of its exact role; its relationship to other systems; and directionality is not consistent.
Topics: Affect; Anxiety; Female; Humans; Menarche; Menstrual Cycle; Perimenopause; Pregnanolone; Psychiatry; Receptors, GABA-A; Reproductive Health
PubMed: 30701996
DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2018.1553775 -
Environmental Health Perspectives Feb 2023
Topics: Female; Humans; Menarche; Metals; Age Factors
PubMed: 36729393
DOI: 10.1289/EHP12555 -
The Journal of Adolescent Health :... Jan 2022The aim of this study is to examine age at menarche across sexual orientation groups.
PURPOSE
The aim of this study is to examine age at menarche across sexual orientation groups.
METHODS
Data were obtained from 131,090 female participants, born 1947-2001, in 3 longitudinal studies-the Growing Up Today Study and Nurses' Health Study 2 and 3. We estimated the association between sexual orientation and age at menarche using regression models adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, birthweight, height, and body mass index.
RESULTS
Compared to heterosexual participants, sexual minorities were younger at menarche. Sexual minorities were more likely to have early menarche (≤11 years) and less likely to have late menarche (≥14 years) compared to heterosexual girls. As an example of this pattern, Nurses' Health Study 3 bisexual participants were >30% more likely than heterosexuals to have early versus average menarche (odds ratio 1.37, 95% confidence interval 1.09-1.72).
CONCLUSION
Sexual minority girls have a younger age at menarche than heterosexual girls and may benefit from screening for adverse outcomes associated with early menarche.
Topics: Bisexuality; Female; Heterosexuality; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Menarche; Sexual Behavior; Sexual and Gender Minorities
PubMed: 34404608
DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.06.029 -
American Journal of Epidemiology Jul 2014We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the associations between menarcheal age and all-cause and cardiovascular death. Medline, Embase,... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the associations between menarcheal age and all-cause and cardiovascular death. Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge were searched for articles published prior to March 2013 reporting on the associations between menarcheal age and death from all causes or from cardiovascular disease (total cardiovascular disease, ischemic heart disease (IHD), and stroke) in adult women. Nine articles were eligible for inclusion; these reported 5 estimates each for death from all causes and total cardiovascular death, 6 estimates for IHD, and 7 estimates for death from stroke. Our meta-analysis showed that each 1-year increase in age at menarche was associated with a 3% lower relative risk of death from all causes (pooled hazard ratio = 0.97, 95% confidence interval: 0.96, 0.98) with low heterogeneity (I(2) = 32.2%). Meta-analysis of 2 cohorts showed a higher risk of death from all causes for women who experienced early menarche (at <12 years of age) versus "not early" menarche (at ≥ 12 years of age) (pooled hazard ratio = 1.23, 95% confidence interval: 1.10, 1.38; I(2) = 0%). An inverse association between age at menarche and death from IHD was observed only among nonsmoking populations or populations with low prevalence of smoking. We found no evidence of association between age at menarche and death from all cardiovascular diseases or stroke. Early menarche was consistently associated with higher risk of death from all causes. Further studies are needed to clarify the role of menarcheal age on cardiovascular outcomes and to investigate the potential modifying role of smoking.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Cardiovascular Diseases; Child; Female; Humans; Menarche; Middle Aged; Mortality; Proportional Hazards Models; Risk Factors
PubMed: 24920784
DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwu113 -
BMC Medicine Mar 2022Women's reproductive factors include their age at menarche and menopause, the age at which they start and stop having children and the number of children they have....
BACKGROUND
Women's reproductive factors include their age at menarche and menopause, the age at which they start and stop having children and the number of children they have. Studies that have linked these factors with disease risk have largely investigated individual reproductive factors and have not considered the genetic correlation and total interplay that may occur between them. This study aimed to investigate the nature of the relationships between eight female reproductive factors.
METHODS
We used data from the UK Biobank and genetic consortia with data available for the following reproductive factors: age at menarche, age at menopause, age at first birth, age at last birth, number of births, being parous, age first had sexual intercourse and lifetime number of sexual partners. Linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC) was performed to investigate the genetic correlation between reproductive factors. We then applied Mendelian randomisation (MR) methods to estimate the causal relationships between these factors. Sensitivity analyses were used to investigate directionality of the effects, test for evidence of pleiotropy and account for sample overlap.
RESULTS
LDSC indicated that most reproductive factors are genetically correlated (r range: |0.06-0.94|), though there was little evidence for genetic correlations between lifetime number of sexual partners and age at last birth, number of births and ever being parous (r < 0.01). MR revealed potential causal relationships between many reproductive factors, including later age at menarche (1 SD increase) leading to a later age at first sexual intercourse (beta (B) = 0.09 SD, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 0.06,0.11), age at first birth (B = 0.07 SD, CI = 0.04,0.10), age at last birth (B = 0.06 SD, CI = 0.04,0.09) and age at menopause (B = 0.06 SD, CI = 0.03,0.10). Later age at first birth was found to lead to a later age at menopause (B = 0.21 SD, CI = 0.13,0.29), age at last birth (B = 0.72 SD, CI = 0.67, 0.77) and a lower number of births (B = -0.38 SD, CI = -0.44, -0.32).
CONCLUSION
This study presents evidence that women's reproductive factors are genetically correlated and causally related. Future studies examining the health sequelae of reproductive factors should consider a woman's entire reproductive history, including the causal interplay between reproductive factors.
Topics: Age Factors; Child; Female; Humans; Menarche; Mendelian Randomization Analysis; Menopause; Parturition; Pregnancy; Reproductive History; Risk Factors
PubMed: 35321746
DOI: 10.1186/s12916-022-02293-5 -
Pediatric Research Jul 2022We evaluated pubertal growth and pubertal timing of participants born preterm compared to those born at term.
BACKGROUND
We evaluated pubertal growth and pubertal timing of participants born preterm compared to those born at term.
METHODS
In the ESTER Preterm Birth Study, we collected growth data and measured final height of men/women born very or moderately preterm (<34 gestational weeks, n = 52/55), late preterm (34-<37 weeks, 94/106), and term (≥37 weeks, 131/151), resulting in median 9 measurements at ≥6 years. Timing of menarche or voice break was self-reported. Peak height velocity (PHV, cm/year) and age at PHV (years) were compared with SuperImposition by Translation And Rotation (SITAR) model (sexes separately).
RESULTS
Age at PHV (years) and PHV (cm/year) were similar in all gestational age groups. Compared to term controls, insignificant differences in age at PHV were 0.1 (95% CI: -0.2 to 0.4) years/0.2 (-0.1 to 0.4) for very or moderately/late preterm born men and -0.0 (-0.3 to 0.3)/-0.0 (-0.3 to 0.2) for women, respectively. Being born small for gestational age was not associated with pubertal growth. Age at menarche or voice break was similar in all the gestational age groups.
CONCLUSIONS
Timing of pubertal growth and age at menarche or voice break were similar in participants born preterm and at term.
IMPACT
Pubertal growth and pubertal timing were similar in preterm and term participants in a relatively large cohort with a wide range of gestational ages. Previous literature indicates that small for gestational age is a risk for early puberty in term born children. This was not shown in preterm children. While our study had limited power for children born very preterm, all children born preterm were not at increased risk for early puberty.
Topics: Body Height; Child; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Small for Gestational Age; Male; Menarche; Premature Birth; Puberty; Puberty, Precocious
PubMed: 34429512
DOI: 10.1038/s41390-021-01690-5 -
Psychological Medicine Sep 2020Previous studies of pubertal timing and self-harm are limited by subjective measures of pubertal timing or by the conflation of self-harm with suicide attempts and...
BACKGROUND
Previous studies of pubertal timing and self-harm are limited by subjective measures of pubertal timing or by the conflation of self-harm with suicide attempts and ideation. The current study investigates the association between an objective measure of pubertal timing - age at menarche - and self-harm with and without suicidal intent in adolescence and adulthood in females.
METHOD
Birth cohort study based on 4042 females from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Age at menarche was assessed prospectively between ages 8 and 17 years. Lifetime history of self-harm was self-reported at ages 16 and 21 years. Associations between age at menarche and self-harm, both with and without suicidal intent, were examined using multivariable logistic regression.
RESULTS
Later age at menarche was associated with a lower risk of lifetime self-harm at age 16 years (OR per-year increase in age at menarche 0.87; 95% CI 0.80-0.95). Compared with normative timing, early menarche (<11.5 years) was associated with an increased risk of self-harm (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.04-1.64) and later menarche (>13.8 years) with a reduced risk (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.58-0.93). The pattern of association was similar at age 21 years (OR per-year increase in age at menarche 0.92, 95% CI 0.85-1.00). There was no strong evidence for a difference in associations with suicidal v. non-suicidal self-harm.
CONCLUSIONS
Risk of self-harm is higher in females with early menarche onset. Future research is needed to establish whether this association is causal and to identify potential mechanisms.
Topics: Adolescent; England; Female; Humans; Logistic Models; Longitudinal Studies; Menarche; Risk Factors; Self Report; Self-Injurious Behavior; Suicidal Ideation; Young Adult
PubMed: 31456538
DOI: 10.1017/S0033291719002095 -
JAMA Network Open May 2024Early menarche is associated with adverse health outcomes. Trends toward earlier menarche have been observed in the US, but data remain limited on differences by...
IMPORTANCE
Early menarche is associated with adverse health outcomes. Trends toward earlier menarche have been observed in the US, but data remain limited on differences by sociodemographic factors and body mass index (BMI). Time from menarche to cycle regularity is another understudied early-life characteristic with health implications.
OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the temporal trends and disparities in menarche and time to regularity and explore early-life BMI as a mediator.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
This ongoing cohort study enrolled participants from an ongoing mobile application-based US cohort from November 14, 2019, to March 20, 2023.
EXPOSURES
Birth year (categorized as 1950-1969, 1970-1979, 1980-1989, 1990-1999, and 2000-2005).
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
Main outcomes were age at menarche and time to regularity, which were self-recalled at enrollment. In addition, early (aged <11 years), very early (aged <9 years), and late (aged ≥16 years) age at menarche was assessed.
RESULTS
Among the 71 341 female individuals who were analyzed (mean [SD] age at menarche, 12.2 [1.6] years; 2228 [3.1%] Asian, 3665 [5.1%] non-Hispanic Black, 4918 [6.9%] Hispanic, 49 518 [69.4%] non-Hispanic White, and 8461 [11.9%] other or multiple races or ethnicities), 5223 were born in 1950 to 1969, 12 226 in 1970 to 1979, 22 086 in 1980 to 1989, 23 894 in 1990 to 1999, and 7912 in 2000 to 2005. The mean (SD) age at menarche decreased from 12.5 (1.6) years in 1950 to 1969 to 11.9 (1.5) years in 2000 to 2005. The number of individuals experiencing early menarche increased from 449 (8.6%) to 1223 (15.5%), the number of individuals experiencing very early menarche increased from 31 (0.6%) to 110 (1.4%), and the number of individuals experiencing late menarche decreased from 286 (5.5%) to 137 (1.7%). For 61 932 participants with reported time to regularity, the number reaching regularity within 2 years decreased from 3463 (76.3%) to 4075 (56.0%), and the number not yet in regular cycles increased from 153 (3.4%) to 1375 (18.9%). The magnitude of the trend toward earlier menarche was greater among participants who self-identified as Asian, non-Hispanic Black, or other or multiple races (vs non-Hispanic White) (P = .003 for interaction) and among participants self-rated with low (vs high) socioeconomic status (P < .001 for interaction). Within a subset of 9865 participants with data on BMI at menarche, exploratory mediation analysis estimated that 46% (95% CI, 35%-61%) of the temporal trend in age at menarche was explained by BMI.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
In this cohort study of 71 341 individuals in the US, as birth year increased, mean age at menarche decreased and time to regularity increased. The trends were stronger among racial and ethnic minority groups and individuals of low self-rated socioeconomic status. These trends may contribute to the increase in adverse health outcomes and disparities in the US.
Topics: Humans; Menarche; Female; United States; Adolescent; Child; Body Mass Index; Cohort Studies; Adult; Menstrual Cycle; Age Factors; Young Adult; Time Factors
PubMed: 38809557
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.12854 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2018Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disorder of the brain and spinal cord in which focal lymphocytic infiltration leads to the damage of myelin... (Review)
Review
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disorder of the brain and spinal cord in which focal lymphocytic infiltration leads to the damage of myelin and axons. As a multi-factorial complex trait, both genetic background and environmental factors are involved in MS etiology. The disease is more prevalent among women, and an overall female-to-male sex ratio of around 3 is usually reported. The fact that the female preponderance is only apparent among patients with disease onset after age 12 points toward a role of puberty in MS. A key marker of female pubertal development is menarche, however, evidence from previous epidemiological investigations has been sparse and conflicting: although some studies have linked earlier age at menarche (AAM) to an increased risk of MS, others have found no association or an inverse association. Understanding the effect of AAM in MS could increase our knowledge to the disease etiology, as well as deliver meaningful implication to patients' care by aiding clinical diagnosis. Therefore, we reviewed all the currently available epidemiological studies conducted for AAM and in . We found evidence supporting a possible favorable role of late AAM on MS risk, but this should be further confirmed by well-designed large-scale epidemiological studies and meta-analysis. Future work may be focused on Mendelian randomization analysis incorporating genetic markers to provide additional evidence of a putative causal relationship between AAM and MS. More work should be conducted for non-European populations to increase generalizability, and among the males to complementary with results from females. Future work may also be conducted focusing on hormonal reproductive factors other than menarche, and their effects in MS prognosis, severity, and drug response.
Topics: Age Factors; Animals; Epidemiologic Studies; Humans; Menarche; Meta-Analysis as Topic; Multiple Sclerosis; Risk
PubMed: 30483262
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02600 -
Women's Health (London, England) Mar 2009Ages at menarche and menopause have been shown to be associated with adverse health outcomes in later life. For example, earlier menarche and later menopause have been... (Review)
Review
Ages at menarche and menopause have been shown to be associated with adverse health outcomes in later life. For example, earlier menarche and later menopause have been independently linked to higher risk of breast cancer. Earlier menarche may also be associated with an increased risk of endometrial cancer, menstrual problems and adult obesity. Given the associations of ages at menarche and menopause with future health outcomes, it is important to establish what factors across life, and generations, may influence these. This article examines the associations of early life factors, namely birthweight, bodyweight and growth during childhood, childhood socioeconomic circumstances and psychosocial factors with ages at menarche and menopause. It examines possible explanations of the associations found, including life history theory, and discusses areas for future research.
Topics: Age Factors; Age of Onset; Birth Weight; Female; Humans; Life Change Events; Menarche; Menopause; Risk Factors; Stress, Psychological
PubMed: 19245355
DOI: 10.2217/17455057.5.2.175