Is diabetes associated with an earlier menopause?

This study examined whether diabetes is associated with an earlier menopause.

Menopause is a slow decline in the function of the ovaries and generally occurs in women between the age of 40 and 60. Certain factors such as smoking are known to be linked to an earlier menopause. It is believed that diabetes might have an impact on reproductive health and accelerate the onset of menopause. 

This study aimed to compare whether diabetic women had an earlier menopause in comparison to non-diabetic women. This study involved 258,898 women, 2.3% of whom were diagnosed with diabetes. Participants completed a questionnaire to determine age, diabetes diagnosis and menopause age. The menopause age was defined as the age at which the last menstrual cycle occurred and the average menopause was determined to be 52 years. 

There was no overall association between diabetes and the menopause age. However, women who had diabetes before the age of 20 had a 59% higher chance of having an earlier menopause in comparison to non-diabetic women. Women who had diabetes after the age of 50 had a later menopause. Additional factors such as lifestyle and dietary factors were not known to influence results.

This study concluded that early-onset diabetes may be associated with an earlier menopause. 

The assessment of diabetes, menopause age, lifestyle and diet were based on patient self-reporting so it is possible the some results may have been under-reported. The menopause age for diabetic women who hadn’t survived prior to the beginning of the study was not available. There was no distinction between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes so it is not known whether one form of diabetes may have a greater association with earlier menopause.