An early or late menopause increases the risk of women developing type 2 diabetes, a study has found.
Researchers who analysed data on 124,000 women found that those whose fertility came to an end in their mid-40s or earlier were 25% more likely to become diabetic than women who reached the menopause between 46 and 55.
A menopause after the age of 55 increased the risk of diabetes by 12%.
In the UK, the average age at which a woman has her final menstrual period is 51.
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Dr Erin LeBlanc, from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in the US, said: “Our study suggests the optimal window for menopause and diabetes risk is between the ages of 45 and 55.
“Women who start menopause before or after that window should be aware that they are at higher risk and should be especially vigilant about reducing obesity, eating a healthy diet and exercising. These lifestyle changes will help to reduce their risk for type 2 diabetes.”
After menopause, levels of the hormone oestrogen decline and this has been linked to increased body fat and appetite, slower metabolism and higher blood sugar.
While previous research has associated early menopause with an increased risk of diabetes, the new findings are the first to show that the condition is also linked to later menopause.
The new study, reported in the journal Menopause, also found an association between the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and the length of a woman’s “lifetime reproductive cycle” – the time span between her first and last period.
Women with a lifetime reproductive cycle of less than 30 years were 37% more likely to develop diabetes than those with “medium length” cycles of 36 to 40 years, the study found.
Long reproductive cycles of more than 45 years were associated with a 23% increased risk of diabetes.
The study formed part of the Women’s Health Initiative, a large US investigation of postmenopausal women focusing on the prevention of heart disease, bone fractures, and breast and bowel cancer.
Increased type 2 diabetes risk linked to early or late menopause
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