Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Early menopause increases health risks after 60: study

Women who undergo premature menopause are almost three times more likely to develop multiple, chronic medical problems in their sixties than women who make the transition at 50 or 51, researchers reported Monday.

In high-income countries, a third of a woman’s life unfolds after the menopause.


Earlier research showed that premature menopause at 40 or younger is linked later in life to single medical problems such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

But the new study, published in Human Reproduction, is the first to examine links between the timing of natural menopause and the onset of multiple medical conditions, known as multimorbidity, the authors said.

The data were drawn from more than 5,100 women enrolled in an Australian national health survey.

The women reported at three-year intervals from 1996 to 2016 on whether they had been diagnosed with any of 11 health problems, including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, osteoporosis, asthma, depression, anxiety or breast cancer.

Multimorbidity was defined as having two or more of these conditions at the same time.

The women were considered to have entered natural menopause after 12 months without monthly periods.

During the 20-year follow-up, more than half of the 2.3 percent of women who experienced premature menopause also developed multimorbidity.

Compared with women who experienced menopause at the age of 50-51 years, they were twice as likely to develop multimorbidity by the age of 60, and three times more likely to experience it after 60.

"Forty-five percent of women with premature menopause had developed multimorbidity in their 60s compared with 40 percent of women who experienced menopause at the age of 50-51," said co-author Xiaolin Xu, a research professor at China's Zhejiang University.

The study does not show that premature menopause causes the development of multimorbidity, only that there is a strong correlation, the authors noted.

"Our findings indicate that multimorbidity is common in mid-aged and early-elderly women," said senior author Gita Mishra, director of the Centre for Longitudinal and Life Course Research at the University of Queensland, Brisbane.

"Premature menopause is associated with an increased risk of developing multimorbidity, even after adjusting for previous chronic conditions."

Number of children, level of education, body mass index, tobacco consumption, and physical activity were also taken into account.

Health professionals should consider providing comprehensive screening and assessment of risk factors when treating women who experience natural premature menopause, the authors recommended.

(AFP)

More For You

Lack of funding deters NI pharmacy contractors from expanding portfolio

W G Hamilton Pharmacy is the third pharmacy in Northern Ireland to be recently sold to first-time buyers.

Pharmacy ownership trends shift in Northern Ireland due to funding gap

An increasing number of pharmacies in Northern Ireland are being acquired by first-time buyers, as existing contractors and groups pull back from expanding their portfolios amid ongoing funding pressures, according to specialist business property adviser Christie & Co.

Among the most recent sales is W G Hamilton Pharmacy, a busy community pharmacy in Ballysillan, North Belfast.

Keep ReadingShow less
RPS backs Pharmacist Support "Gift in Wills" initiative

The ‘Gift in Wills’ initiative is delivered in partnership with Bequeathed.

Photo credit: gettyimages

Leave a legacy: RPS partners with Pharmacist Support to promote ‘Gift in Wills’

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has announced its support for the ‘Gift in Wills’ initiative run by Pharmacist Support, coinciding with the charity’s birthday celebrations today (Tuesday 15 April).

This collaboration allows RPS members to create a free will while also helping to safeguard the future of vital support services for the pharmacy profession.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pharmacist Support calls for birthday donations to meet rising demand for mental health services

More and more pharmacy professionals are reaching out for help, said Danielle Hunt.

Pharmacist Support's birthday appeal: Donate to address growing mental health demand

Pharmacist Support – the independent charity dedicated to the pharmacy profession – is celebrating 184 years of service with the launch of a special birthday donations appeal.

On 15 April, the charity is urging individuals and organisations across the sector to support its campaign to raise vital funds to meet the increasing demand for its mental health and wellbeing services.

Keep ReadingShow less
Prostate cancer: At-home saliva test could save NHS £500 million annually

PRS saliva test can identify prostate cancer that was missed by an MRI scan

Photo credit: gettyimages

Prostate cancer: Spit test better than blood test in spotting men at highest risk

A simple at-home spit test could help detect prostate cancer earlier, saving the NHS around £500 million a year, according to new research published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the study found that the DNA-based saliva test was more accurate than the current prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test in identifying men at risk of developing prostate cancer.

Keep ReadingShow less
RPS launches innovative new learning resources for members

With RPS Learn, pharmacists can develop a new skill or improve their understanding of practice or a clinical topic.

Gettyimages

RPS launches new learning resources to boost career development for members

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has launched a new online learning platform designed to support the practice, development and career advancement of its members.

The new platform, called RPS Learn, offers a diverse range of bite-size learning content, available on-demand, catering to all levels — from introductory to advanced and specialist —combining new content with RPS's renowned expertise in education and training to achieve excellence for learners.

Keep ReadingShow less