Fertility and Sterility · Apr 2019

Effect of aging, menopause, and age at natural menopause on the trend in body mass index: a 15-year population-based cohort

By Montazeri SA, Ramezani Tehrani F, Bidhendi Yarandi R et al.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of menopause, age at natural menopause (ANM), and aging on the trend in body mass index (BMI). DESIGN: Prospective cohort with a 15-year follow-up of 929 women. Data obtained from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study. SETTING: Not applicable. INTERVENTION(S): none. PARTICIPANT(S): Of women participating in the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study, 929 who were reproductive during the study and menopaused at the last follow-up were included. Anthropometric data were measured repeatedly every 3 years, and the trend in BMI, associated with menopause and ANM, was tested using the generalized estimating equation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Body mass index in each follow-up session. RESULT(S): The adjusted model of the generalized estimating equation illustrates that BMI increases by age (β = 0.16) and menopausal status (β = 1.11). It also shows that women with higher ANM experienced a decreasing BMI (β = -0.03) compared with women with lower ANM. The interaction term of menopause and time (menopause × time) has a negative effect on BMI; that is, the usual increase in BMI after menopause is attenuated by time. (β = -0.4, 95% confidence interval -0.6, -0.3). CONCLUSION(S): Menopause and aging are independently correlated with increasing BMI. The trend in BMI, however, depends on the ANM of study participants: women with higher ANM than mean ANM of our population (i.e., 49 years) face a decreasing BMI compared with those with lower ANM.

doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2018.12.017Open accessPubMed 30929733Populations