Early menopause and depression combine to raise mortality risk

In an observational study of 4,754 US postmenopausal women aged 40 and older, researchers examined how premature ovarian failure and depression associate with survival. Using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2005 to 2018 linked to mortality records through 2019, the team defined premature ovarian failure as a final menstrual period before age 40 and depression as a PHQ-9 score of 10 or greater. Compared with women with neither condition, premature ovarian failure alone was associated with higher all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 2.50, 95% CI: 1.72–3.64), and depression alone showed a similar association (aHR 1.64, 95% CI: 1.14–2.38). Women who experienced both conditions had the highest observed risk (aHR 5.04, 95% CI: 2.18–11.62). Exploratory analyses revealed a similar direction of risk for cardiovascular disease mortality.