Associations of the Age of Menarche and Menopause with Hypertension in Menopausal Women in North of Iran: A Cross-sectional Study
| Author | Arsalan Salari | en |
| Author | Zahra Ahmadnia | en |
| Author | Yasaman Borghei | en |
| Author | Elahe Rafiee | en |
| Author | Mahboobeh Gholipour | en |
| Author | Seyedeh Fatemeh Mirrazeghi | en |
| Author | Samaneh Karami | en |
| Orcid | Arsalan Salari [0000-0002-5821-6176] | en |
| Orcid | Zahra Ahmadnia [0000-0003-3636-639X] | en |
| Orcid | Elahe Rafiee [0000-0003-3220-3884] | en |
| Orcid | Mahboobeh Gholipour [0000-0001-9219-863X] | en |
| Issued Date | 2025-12-31 | en |
| Abstract | Background: A woman's age at menarche and her age at menopause are two important points in her reproductive life. Furthermore, hypertension (HTN) is one of the important causes of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and death and has been recognized as a public health problem worldwide. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of the age of menarche and menopause with HTN in menopausal women referred to Dr. Heshmat Hospital during 2020 - 2021 in Rasht. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1500 postmenopausal women. Participants were naturally menopausal and met the inclusion criteria, such as having no history of HTN prior to menopause and no surgeries affecting menopausal status. The sampling method was available. Blood sample and blood pressure (BP) data were analyzed. Measurements of BP using calibrated devices, and biochemical assays for blood samples analyzed according to standard protocols. The study acknowledges potential recall bias due to self-reported menarche and menopause ages, with standardized protocols applied to reduce measurement bias. Logistic regression analyses adjusted for relevant confounders [e.g., age, Body Mass Index (BMI), education, residence] were conducted to assess the relationships of interest. Data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows version 21.0 software. This study was supported in part by grant 99031008 from Guilan University of Medical Science. Results: A total of 1500 women with a mean age of 50.38 ± 3.76 years were included in the study. Most participants (80.7%) were married and living with their spouses. A notable portion (14.7%) were illiterate, while only 10.9% had education at the high school level or above. The average BMI indicated normal weight at 26.88 ± 2.35 kg/m². The mean ages at menarche and menopause were 11.15 ± 1.2 and 49.38 ± 3.76 years, respectively. The analyses revealed a very weak negative correlation between age at menarche and systolic BP (r = -0.094, P < 0.001); however, after adjustment for confounders, neither age at menarche nor age at menopause showed a significant association with systolic or diastolic BP. Notably, higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) was significantly associated with urban residence (OR = 2.50, 95% CI: 1.90 - 3.29), lower educational attainment (illiteracy OR = 2.11, diploma OR = 1.65), elevated LDL (OR = 1.02) and HDL cholesterol levels (OR = 1.01), and increased parity (OR = 1.32). Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was independently associated only with higher BMI (OR = 1.16). Oral contraceptive use did not significantly influence diastolic BP. This cross-sectional study is limited by its design preventing causal inference, potential recall bias in self-reported reproductive ages, and restricted generalizability due to the specific regional. Conclusions: These findings suggest that while reproductive timing (menarche and menopause ages) are not major determinants of BP among postmenopausal women, sociodemographic factors, lipid profiles, BMI, and parity contribute more substantially to BP variability in this population. | en |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.5812/intjcardiovascpract-164809 | en |
| Keyword | Menopause and Midlife Health | en |
| Keyword | Public Health | en |
| Keyword | Preventive Health Care | en |
| Publisher | Brieflands | en |
| Title | Associations of the Age of Menarche and Menopause with Hypertension in Menopausal Women in North of Iran: A Cross-sectional Study | en |
| Type | Research Article | en |
Files
Original bundle
1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
- Name:
- ijcp-10-2-164809-publish-pdf.pdf
- Size:
- 175.01 KB
- Format:
- Adobe Portable Document Format
- Description:
- Article/s PDF