Reproductive life span and diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome in the general US population

Aims The associations of a short reproductive life span (RLS) with diabetes and metabolic syndrome in menopausal women are not clearly understood. Therefore, we investigated whether a short RLS is associated with diabetes and metabolic syndrome using a representative population-based survey data in the US. Methods We evaluated the cross-sectional associations of RLS with diabetes and metabolic syndrome in menopausal women in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007 through 2018. We used weighted logistic regression using complex survey design to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of diabetes and metabolic syndrome by quartile groups of RLS. Results A total of 888 postmenopausal women with a mean age of 53.9 were included in the study. The mean age at menarche and menopause of the participants were 12.7 and 50.9 years, respectively. The mean RLS was 38.2 years and was categorized into quartiles (11–35, 36–39, 40–42 (reference group), and 43–50 years. Compared to the reference group, the OR for diabetes was 2.24 (95% CI, 1.02–4.94) in women in the 2nd quartile group and had never received hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after adjusting for age, demographics, behavioral factors, and age at menarche. Women in the 2nd quartile group were more likely to have metabolic syndrome irrespective of HRT (OR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.06–3.26). Conclusion Women with a relatively short RLS were more likely to have diabetes and metabolic syndrome. The findings suggest that estrogen deficiency may increase the likelihood of diabetes and metabolic syndrome, which are major cardiovascular risk factors. The findings need to be further evaluated in a longitudinal study.