Women who become diabetic at young age likely to begin menopause early, study shows

Women who become diabetic at a young age are likely to enter the menopause early, a new study has found.

Scientists from the University of Toronto followed more than 11,000 women to understand the long-term implications of pre-menopause diabetes on women’s reproductive health.

They found that the earlier a woman becomes diabetic, the earlier she will likely enter menopause.

Researchers found that an early age diagnosis of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes was associated with women developing menopause early. Those with an early diabetes diagnosis were more likely to develop menopause earlier than women who did not have diabetes, the study authors said.

On top of this, women who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes later in life were more likely to have a later age of natural menopause compared to women who did not have diabetes.

“This research adds to the growing evidence relative to the collective toll diabetes takes on the human body. In this case, it shows that young women living with a diagnosis of diabetes are more susceptible to accelerated ovarian aging and early menopause,” Dr Stephanie Faubion, medical director at the North American Menopause Society, said.

Dr Vrati Mehra, the lead author of the study from the University of Toronto, said: “We hope our work lays the foundation for more research in this area so we can better understand and prevent the long-term impacts of diabetes on the human body and the reproductive system.”

It comes as MPs call on the government to invite all women aged 45 for an NHS health check so that doctors can talk to them about the menopause.

The cross-party All-Party Parliamentary Group on Menopause (APPG) said far more needs to be done to help women and offer advice, including making HRT prescriptions free on the NHS.

In a new report, the MPs said: “The NHS must implement a health check for all women at the age of 45, offered in a similar way to cervical cancer smears when all women are invited to make an appointment.

“This is crucial to ensure women are engaged with the health system ahead of or in the early stages of perimenopause, help diagnose menopause at an earlier stage and ensure women are better prepared, and have the right information and treatment they need to manage the menopause transition.”