Mothers and daughters menopausal ages: is there a link?
OBJECTIVE
To confirm whether there is a familial association in menopausal age between mothers and daughters.


METHODS
questionnaire survey of women attending an osteoporosis screening programme.


METHODS
551 women who fulfilled the study inclusion criteria out of a random population sample of 2399 women aged between 45 to 54 living within 32 km of Aberdeen who were selected from the community health index.


RESULTS
1758 women attended screening and completed the questionnaire. Of these only 1081 women were eligible being neither hormone replacement therapy users, nor had they had a hysterectomy. However, only 551 (51%) knew their mothers menopausal age. Women with premature (< 40 years) and early menopause (< 45 years) reported significantly lower maternal menopausal ages than women with normal menopausal ages (43.81, 45.40 and 48.38 for premature, early and normal women respectively p < 0.0001). The odds of a woman having an early or premature menopause if their mother had experienced an early menopause was 6.02 (95% confidence interval 3.39 to 10.66).


CONCLUSIONS
There seems to be a strong relationship between mothers and daughters menopausal age.
Torgerson
D J
DJ
National Primary Care Research and Development Centre (NPCRDC), University of York, Heslington, UK.
Thomas
R E
RE
Reid
D M
DM
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D008593:Menopause / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires