Menopause and risk of non-fatal acute myocardial infarction: an Italian case-control study and a review of the literature.
The relationship between menopause and non-fatal acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was considered by analysing data from a case-control study conducted in Italy between 1983 and 1992. Cases were 429 women, below age 75 years, with a first episode of non-fatal AMI, admitted to 30 coronary care units; controls were 863 women admitted to the same network of hospitals for acute diseases other than cardiovascular, neoplastic, or hormone-related. Postmenopausal women were not at higher risk of AMI than pre/perimenopausal women, after adjustment for age and other selected covariates [multivariate odds ratio (OR) 0.99]. With reference to age at menopause, compared with women reporting menopause when <45 years, the multivariate OR were 1.54 for those aged 45-49 at menopause, 1.36 for those aged 50-52 years, and 0.97 for those aged >/=53, in the absence of any trend in risk. No meaningful relationship emerged with time since menopause (OR 0.85 for <10 years since menopause). The results were similar in women aged <60 and >/=60 years at AMI. Although the present study does not support a substantial relationship between menopause and non-fatal AMI, the overall epidemiological evidence is compatible with a moderate association.
Fioretti
F
F
Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche 'Mario Negri', Via Eritrea 62, 20157 Milan, Italy.
Tavani
A
A
Gallus
S
S
Franceschi
S
S
La Vecchia
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking