Lung function, respiratory symptoms, and the menopausal transition.
BACKGROUND
There is limited information on potential changes in respiratory health when women enter the menopausal transition.


OBJECTIVE
We sought to investigate whether the menopausal transition is related to lung function and asthma and whether body mass index (BMI) modifies associations.


METHODS
Four thousand two hundred fifty-nine women from 21 centers (ECRHS II, 2002) responded to a questionnaire concerning women's health. Women aged 45 to 56 years not using exogenous sex hormones (n = 1274) were included in the present analysis. Lung function measurements (n = 1120) and serum markers of hormonal status (follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and estradiol; n = 710) were available. Logistic and linear regression analyses were adjusted for BMI, age, years of education, smoking status, center, and height.


RESULTS
Women not menstruating for the last 6 months (n = 432, 34%) had significantly lower FEV(1) values (-120 mL [95% CI, -177 to -63]), lower forced vital capacity values (-115 mL [95% CI, -181 to -50]), and more respiratory symptoms (odds ratio [OR], 1.82 [95% CI, 1.27-2.61]) than those menstruating regularly. Results were similar when restricting analyses to those who never smoked. Associations were significantly stronger in women with BMIs of less than 23 kg/m(2) (respiratory symptoms: OR, 4.07 [95% CI, 1.88-8.80]; FEV(1) adjusted difference: -166 [95% CI, -263 to -70]) than in women with BMIs of 23 to 28 kg/m(2) (respiratory symptoms: OR, 1.10 [95% CI, 0.61-1.97], P(interaction): .04; FEV(1) adjusted difference, -54 [95% CI, -151 to 43], P(interaction) = .06).


CONCLUSIONS
Menopause is associated with lower lung function and more respiratory symptoms, especially among lean women.
Real
Francisco Gómez
FG
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway. francisco.real@med.uib.no
Svanes
Cecilie
C
Omenaas
Ernst Reidar
ER
Antò
Josep Maria
JM
Plana
Estel
E
Jarvis
Deborah
D
Janson
Christer
C
Neukirch
Françoise
F
Zemp
Elisabeth
E
Dratva
Julia
J
Wjst
Matthias
M
Svanes
Knut
K
Leynaert
Bénédicte
B
Sunyer
Jordi
J
D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012143:Respiratory Physiological Phenomena; D014797:Vital Capacity; D016387:Women's Health