Respiratory symptoms, pulmonary function, and reproductive history: Isparta Menopause and Health Study.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to investigate the influence of reproductive factors on chronic respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function in a cross-sectional study of premenopausal and postmenopausal women 44-61 years of age.


METHODS
Self-reported data on respiratory symptoms were obtained from 1082 women. Usable forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1)) (2.27 +/- 0.44 L) and forced vital capacity (FVC) (2.75 +/- 0.55 L) measurements were obtained from 1070 women. The influence of reproductive factors on FEV(1), FVC, and chronic respiratory symptoms was assessed by linear and logistic regression analyses.


RESULTS
Menopause is associated with lower FEV(1) (p < 0.0001, r = -0.181) and FVC (p < 0.0001, r = -0.198) only in univariate analysis. The association disappears when age is adjusted for. However, association of menopause with increased odds of chronic cough plus phlegm is significant in multivariate analysis (odds ratio [OR] 1.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-2.92, p = 0.0088). Among reproductive factors, only age at first birth is independently associated with FEV(1) (p = 0.01, r = 0.008) and FVC (p = 0.004, r = 0.013). Results were similar when restricting analyses to those who never smoked and after exclusion of asthmatics.


CONCLUSIONS
Postmenopausal status is independently associated with increased odds of chronic cough plus phlegm, whereas it does not appear to be independently associated with FEV(1) or FVC. Among the reproductive factors, age at first birth is the only independent predictor of FEV(1) and FVC. These findings suggest that reproductive factors may influence women's pulmonary health.
Songür
Necla
N
Department of Chest Disease, Süleyman Demirel University School of Medicine, Isparta, Turkey. nsongur@hotmail.com
Aydin
Zeynep D
ZD
Oztürk
Onder
O
Sahin
Unal
U
Khayri
Ulugbik
U
Bircan
Ahmet
A
Akkaya
Ahmet
A
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017584:Reproductive History; D012120:Respiration Disorders; D013147:Spirometry; D014421:Turkey; D014797:Vital Capacity