Menopause and lead body burden among US women aged 45-55, NHANES 1999-2010.
BACKGROUND
Environmental factors in menopause have received limited attention. Lead is a known reproductive toxicant associated with delayed puberty in girls that may also affect menopause.


METHODS
The odds of menopause among US women aged 45-55 were estimated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2010, in relation to quartiles of blood lead. Women still menstruating (n=2158) were compared to women with natural menopause (n=1063). Logistic regression models included age, race/ethnicity, current hormone use, poverty, smoking and where available, bone density or bone alkaline phosphatase.


RESULTS
Lead levels (ug/dL) were higher in menopausal women, geometric mean (standard error)=1.71 (0.04) vs. 1.23 (0.02). Adjusted odds of menopause and 95% confidence intervals for lead quartiles (lowest quartile referent) were 1.7 (1.0-2.8), 2.1 (1.2-3.6), and 4.2 (2.5-7.0) respectively. Results adjusting for bone markers were generally similar but had less precision.


CONCLUSIONS
Blood lead was associated with natural menopause in US women even after adjustment for bone turnover. This raises concern that lead exposure, even at low levels, may shorten women's reproductive lifespan.
Epidemiology Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 6100 Executive Blvd, Rockville, MD 20852, USA. pauline.mendola@nih.gov
Pauline
P
Mendola
Kate
K
Brett
Jessica N
JN
Dibari
Anna Z
AZ
Pollack
Rashmi
R
Tandon
Edmond D
ED
Shenassa
D000328:Adult; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D001822:Body Burden; D015519:Bone Density; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity; D016015:Logistic Models; D008593:Menopause / Q000097:blood* / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D011203:Poverty; D012907:Smoking; D014481:United States
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007854:Lead; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase