title: Age at natural menopause among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to estimate the age at natural menopause in women with SLE.
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand and thirty-nine consecutive SLE patients <60 years of age were surveyed. Demographic and clinical data were queried by a single investigator. SLE characteristics and co-morbidities were retrieved from their medical records. Natural menopause was defined as amenorrhoea ≥12 months in the absence of previous hysterectomy, CYC exposure and severe chronic kidney disease (SCKD). Pregnant women and those with menses during the 12 months prior to interview were considered premenopausal. Median age at menopause was estimated by both logit and survival analyses. In addition, mean age at menopause was calculated for patients aged ≥40 years. Factors associated with age at natural menopause were assessed by Cox regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 961 SLE women were analysed. At interview, most patients (81.6%) were premenopausal, 7.9% had natural menopause, 6.3% were postmenopausal previously exposed to CYC, 4.1% had undergone hysterectomy before menopause and 0.1% presented with SCKD and amenorrhoea. The mean age at interview was 35.2 years (s.d. 10.1), the mean age at SLE diagnosis was 26.9 years (s.d. 8.6) and the mean duration of disease was 8.2 years (s.d. 7.1). The mean recalled age at menopause was 46.4 years (s.d. 4.7). Median age at menopause estimated by logit and survival analyses were 50.7 and 50.8 years, respectively. Only the age at SLE diagnosis was associated with age at natural menopause.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Median age at natural menopause in women with lupus is 50 years. This is consistent with the age at menopause reported in the general population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital/University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland and Department of Reproductive Biology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Deshiré
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alpízar-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital/University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland and Department of Reproductive Biology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Juanita
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Romero-Díaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital/University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland and Department of Reproductive Biology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico. Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital/University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland and Department of Reproductive Biology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Guerrero
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital/University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland and Department of Reproductive Biology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Armando H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Seuc
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital/University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland and Department of Reproductive Biology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico. mcravioto@prodigy.net.mx.
authors.forename: María del Carmen
authors.initials: Mdel C
authors.lastname: Cravioto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008593:Menopause; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D016387:Women's Health
keywords: age at menopause; risk factors; systemic lupus erythematosus; women’s health