title: Association of menopause age and N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Menopause age can affect the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations of early menopause (menopause occurring before age 45 y) and menopause age with N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), a potential risk marker of CVD and heart failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our cross-sectional study included 2,275 postmenopausal women, aged 45 to 85 years and without clinical CVD (2000-2002), from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Participants were classified as having or not having early menopause. NT-proBNP was log-transformed. Multivariable linear regression was used for analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five hundred sixty-one women had early menopause. The median (25th-75th percentiles) NT-proBNP value was 79.0 (41.1-151.6) pg/mL for all participants, 83.4 (41.4-164.9) pg/mL for women with early menopause, and 78.0 (40.8-148.3) pg/mL for women without early menopause. The mean (SD) age was 65 (10.1) and 65 (8.9) years for women with and without early menopause, respectively. No significant interactions between menopause age and ethnicity were observed. In multivariable analysis, early menopause was associated with a 10.7% increase in NT-proBNP levels, whereas each 1-year increase in menopause age was associated with a 0.7% decrease in NT-proBNP levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early menopause is associated with greater NT-proBNP levels, whereas each 1-year increase in menopause age is associated with lower NT-proBNP levels, in postmenopausal women.
authors.affiliation: From the 1Loma Linda University Medical Center Transplantation Institute, Loma Linda, CA; 2Division of Cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA; 3Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO; 4National Institutes of Health/Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD; 5Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA; and 6Departments of Medicine and Epidemiology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC.
authors.forename: Imo A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Ebong
authors.forename: Karol E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Goff
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bluemke
authors.forename: Preethi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Srikanthan
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Horwich
authors.forename: Alain G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Bertoni
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001213:Asian; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D044383:Black People; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008593:Menopause / Q000097:blood* / Q000208:ethnology; D008594:Menopause, Premature / Q000097:blood* / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain