Earlier age at menopause was associated with depression (P<0.0001), whereas hormone therapy showed no significant association (OR 0.58; 95% CI 0.23-1.4).
Cross-Sectional (n=7,027)
Yes
Is age at menopause or hormone therapy associated with depression in postmenopausal women older than 60 years?
Earlier age at menopause is associated with depression in older postmenopausal women, a relationship partially mediated by inflammation and insulin resistance, whereas hormone therapy shows no significant association.
p-value: p=<0.0001
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate depression in postmenopausal women and to explore the relationship between age at menopause, hormone therapy, and depression, while also identifying potential mediators that may explain these associations. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2005-2020) for women older than 60 years who completed the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) depression questionnaire (n=7,027). Exposures included age at menopause and self-reported hormone therapy; the outcome was depression severity (PHQ-9 ≥10). Covariates included sociodemographics, body mass index, medical conditions, and biomarkers (C-reactive protein, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance). Survey-weighted logistic regression, Bayesian modeling, and causal mediation analysis were used. Missing data were handled with multiple imputation and inverse probability weighting. Analyses were conducted with R software, with P <0.05 considered significant. RESULTS: In this NHANES sample of postmenopausal women older than 60 years, earlier age at menopause was associated with depression ( P <0.0001). Hormone therapy did not show a significant association with depression (OR=0.58, 95% CI: 0.23-1.4), while higher education levels were protective (college degree: OR=0.89, 95% CI: 0.85-0.92, P <0.001). C-reactive protein and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance partially accounts for the statistical association between menopause and depression ( P <0.0001). CONCLUSION: Age at menopause is inversely associated with depression in women older than 60 years. This relationship is statistically accounted for by the role of inflammation and insulin resistance. Self-reported hormone therapy is not associated with depression in postmenopausal women.
Riveros et al. (Tue,) conducted a cross-sectional in Depression (n=7,027). Earlier age at menopause vs. Later age at menopause was evaluated on Depression severity (PHQ-9 ≥10) (p=<0.0001). Earlier age at menopause was associated with depression (P<0.0001), whereas hormone therapy showed no significant association (OR 0.58; 95% CI 0.23-1.4).