A 1-year delay in age at menarche was associated with a 4.5% lower total mortality (95% CI 2.3-6.7), as well as lower mortality from ischaemic heart disease and stroke.
Cohort (n=19,462)
Effect estimate: 4.5% lower (95% CI 2.3-6.7)
p-value: p=<0.001
BACKGROUND: Little is known about the relationship between age at menarche and total mortality and mortality from ischaemic heart disease and stroke. METHODS: A cohort study of 19 462 Californian Seventh-Day Adventist women followed-up from 1976 to 1988. A total of 3313 deaths occurred during follow-up, of which 809 were due to ischaemic heart disease and 378 due to stroke. RESULTS: An early menarche was associated with increased total mortality (P-value for linear trend <0.001), ischaemic heart disease (P-value for linear trend = 0.01) and stroke (P-value for linear trend = 0.02) mortality. There were, however, also some indications of an increased ischaemic heart disease mortality in women aged 16-18 at menarche (5% of the women). When assessed as a linear relationship, a 1-year delay in menarche was associated with 4.5% (95% CI 2.3-6.7) lower total mortality. The association was stronger for ischaemic heart disease 6.0% (95% CI 1.2-10.6) and stroke 8.6% (95% CI 1.6-15.1) mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that there is a linear, inverse relationship between age at menarche and total mortality as well as with ischaemic heart disease and stroke mortality.
Jacobsen et al. (Sun,) reported a cohort. Age at menarche was evaluated on Total mortality (4.5% lower, 95% CI 2.3-6.7, p=<0.001). A 1-year delay in age at menarche was associated with a 4.5% lower total mortality (95% CI 2.3-6.7), as well as lower mortality from ischaemic heart disease and stroke.