Repository logo
 

Events in Early Life are Associated with Female Reproductive Ageing: A UK Biobank Study.


Change log

Authors

Ruth, Katherine S 
Perry, John RB 
Henley, William E 
Melzer, David 
Weedon, Michael N 

Abstract

The available oocyte pool is determined before birth, with the majority of oocytes lost before puberty. We hypothesised that events occurring before birth, in childhood or in adolescence ('early-life risk factors') could influence the size of the oocyte pool and thus the timing of menopause. We included cross-sectional data from 273,474 women from the UK Biobank, recruited in 2006-2010 from across the UK. We analysed the association of early menopause with events occurring before adulthood in 11,781 cases (menopause aged under 45) and 173,641 controls (menopause/pre-menopausal at ≥ 45 years), in models controlling for potential confounding variables. Being part of a multiple birth was strongly associated with early menopause (odds ratio = 1.42, confidence interval: 1.11, 1.82, P = 8.0 × 10(-9), fully-adjusted model). Earlier age at menarche (odds ratio = 1.03, confidence interval: 1.01, 1.06, P = 2.5 × 10(-6)) and earlier year of birth were also associated with EM (odds ratio = 1.02, confidence interval: 1.00, 1.04, P = 8.0 × 10(-6)). We also confirmed previously reported associations with smoking, drinking alcohol, educational level and number of births. We identified an association between multiple births and early menopause, which connects events pre-birth, when the oocyte pool is formed, with reproductive ageing in later life.

Description

Keywords

Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Aging, Biological Specimen Banks, Child, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Menarche, Menopause, Middle Aged, Odds Ratio, Proportional Hazards Models, Quantitative Trait, Heritable, Reproduction, Risk Factors, Sexual Maturation, United Kingdom, Young Adult

Journal Title

Sci Rep

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2045-2322
2045-2322

Volume Title

6

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Sponsorship
Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12015/2)
Medical Research Council (MC_U106179472)
This research has been conducted using the UK Biobank Resource. This work was generously supported by a Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Award [WT097835MF to University of Exeter].