Abstract
Evidence suggests that insulin deficiency and hyperglycemia may disrupt the normal function of the female reproductive system, leading to delayed menarche and premature ovarian aging. We compared the length of the reproductive period of women with T1D and women without diabetes. We assessed age at menarche and natural menopause in women with childhood-onset T1D (diagnosed in 1950-80) who participated in the Pittsburgh EDC study’s 2010-16 follow-up (where reproductive history was assessed) and nondiabetic participants from the Pittsburgh site of the SWAN study. Women who had not yet reached natural menopause, had a hysterectomy/oophorectomy before menopause or received sex hormone therapy during the menopausal transition were excluded from analyses. In EDC, covariate data were selected from the follow-up visit where chronological age was closest to the baseline age in SWAN. Reproductive history was self-reported. The Women’s Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation historical and hormonal algorithms were also used to assess menopause status. Women with T1D (n=105) were younger (42.8 vs. 46.0 yrs, p=.0003), more likely to be white (96.2% vs. 68.3%, p<.0001), never smokers (67.3% vs. 48.1%, p=.002), with lower BMI (25.2 vs. 26.5 kg/m2, p=.002) and higher HDL-C (61.0 vs. 53.0 mg/dl, p<.0001) compared with women without diabetes (n=341). Women with T1D were also older at menarche (13.3 vs. 12.6 yrs, p<.0001) but younger at natural menopause (50.1 vs. 51.9 yrs, p<.0001). Adjusting for age, race, smoking status, BMI, HDL, and number of pregnancies, T1D was associated with 3.3 (95% CI: 2.5-4.0) fewer reproductive years. The length of the reproductive period of women with T1D is shorter, having delayed menarche and earlier natural menopause, compared with women without diabetes. Factors that could be related to a shorter reproductive period in T1D should be investigated. Disclosure Y. Yi: None. S.R. El Khoudary: None. R.G. Miller: None. D. Rubinstein: None. K.A. Matthews: None. T.J. Orchard: None. T. Costacou: None. Funding National Institutes of Health (DK34818); Rossi Memorial Fund; National Institute on Aging; National Institute of Nursing Research; Office of Research on Women’s Health
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