Abstract MP31: Early Age At Menopause And The Association With Incident Heart Failure In The Southern Community Cohort Study

Abstract

Introduction: Reproductive factors might have an effect on the development of heart failure (HF). Early age at menopause has been linked with increased risk of cardiovascular disease; however, there is limited evidence on the relationship between early menopause and HF. Hypothesis: We assessed the hypothesis that earlier age at menopause is associated with increased risk of incident HF among women in the southeastern United States. Methods: The Southern Community Cohort Study enrolled ~86,000 low-income black and white adults in 12 southeastern states (2002-2009). Participants for this analysis were 11,948 women who were postmenopausal at enrollment, had no history of HF, and were using Centers for Medicare or Medicaid Services (CMS). HF events were ascertained using International Classification of Diseases , Ninth Revision, codes 428.x via linkage of the cohort with CMS Research Identifiable Files through December 31, 2016. Early menopause was defined as self-reported age at menopause less than 45 years. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed from multivariable Cox regression models, overall and by race, adjusting for demographic, lifestyle, and reproductive factors, including reason for menopause. Results: At baseline, median age was 58 years and 65% of participants were black. Among women with early menopause, 76% (n=4,836) had menopause due to hysterectomy or oophorectomy. In women with later menopause, 74% (n=4,102) reported natural menopause. During a median follow-up of 9.5 years (interquartile range 6.0-11.8), 3,808 incident HF events occurred. Compared to women with later onset of menopause, those with early menopause had increased HF risk (HR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.04-1.23). Risk of HF associated with early menopause differed between white and black women (p-value for interaction: 0.02). In stratified analyses, white women with early menopause had an increased risk of HF compared to those with later onset of menopause (HR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.11-1.43), although there was no association between early age at menopause and risk of HF in black women (HR: 1.07, 95% CI: 0.98-1.18). Conclusions: In conclusion, in this largely low-income population, early menopause is associated with an increased risk of developing HF and associations differ by race. Women with early menopause represent a potential target population for future interventions aimed to decrease risk of HF and cardiovascular risk factors.