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Early menarche increases gestational diabetes risk
Women who experienced their first menstrual period at age 11 years or younger are at greater risk for gestational diabetes compared with women who experienced menarche at age 13 years, study data show.
“Clinicians and health care professionals who provide advice and treatment to women — before and during pregnancy — should be aware of the importance of early age at first period as a potential maker for gestational diabetes risk,” Danielle A.J.M. Schoenaker, MSc, of the Centre for Longitudinal and Life Course Research, School of Public Health, University of Queensland in Australia, told Endocrine Today. “Early monitoring and advice on healthy diet, physical activity and weight may help women to lower this risk.”
Schoenaker and Gita D. Mishra, PhD, also of the Centre for Longitudinal and Life Course Research, School of Public Health, University of Queensland in Australia, evaluated data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health collected between 2000 and 2012 on 4,749 women (mean age, 25 years) with at least one live birth through 12 years of follow-up to determine the association between age at menarche and risk for gestational diabetes.
Overall, 7.5% of participants reported a first diagnosis of gestational diabetes during the 12 years of the study. Mean age at menarche was 12.9 years.
The risk for developing gestational diabetes was significantly higher in participants with early menarche (11 years) compared with those with an age at menarche of 13 years (RR = 1.68; 95% CI, 1.23-2.3). Participants with early menarche had a 51% higher risk for gestational diabetes compared with those with later menarche, and each year of earlier menarche increased the risk for developing gestational diabetes by 10%, after adjustment for all relevant gestational diabetes risk factors.
“Girls who have their first period, or menarche, before the age of 12 are at higher risk of developing gestational diabetes than girls who had menarche at the average age of 12 to 13 years. We encourage ongoing, close monitoring or women with early age at first period as it could be a biological marker for poorer reproductive and health outcomes across life,” Schoenaker said. “Further studies are needed to determine if the age at first period is independently associated with gestational diabetes and other health outcomes, and if so, how the timing of first period can be modified in young girls.” – by Amber Cox
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Danielle A.J.M. Schoenaker, MSc, can be reached at Danielle.schoenaker@uq.net.au.
Disclosure: Mishra and Schoenaker report no relevant financial disclosures.