Smoking and its Effects on Menopause

Why
are more and more women reaching menopause at a 'premature age'? Does
cigarette smoking affect the age at natural menopause? Latest studies on
'smoking and its effects on menopause' throw light on certain important
facts. Read this article to know the relation between both of them.

A
woman goes through several phases during her lifetime. Menstruation
starts as the woman attains puberty, normally at the age of 12-15 years.
Cessation of menstruation is known as menopause. Life after the last
menstrual period when the ovaries stop functioning and the woman loses
her fertility is quite challenging as the body undergoes several
hormonal changes. A woman is said to have entered into the phase of
menopause if she has not experienced periods for twelve consecutive
months. In the U.S., the average age of menopause is 51 years but it may
vary according to the region (northern, southern) where the woman
lives, overall health, diet, race and lifestyle of the woman, genetic
factors and the biological clock that regulates the bodily functions,
etc. Take a look at the following section to explore the relationship
between smoking and the onset of early menopause.

Smoking and Menopause: How are they Linked

A
woman does not reach menopause suddenly. Several changes, especially
hormonal changes take place within her body and the menstrual cycle
slows down gradually. The body of a woman in perimenopausal stage and
premenopausal stage exhibits several symptoms like irregular menstrual
cycle, hot flashes, night sweats, high heart rate, increased
irritability, loss of libido, insomnia, etc. Studies show that the
percentage of women experiencing menopause at 'premature age' has
significantly increased over the last few years. Hysterectomy (surgical
removal of the uterus and ovaries), obesity, genetic factors, certain
illnesses and treatments like chemotherapy and radiation, bad habits
like smoking, drug/alcohol abuse can be the reason behind an early
menopause. A number of researchers are busy studying smoking and its
effects on menopause.

According to the study reports presented by
the researchers of the Massachusetts General Hospital, the specific
gene 'Bax' and the genetic receptor 'Ahr' trigger the onset of menopause
when activated; and the chemicals that the body receives through
smoking activate these genetic factors that destroy the ovarian cells.
Thus, smoking affects the average menopause age.

Smoking and its
effects on menopause may vary from woman to woman depending upon whether
the woman belongs to the class of ex-smokers or current smokers and the
number of cigarettes smoked per day. Smoking affects the health of the
arteries which in turn can affect the blood supply to the ovaries and
can trigger an early menopause. Several study reports show that smokers
have a higher risk of reaching menopause at an earlier age than
non-smokers. Smokers show higher rate of infertility than non-smokers as
smoking is responsible for the toxic effects on ovaries. Smoking speeds
up the rates of follicular atresia. Several studies have thrown light
on the fact that, more the number of cigarettes smoked, higher is the
rate of inception of perimenopause.

According to the study
reports presented by the 'International Journal of Epidemiology', early
menopause increases the risk of osteoporosis and heart diseases. As
ovaries stop functioning, the woman loses estrogen that helps control
bone loss. Once the woman attains menopause, bones become weak and
porous. Loss of bone density increases the risk of fractures. Hormonal
changes lead to weight gain after menopause which in turn results in
increased blood pressure and increased risk of heart diseases.

As
smokers reach menopause earlier, they need hormone replacement therapy
(HRT) earlier. Studies show that the severity of the peri- and
premenopausal symptoms is higher in smokers than in non-smokers. Smokers
may have to face certain side effects of HRT as they opt for it earlier
than non-smokers. Since smoking is linked to earlier menopause,
quitting smoking as early as possible is the only way of preventing
health complications after early menopause.

Effects of Smoking on Menopause

Certain
studies were conducted by the Institute of General Practice and
Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway and
by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo. The reports say that:

Women who smoke are more likely to enter into the phase of menopause before the age of 45 years.
Women who smoke have an increased risk of osteoporosis and heart diseases as they reach menopause at an earlier age.
Passive exposure to smoke does not affect the age of menopause.
The risk of reaching menopause at an earlier age is almost doubled in case of women who smoke too much.
Women who stop smoking 10 years before menopause are less likely to reach menopause before the age of 45 years.
Women who start smoking later in life are also likely to reach menopause earlier than non-smokers.
The average age of menopause is not affected much, if women quit
smoking 10-15 years before menopause. If a woman stops smoking earlier
in life, the risk of early menopause is reduced to a great extent.

Dr. Thea F. Mikkelsen and her colleagues at the University of Oslo
studied a group of 2,123 women belonging to the age group 59 to 60
years. They found that women who currently smoked were 59% more likely
to reach menopause earlier than the non-smoking women.

Various
studies have shown that smokers are likely to hit menopause between the
age 43-50 years. Hence, women should not underestimate the connection
between smoking and menopause.

Volodymyr Dvornyk, from the
University of Hong Kong has also presented his study reports which
confirm the fact that women who smoke reach menopause at an earlier age
than non-smokers. Hitting menopause earlier results in several health
problems like diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, obesity, Alzheimer's
disease, heart diseases, and others.

A few years before, it was
not possible for doctors to determine at what age a woman would reach
menopause. But, according to new researches, doctors can now predict
approximately when a woman would have her last menstrual period, by
keeping a record of the declining levels of anti-müllerian hormone (AMH)
secreted by the ovaries.

According to the North American
Menopause Society, after menopause, most women experience high levels of
self-confidence and energy than they used to have when they were young.
They feel more empowered, more focused and more involved, than ever
before. But for women who smoke, menopause can be an awful and turbulent
process. Remember, it's never too late, you can quit smoking and can
definitely stay away from the ill effects of early menopause