Type II diabetes mellitus and menopause: a multinational study.

BACKGROUND: Type II diabetes mellitus causes metabolic changes that may lead to early menopause and worsen climacteric symptoms.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the risk factors for type II diabetes mellitus and assess the impact of this disease on the age of menopause and on climacteric symptoms.

METHODS: A total of 6079 women aged between 40 and 59 years from 11 Latin American countries were requested to answer the Menopause Rating Scale and Goldberg Anxiety-Depression Scale.

RESULTS: The prevalence of diabetes was 6.7%. Diabetes mellitus was associated with arterial hypertension (odds ratio (OR) 4.49; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.47-5.31), the use of psychotropic drugs (OR 1.54; 95% CI 1.22-1.94), hormonal therapy (OR 1.46; 95% CI 1.11-1.92), ≥ 50 years of age (OR 1.48; 95% CI 1.17-1.86), overweight or obese (OR 1.47; 95% CI 1.15-1.89), and waist circumference ≥ 88 cm (OR 1.32; 95% CI 1.06-1.65). Factors associated with lower risk of diabetes were the use of hormonal contraceptives (OR 0.55; 95% CI 0.35-0.87), alcohol (OR 0.73; 95% CI 0.54-0.98) and living in cities > 2500 meters above sea level (OR 0.70; 95% CI 0.53-0.91) or with high temperatures (OR 0.67; 95% CI 0.51-0.88). In turn, diabetes tripled the risk of menopause in women under 45 years of age. Diabetes did not increase the risk of deterioration of quality of life due to climacteric symptoms.

CONCLUSION: Menopause does not increase the risk of type II diabetes mellitus. Diabetes is associated with early menopause in women under 45 years of age.