Early menopause, hysterectomy, and biological aging: Health and Retirement Study.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Observational cohort analysis of cross-sectional biomarker and retrospective survey data
PubMed 40460368 · doi:10.1097/GME.0000000000002555
What was done
Data from women aged 56 and older in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) were analyzed. Regression models evaluated associations between reproductive history (normal-aged vs. early menopause, with and without hysterectomy) and markers of biological aging, specifically accelerated epigenetic aging clocks and biological age based on physiological dysregulation.
What was found
No numerical estimates, effect sizes, or p-values are reported in the abstract. Hysterectomy, whether following normal-aged or early menopause or occurring at younger ages, was significantly associated with accelerated biological aging. Early menopause and hysterectomy were both associated with accelerated epigenetic aging. Early menopause was associated with accelerated physiological dysregulation only when combined with hysterectomy.
Why it matters
This study differentiates cellular epigenetic aging from systemic physiological dysregulation in relation to reproductive history, suggesting surgical menopause has distinct cumulative systemic impacts compared to natural early menopause.
Limits
The abstract omits the exact sample size, effect sizes, and confidence intervals. The observational cross-sectional/retrospective design limits causal inference, and menopause/hysterectomy timing may be subject to recall bias.
Cited by
- supports Natural and surgical menopause are associated with accelerated epigenetic aging.