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WESTPORT, CT (Reuters Health) – A history of physical or sexual abuse may affect a women's ovarian function, potentially leading to early onset of menopause, new research findings suggest.
Investigators say one reason their findings are worrisome is that menopause at a relatively young age may raise a woman's risk of heart disease.
Their study of 732 women, between 36 and 45 years old, linked past experiences of physical or sexual violence to women's hormone levels during their later reproductive years. Specifically, women who were abused as children or teens showed higher levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). And abuse at any point in life was linked with lower estrogen levels.
The researchers, led by Jenifer E. Allsworth of the Brown University School of Medicine in Providence, Rhode Island, report the findings in the November issue of Epidemiology.
According to Allsworth and colleagues, trauma has been shown to affect the body's complex hormonal system. The team hypothesized that abuse might disrupt the hormonal regulation of the ovaries, possibly affecting the onset of menopause.
The FSH and estrogen levels observed in this study lend credibility to that theory, the report indicates.
Among the women surveyed, 59% reported "some experience or fear of abuse" in their lives. Abusive experiences included sexual assault and being physically harmed "more than a few times."
Overall, women who reported some abuse during childhood or adolescence showed higher FSH levels, but this was not true of women whose first abusive experience occurred in adulthood.
For women younger than 40, only abuse during adulthood was related to lower estrogen levels, while for those in their 40s, abuse at any point was linked to decreased estrogen.
These findings suggest women with histories of abuse might be more likely than other women to go through early menopause, the researchers explain. "Our results support the idea that physical and sexual violence may potentially contribute to early onset of menopause, which may lead to increased risk of cardiovascular disease after menopause," Allsworth and colleagues conclude.
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