High levels of tobacco exposure is
associated with the arrival of menopause one to two years earlier in
active and passive smokers than among lifetime non-smokers who had not
been exposed to passive smoking, the findings showed.
“This is one of the first studies of
this size and statistical power to investigate and quantify active and
passive smoking and women’s health issues. It strengthens the current
evidence that all women need to be protected from active and passive
tobacco smoke,” said Danielle Smith from Roswell Park Cancer Institute
in New York, and colleagues.
The toxins found in tobacco smoke are
known to have various deleterious effects on many aspects of
reproduction and to disrupt hormone production and activity, the study
explained.
The researchers based their findings on
information obtained on lifetime smoking habits, fertility problems, and
age at natural menopause provided by more than 93,000 women taking part
in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study (WHI OS).
All the women had gone through the
menopause, and were aged between 50 and 79 when they were recruited to
the study between 1993 and 1998.
Analysis of the data showed that tobacco exposure was associated with an increased risk of infertility and earlier menopause.
Compared with never smokers, current or
former smoking was associated with 14 percent greater risk of
infertility and a 26 percent heightened risk of menopause before the age
of 50.
For the highest levels of tobacco use,
the menopause arrived almost 22 months earlier for those who said they
had started smoking before their 15th birthday and 18 months earlier
among those who smoked at least 25 cigarettes a day.
The highest level of passive smoke
exposure was associated with the arrival of menopause 13 months earlier
than the lowest (zero) level.
The study was published online in the journal Tobacco Control.
Source : IndianMediaBook - Current Affairs
