8 Risk Factors for an Early Menopause

Every woman must go through menopause at some stage in their life, but some, unfortunately, go through it a lot earlier than normal. Even if you haven’t started experiencing hot flashes yet, the following 8 risk factors could indicate that you’re in for “the change” earlier than expected.

1. You’ve Had Surgery on Your Uterus or Ovaries
Unsurprisingly, removing both ovaries causes immediate surgical menopause because they’re responsible for the release of hormones. However, the removal of just one ovary can result in a decrease in the total productions of estrogen and progesterone. When women have hysterectomies (removal of the uterus), their ovaries are often left in place to prevent menopause – but this is sometimes not enough to stave it off.

2. Your Mom Went Through Menopause Early
According to the National Institute of Aging, the average age of menopause is 51, but for some women, it can start in their forties or before. There are some genetic or inherited risk factors for early menopause. For example, one National Institute of Health study found a significant link between lower levels of ovarian reserve, as marked by the follicle-stimulating hormone, in women whose mothers went through early menopause. In fact, if your mother had early menopause, you’re six times more likely to have the same experience.

3. You Smoke or Live with Someone Who Smokes
If you’re a smoker, then you already know that it’s not good for you. Smoking can lead women to transition to menopause up to two years earlier than expected. This is because of the anti-estrogen effects of nicotine. Researchers from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York, found that women who have smoked more than 100 cigarettes in their lives had a 26% greater chance of going through menopause before the age of 50. Furthermore, the study also revealed that women who were exposed to the toxins of second-hand smoke on a regular basis also had a higher rate of early menopause.

4. You Had Problems Getting Pregnant
If you were diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) while going through infertility treatment, you, unfortunately, will more than likely experience early menopause. DOR means that your ovaries have fewer follicles left that will become eggs, so it will be harder to conceive and you’ll have a quicker road to menopause. If you’re still in the middle of family building, time is of the essence.

5. You Were Treated for Cancer
Early menopause can be a side effect of radiation or chemotherapy for cancer. Cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and pelvic radiation, often damage ovarian tissue, resulting in premature ovarian failure, thus causing menopause. According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, symptoms of menopause from cancer treatments can be worse than natural menopause because the decrease in hormones happens more quickly. Furthermore, if cancer treatments don’t cause menopause right away, the damage that has already been done will lead to menopause sooner than normal.

6. You Are Very Underweight
When it comes to early menopause, not weighing enough is a greater risk factor than being overweight. Estrogen is stored in fat tissue, so being overweight increases the likelihood of having a later onset of menopause since there’s more estrogen. Being thin means that there’s less fat, and thus less estrogen, and a higher likelihood of going through early menopause.

7. You Have an Autoimmune Condition
The very definition of autoimmune means that your body is attacking itself. Therefore, for women who suffer from conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or Addison’s disease, damage to their eggs by their own immune system is possible. Certain types of autoimmune diseases produce antibodies that might mistakenly attack ovarian tissue, resulting in premature ovarian failure. Some also cause harm to glands that produce hormones. According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, recent studies suggest that up to 20% of women with premature ovarian failure also have an autoimmune disease.

8. You’re Very StressedWhile stress alone doesn’t cause early menopause, it might help it along. Recent research from the University of California San Francisco has shown that stress might, in fact, play a part in when a woman enters menopause. The good thing is that stress, along with smoking and weight, can be controlled.

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Ginger May Be Healthy, But Should Be Avoided in These Situations

Ginger has long been touted as one of the world's healthiest spices, and rightly so. Packed with nutrients and bioactive compounds, ginger is incredibly beneficial for the body. It's especially effective in the case of ailments with the digestive system. Yet despite its benefits, ginger may, in certain situations, cause more bodily harm than good. Here are four situations where ginger is not recommended:

1. Blood disorders: One of ginger's health benefits lies in its ability to boost blood flow, stimulating circulation. This makes it a beneficial spice among those suffering from obesity, diabetes, Raynaud's disease, or peripheral artery disease. In this genetic disorder, blood clotting is reduced, which means that even a small injury can lead to death. In this case, ginger should be avoided, as it may aggravate the situation and cause hemorrhaging. 

2. Taking certain types of medications: Those taking high blood pressure or diabetes medication form part of a special risk group, as ginger has been found to change the medicinal effects on the body. In fact, it has been shown that combining ginger with anticoagulants, beta-blockers, or insulin drugs can be extremely harmful. As ginger stimulates blood thinning and reduces blood pressure, these properties may lower the effects of such medications.

3. Underweight people: In case you need to gain some weight, ginger, including ginger supplements, should be avoided. Its high fiber content and its ability to raise pH, as well as its effectiveness in stimulating digestive enzymes, enables ginger to burn fat and lower food cravings, which consequently, may lead to weight loss, menstrual irregularities, hair loss, and poor muscle mass. 

4. Pregnancy: Ginger supports muscle health and helps digestion. But, during pregnancy, these properties may lead to premature contractions and preterm labors. It should especially be avoided in the last trimester of pregnancy. Ginger also inhibits the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and dietary iron. Used in small amounts, however, ginger can effectively alleviate morning sickness. Nevertheless, it's essential that you speak to your doctor beforehand. 

What can you substitute ginger with?
If you fall under one of the aforementioned categories, substitute ginger with alternative spices like sweet peppers, cayenne pepper, or red paprika. Opt for red paprika if you fancy spicy foods, or sweet peppers if you don't.

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Underweight or obese women-more prone to depression and anxiety

Women who are extremely underweight or obese are likely to be at an increased risk of developing common mood disorders like depression and anxiety, as a result of low feel-good neuroactive steroid, finds a study.

Neurosteroid Allopregnanolone also known as allo is a metabolite of the hormone progesterone – a female hormone. Allo works by producing a positive mood and feelings of well-being. 

The findings showed that in women with anorexia nervosa, blood levels of allo were 50% lower than they were in women with normal body mass index (BMIs). Women who were clinically obese had allo levels approximately 60% lower than women with normal weights. Further, participants with lower levels of allo had greater severity of depression symptoms, the researchers noted. 

“Depression is an incredibly prevalent problem, especially in women, and also particularly at the extremes of the weight spectrum,” said a professor . 

“We are beginning to see more and more evidence that low allo levels are tightly linked to depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mood disorders,” added an associate professor. 

In addition, progesterone levels were similarly low across both groups, suggesting that the decrease in allo in these participants may have been caused by improper functioning of enzymes.

The enzymes that convert progesterone into allo may not be working properly, causing decreases in allo that lead to mood disorders. 

For the study, the team recruited women with anorexia nervosa and amenorrhea (whose menstrual periods have stopped) whose body mass indices were less than 18.5, normal-weight women with BMIs between 19 and 24, and obese women with BMIs at 25 or higher. 

“Drugs that increase the efficacy of these enzymes may be useful in helping to boost allo levels,” Dr. said. 

“The hope is that a greater understanding of mechanisms contributing to these disorders – including abnormalities in the regulation of hormones and their neuroactive metabolites – may lead to new targeted therapies in the future,” Dr. noted.

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Risk of early menopause higher among underweight women

Women who are underweight as teenagers or in their mid-30s run a higher risk of experiencing early menopause compared to lean or normal weight women, a study published recently warns.

Underweight women who lost 20 pounds or more at least three times between the ages of 18 and 30 were at significantly increased risk of an early menopause, which is defined as a naturally occurring menopause before the age of 45.

The study,  is one of very few to follow women prospectively from as young as 25 to menopause, and is the largest ever to do so, researchers said.

"Our findings suggest that women who are underweight in early or mid-adulthood may be at increased risk for early menopause," said a researcher.

"Up to 10 per cent of women experience early menopause and it is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, and other health conditions such as cognitive decline, osteoporosis and premature death, so these findings have important implications for women and their doctors," said  the lead researcher.

"Underweight women may want to consider discussing the potential implications of these findings with their doctors," she said.

The researchers looked at body mass index (BMI), weight distribution, weight change and timing of menopause in 78,759 premenopausal women aged between 25-42 who joined a country's Nurses' Health Study II in 1989.

The women provided information on their medical history and health-related behaviours such as smoking and exercise at the time of joining the study.

They then updated the information by means of questionnaires every two years thereafter.

The researchers followed them until 2011, by which time 2804 women had reported early natural menopause.

They found that women who were underweight at any age had a significant 30 per cent increased risk of early menopause compared with lean or normal weight women.

Overweight women with BMIs between 25-29.9 kilogramme per square metre (kg/m2) had a 21-30 per cent lower risk of early menopause compared to normal weight women.

Women who were underweight at 18 with a BMI of less than 17.5 kg/m2 had a 50 per cent higher risk of early menopause compared to lean or normal weight women.

Women who had a BMI of less than 18.5 kg/m2 at the age of 35 had a 59 per cent increased risk.

Underweight women who reported losing 20 pounds or more, three times or more between the ages of 18 and 30, had a 2.4 -fold increased risk of early menopause.

However, there were only seven women who reported this and so, although the result is statistically significant, it still needs to be treated with caution, researchers said.

"Causes of early menopause are not clearly understood. Our findings suggest that being underweight may have an impact on the timing of menopause. More research is needed to understand how it increases the risk of early menopause," she said.

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