Cohort study, 2003
Does depression affect when women enter menopause?
Women with a history of depression may enter menopause earlier than others. Those with more severe depression who also took antidepressants had nearly 3 times the risk of early menopause, though this is based on observation rather than a controlled test.
What they did
A 36-month follow-up study. Researchers interviewed 644 women without depression and 332 with depression (ages 36 to 45) every 6 months and took blood samples to track when they entered perimenopause.
What they found
Women with depression had 1.2 times the rate of perimenopause. Those with more depressive symptoms had twice the risk. Those with worse symptoms who also used antidepressants had 2.7 times the risk of earlier perimenopause. Depressed women also had higher FSH and LH levels and lower estradiol levels.
What it means for you
A history of depression may be linked to earlier decline in ovarian function. But this was an observational study, so we cannot be sure depression causes early menopause. The findings are most uncertain for the 1.2 times estimate (confidence interval 0.9 to 1.6).
1.2
Times higher perimenopause rate in women with depression (95% CI 0.9-1.6)
2
Times higher risk of perimenopause with severe depression
2.7
Times higher risk with severe depression and antidepressant use (95% CI 1.5-4.8)
About the study
- Original title
- Depression and its influence on reproductive endocrine and menstrual cycle markers associated with perimenopause: the Harvard Study of Moods and Cycles
- Authors
- Harlow BL, Wise LA, Otto MW et al.
- Journal
- Archives of general psychiatry
- Year
- 2003
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 644
- What was tested
- None (observational study comparing women with and without depression)
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.60.1.29
Topics
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