Think Type 1 Diabetes Speeds Up Menopause? Think Again! New Study Busts the Myth and Brings Big News for Women’s Health!
D-coding the Article - Low-Carbohydrate Diets in Children and Adolescents with or at Risk for Diabetes
Published Date:
01/10/2023
Published By:
F Yarde , Y T van der Schouw, H W de Valk , A Franx , M J C Eijkemans , W Spiering , F J M Broekmans; OVADIA study group
Approved By:
To be
Decoded By:
Asra H. Ahmed
MBA, PGCE in Assessment Learning disability, Diabesties Foundation
10 mins to read
- The T1D Takeaway
- We bust that myth! Women living with type 1 diabetes can be reassured by this study that
- Women with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) go through menopause at the same age as women without diabetes. On average, it’s around 49.8 years—so T1D doesn’t speed things up.
- The study found no signs that T1D makes your ovaries age faster or brings menopause earlier.
- Living with T1D doesn’t mean your body will age differently when it comes to menopause. You can relax knowing your diabetes doesn’t hold extra surprises here.
Word Wizard
- The OVADIA (Ovarian Ageing in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus) study investigated whether women with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) experience natural menopause at an earlier age compared to women without diabetes.
- The study included 140 postmenopausal women with T1DM and 5,426 without diabetes, providing robust data. Women with and without diabetes were compared across relevant factors
- The average age at natural menopause was 49.8 years for both women with T1DM and those without diabetes.
- The age at menopause was self-reported and assessed retrospectively, which may introduce recall bias.
Summary Snap
Shots
The study found no clear evidence that T1DM leads to accelerated ovarian aging or earlier natural menopause. This suggests that women with T1DM do not experience menopause at a younger age compared to women without diabetes.
Prime Insight
The study included 140 postmenopausal women with T1DM and 5,426 postmenopausal women without diabetes. Participants reported their age at natural menopause, defined as 12 consecutive months of amenorrhea without other causes.
The average age at natural menopause was 49.8 years for both women with T1DM and those without diabetes.
The study did not have information on microvascular complications, or smoking habits of the sample so it could not assess potential associations between vascular health and menopausal age.
The average age at natural menopause was 49.8 years for both women with T1DM and those without diabetes.
The study collected information through a questionnaire on health and lifestyle, medication use and smoking habits.
Reproductive History of the women started with age at first period, time it took for periods to become regular, number of children born to them and use of hormonal birth control. Finally, age at last period, helped researchers understand the connection between Type 1 Diabetes and reproductive health.
the study did not confirm that T1D accelerates ovarian aging or impacts the age of menopause.
Some past studies suggested that T1D might cause early menopause, but newer research shows this isn’t true with today’s improved diabetes care. Managing your blood sugar well can support your overall health, including your reproductive health.
Further studies using current automated insulin delivery systems and continuous glucose monitors would further reassure people living with type 1 diabetes.
- A Deeper Dive
- The Sources Voice
“The present study demonstrates that women with type 1 diabetes are not at risk to experience an earlier menopause than normal.”
- Curiosities Clarified
No, women with T1D experience menopause at the same average age (49.8 years) as women without diabetes.
No significant differences were found in menopause timing or reproductive factors like having children or menstrual patterns.
The study didn’t find strong evidence linking blood sugar control or diabetes-related complications to earlier menopause.
No, the study did not confirm that T1D accelerates ovarian aging or impacts the age of menopause.