Association between blood pressure and age at menarche in developing countries

The relationship between age at menarche (AAM) and blood pressure (BP) has primarily been explored in studies fromdeveloped nations. The aim of a study was to systematically investigate the link between AAM and BP and the possible influencing factors in developing countries.

This systematic review and meta-analysis entailed searches from PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science – for relevant studies published until March 2022. The pooled relative risk (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated using a random-effects model.

Overall, 20 studies were selected. For studies with a mean participant age at BP assessment < 55 years – women with the oldest AAM had a higher risk of hypertension (HTN) compared to those with middle or youngest AAM. This was notable in studies without confounder adjustments, with adjustments excluding adiposity, and with adjustments including adiposity. For studies with a mean participant age at BP assessment - 55 years or older – there were no significant differences in studies without confounder adjustments, with adjustments excluding adiposity, or with adjustments including adiposity. Similar associations were found for AAM with baseline systolic and diastolic BP.

From the findings, it was inferred that in developing countries, late menarche is associated with a greater HTN risk––with this relationship influenced by age and adiposity. Therefore, monitoring BP in women with late menarche is crucial.

Source: Wang G, Shao W, Chen X, et al. Annals of Human Biology. 2023 Jan 2;50(1):127-36.