According to a meta-analysis suggests that smoking is associated with an increased risk of early natural menopause’ aimed to assess smoking's impact on age at natural menopause New Delhi: Women go through various health problems throughout their lives. Among the major health issues, menopause is defined as the continuous absence or cessation of menstruation periods for 12 months, given that periods were previously regular. It’s a natural physiological process every woman has to go through when she enters the perimenopausal age group.
Generally, menopause can occur anywhere between the ages of 41 to 55 years. Among Indians, according to available research data, the average age at which the majority attain menopause is 46 years. Hence, attaining menopause a few years before the natural menopausal age is considered early menopause, while attaining menopause before 40 years is considered premature menopause.
Does smoking bring menopause earlier than the natural menopausal age? Dr Pruthviraj MO , Consultant – Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Manipal Hospital, Varthur and Whitefield shared with News9 , “Smoking has numerous detrimental effects on the human body, affecting nearly every organ system. It is considered to be the leading risk factor for causing early menopause as well as premature menopause. It causes ovaries to age faster and the reserve of the follicles to deplete faster among women who smoke.
Also, smoking has been shown to affect hormone levels, including estrogen,.