Women in poorer countries tend to hit menopause earlier, which may be harming their hearts

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-06-09 08:30

Australia; International; NSW

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Australian and international researchers say women from low- and middle-income countries are more likely to hit menopause early than women in high-income countries. The team investigated menopause data from over 111,000 women across 28 countries, and say half of the women from low- and middle-income countries had reached menopause by age 47.5 years, compared with 50.6 years for the high-income countries' women. Additionally, the team says a lower age for menopause was linked to increased risks of major heart disease events - such as heart attack or stroke.

Journal/
conference: The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women's Health

Organisation/s: The University of Sydney

Funder: The PURE study is an investigator-initiated study that is funded by the Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton Health Sciences Research Institute, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, and support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Strategy for Patient Oriented Research through the Ontario Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research Support Unit, in addition to the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and through unrestricted grants from several pharmaceutical companies (with major contributions from AstraZeneca [Canada], Sanofi-Aventis [France and Canada], Boehringer Ingelheim [Germany and Canada], Servier, and GSK), and additional contributions from Novartis and King Pharma, and from various national or local organisations in participating countries. These countries are: Argentina—Fundacion ECLA (Estudios Clínicos Latino America); Bangladesh—Independent University and Bangladesh, and Mitra and Associates; Brazil—Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz; Canada— unrestricted grant from Dairy Farmers of Canada and the National Dairy Council (USA), Public Health Agency of Canada, and Champlain Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Network; Chile—Universidad de La Frontera (DI13-PE11/EXD05–0003); China—National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and ThinkTank Research Center for Health Development; Colombia—Colciencias (grant numbers 6566–04–18062 and grant 6517–777–58228); India—Indian Council of Medical Research; Malaysia—Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Malaysia (grant number: 100-IRDC/BIOTEK 16/6/21 [13/2007], and 07-05-IFN-BPH 010), Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia (grant number: 600-RMI/LRGS/5/3 [2/2011]), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Biostatistics & Data Repository Sector, National Institute of Health, Setia Alam for the data linkage service, and National Registration Department for their willingness to share their mortality records for research purposes, and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM-Hejim- Komuniti-15-2010); occupied Palestinian territory—the UN Relief and Works Agency for occupied Palestinian territory Refugees in the Near East, occupied Palestinian territory, and the International Development Research Centre, Canada; Philippines—the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development; Poland—the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (grant number: 290/W-PURE/2008/0) and Wroclaw Medical University; Saudi Arabia—Saudi Heart Association, Dr Mohammad Alfagih Hospital; South Africa—The North-West University, SA and Netherlands Programme for Alternative Development, National Research Foundation, Medical Research Council of South Africa, and Faculty of Community and Health Sciences; Sweden—grants from the Swedish state under an agreement between the Swedish Government and the County Councils Concerning Economic Support of Research and Education of Doctors [ALFGBG-1006439], and the Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation [2024-0678]; Türkiye—Metabolic Syndrome Society; and United Arab Emirates—Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award For Medical Sciences and Dubai Health Authority.

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