Research shows that women who smoke are more likely to enter menopause before the age of 45
Cigarette smoking can cause women to enter menopause prematurely, according to new research.
The study, which analyzed the health data of almost 140,000 British women, found that those who smoked frequently were more likely to start menopause before the age of 45.
Women who smoked more than 30 packs of cigarettes per year were 50 percent more likely to experience early menopause than those who had never smoked.
Crucially, the study, conducted by scientists at Central South University in China, concluded that quitting smoking could reduce a woman’s chances of early menopause by as much as a third.
Experts claim that smoking lowers levels of the female sex hormone estrogen, causing menopause. Some have also warned that smoking e-cigarettes, also called vapes, can have a similar effect.
Menopause is when menstruation stops due to low hormone levels. This is often accompanied by symptoms such as hot flashes, sleep problems and vaginal dryness.
For most women in Britain, menopause occurs between the ages of 45 and 55. However, about five percent will go through menopause between the ages of 40 and 45.
Previous studies have linked early menopause to smoking. A 2015 British study found that women who smoked tended to enter menopause about a year earlier than nonsmokers.
Women who smoked more than 30 packs of cigarettes a year were 50 percent more likely to experience early menopause than those who had never smoked, a new study shows.
Experts claim that smoking lowers levels of the female sex hormone estrogen, causing menopause
Other research has suggested that smoking can also worsen menopausal symptoms – with regular smokers experiencing more hot flashes and more intense night sweats.
Postmenopausal smokers are also more at risk for the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis than those who don’t smoke. One study found that smokers are 35 percent more likely to break a hip than those who have never smoked.
But this latest study is the largest and most detailed yet to investigate the link between smoking and early menopause.
Although it is still not known why smoking increases the risk of early menopause, experts believe that the habit limits the body’s ability to produce estrogen.
And it’s not just smoking that can affect estrogen levels.
“Vaping is a new area, but some data suggests it could also reduce fertility in women,” says Dr. Shazia Malik, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Portland Hospital.
‘Research in animals has suggested that the chemicals in vape fluid may even affect the implantation of embryos and may also be harmful to the female reproductive system in general.’