October 20, 2011   Women who smoke may hit menopause about a year earlier than those who don’t light up, according to a study published in the journal Menopause. The study pooled data from several previous studies that included about 6,000 women in the U.S., Poland, Turkey, and Iran. Non-smokers hit menopause between age 46 and 51. But in all but two of the studies, smokers were younger when they hit menopause, between 43 and 50 overall. “General consensus is that earlier menopause is likely to be associated with the larger number and higher risk of postmenopausal health problems, such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, and others,” said study author Volodymyr Dvornyk. One theory for why smoking might mean earlier menopause is that it has an effect on how women’s bodies make, or get rid of, estrogen. Some researchers also believe certain components of cigarette smoke might kill eggs.

For More Information: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/17/us-menopause-smoking-idUSTRE79G08Q20111017