The Association between Menstrual Irregularities and the Risk of Diabetes in Premenopausal and Postmenopausal Women: A Cross-Sectional Study of a Nationally Representative Sample

Abstract

Background: Studies have assessed the effects of menstrual irregularities and menopause on diabetes, but no definitive conclusion has been reached. This study investigated for the first time the relationship between menstrual irregularity and diabetes before and after menopause. Methods: This population-based cross-sectional study included 9043 participants from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) V (2010–2012). Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the effect of menstrual irregularities on impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and diabetes incidence in women before and after menopause. Results: After adjustment for age and other diabetes-related factors, both menopause (OR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.101–2.27, p = 0.047) and menstrual irregularities (OR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.1–2.07, p = 0.011) were found to increase the risk of diabetes. Menstrual irregularities were significantly related to diabetes in the postmenopausal group (OR = 1.65, 95% CI  =  1.12–2.42, p = 0.012) but not in the premenopausal group (OR = 1.22, 95% CI  =  0.64–2.32, p = 0.555). Conclusions: In this study, menopausal status appeared to independently affect diabetes risk; menstrual irregularities were found to be a risk factor for postmenopausal diabetes. This study emphasizes the need for monitoring and early prevention, along with medical advice on menstrual irregularities, to reduce the prevalence of diabetes and improve the quality of life of postmenopausal women.