141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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286929
Early onset of menarche associated with internal carotid artery intima-media thickness in asymptomatic black-white younger adult women: The bogalusa heart study


Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Azad R. Bhuiyan, MD, MPH, PhD, Department of Epidemiology, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS
Sathanur Srinivasan, PhD, Epidemiology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Wei Chen, MD, PhD, Epidemiology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Camilo Fernandez, MD, MS, Epidemiology, Tulane University, New Olreans, LA
Ji-Hua Xu, Tulane Center for Cardiovascular Health, Tulane University School of Public Health, New Orleans, LA
Mario Azevedo, Ph.D MPH M.A, College of Liberal Arts, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS
Gerald Berenson, MD, Epidemiology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Background: Early onset of menarche is related to adulthood risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular (CV) disease. In our previous study we examined the longitudinal changes in adiposity and related risk variables of metabolic syndrome from childhood to young adulthood with respect to early onset of menarche. The purpose of this study is to extend the examination of early onset of menarche with carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) which is a surrogate marker of CV disease. Information is scant with this aspect in a biracial community-based study.

Methods: This aspect was examined in a cohort of 575 black and white women (31% black, 69 % white) aged 24-43 years (mean 35.9 years) enrolled in the Bogalusa Heart Study. B-mode ultrasound images of the far walls of both carotid arteries were obtained. The early onset of menarche defined as less than 12 years of menarche age.

Results: Black women vs. white women had significantly later onset of menarche age (12.91 and 12.51 mean year, p=0.007). Internal carotid artery IMT was higher in black women vs. white women (0.688 vs. 0.671 μm, p =0.04). In a stepwise multivariate regression model, adjusting for race, age, waist circumference, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and triglycerides/ HDL cholesterol ratio, early onset of menarche remained independently and adversely associated with internal carotid IMT (p=0.03).

Conclusions: The observed deleterious effect of early onset of menarche on carotid IMT in asymptomatic black-white younger adult women underscores the importance of public health implications.

Learning Areas:

Chronic disease management and prevention
Epidemiology
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
Describe the public health importance of early onset of menarche

Keyword(s): Chronic (CVD), Reproductive Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a faculty member in Jackson State University, Mississippi.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4354.0: Chronic Disease Epidemiology Poster Session 4