Premature menopause is substantially more common among women in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and among South Asian women, and it is associated with a significantly higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), according to a large international study published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, and Women's Health. The analysis included more than 111,000 women from 26 countries participating in the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiologic (PURE) study, with a median follow-up of nearly 15 years. Investigators examined the prevalence of premature menopause, defined as menopause before age 40 years, and its relationship with cardiovascular outcomes across different ethnic and income groups.
Women living in LMICs had a 53% higher risk of premature menopause compared with those in high-income countries. Half of women in LMICs reached menopause by age 47.5 years,…
