Menopause Myths and Misconceptions

It might almost seem intuitive that the age of menarche (first menstrual period) would influence the onset of menopause in some way, but there hasn’t been any evidence to support this claim. Predicting the age that a woman will begin menopause is particularly difficult, but some factors may influence the age of onset. In general, the age of menopause in a mother seems to affect the potential age of onset for her children.

Other factors associated with an earlier onset of menopause:

• Smoking
• Medical treatment for depression
• Chemotherapy treatment
• Nulliparity (never having been pregnant) 

Other factors associated with a later onset of menopause:

• Multiparity (women who have had more than one pregnancy)
• Higher-than-normal body mass index (BMI)
• Higher cognitive scores in childhood
• Moderate to heavy alcohol consumption