Critical fat, menarche, and the maintenance of menstrual cycles

Scott, Eugenie C.; Johnston, Francis E.

doi:10.1016/s0197-0070(82)80059-4

Cited by 106 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…3,8,13,15,35 Although childhood obesity is also predictive of early menarche, 11,12,36 there does not seem to be a "critical" body weight (or fatness). 33 In agreement with the racial difference in height that we observed, the skeletal maturation of black 9-to 12-year-old girls is greater than that of white girls. 20 However, even at comparable levels of height, BMI, weight, and skinfold thicknesses, we found that black girls underwent menarche earlier than white girls.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…32,33 The relation of childhood height to menarcheal age may, therefore, indicate that children with an advanced skeletal maturation (as indicated by height) tend also to have an advanced sexual development (as indicated by menarcheal age). A moderate (r ϳ 0.5) correlation between bone age at age 8 years and menarcheal age has been reported, 34 and several studies have found childhood height to be inversely associated with subsequent menarcheal age.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Relation of Age at Menarche to Race, Time Period, and Anthropometric Dimensions: The Bogalusa Heart Study

et al. 2002

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ABSTRACT. Objective. To assess secular trends in menarcheal age between 1973 and 1994 and to determine whether childhood levels of height, weight, and skinfold thicknesses can account for racial (white/black) differences in menarcheal age.Methods. Data from 7 cross-sectional examinations of school-aged children, with menarcheal age obtained through interviews, were used for both cross-sectional (11 218 observations) and longitudinal (n ‫؍‬ 2058) analyses. In the latter analyses, the baseline examination was performed between ages 5.0 and 9.9 years, and the mean follow-up was 6 years.Results. Black girls experienced menarche, on average, 3 months earlier than did white girls (12.3 vs 12.6 years), and during the 20-year study period, the median menarcheal age decreased by approximately 9.5 months among black girls versus approximately 2 months among white girls. As compared with 5-to 9-year-old white girls, black girls were taller and weighed more, characteristics that were predictive of a relatively early (before age 11.0 years) menarche. However, even after adjustment for weight, height, and other characteristics, the rate of early menarche remained 1.4-fold higher among black girls than among white girls.Conclusions. Additional study of the determinants of menarcheal age is needed, as the timing of pubertal maturation may influence the risk of various diseases in adulthood. Pediatrics 2002;110(4). URL: http://www. pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/110/4/e43; menarche, obesity, blacks, height, secular trend.ABBREVIATIONS. BMI, body mass index; RR, rate ratio. B lack girls in the United States undergo sexual development at younger ages than do white girls. [1][2][3][4][5] In a study of 17 000 girls, for example, mean menarcheal ages were 12.2 years (blacks) and 12.9 years (whites), 4 a racial difference consistent with those that have been observed in the development of breast and pubic hair. 2,3 The timing of these events may influence the risk of various diseases in adulthood, and an early menarche has been associated with an increased risk for breast cancer, 6 obesity, 7-9 and spontaneous abortion. 10 The reasons for these racial differences in menarcheal age are uncertain, but several characteristics, such as obesity, 11-14 height, 3,8,13-15 and skeletal maturation, 16 -18 are known to influence sexual development. Furthermore, the dramatic decrease in menarcheal age between the mid-1800s and the mid-1900s 19 may be related to the changes in childhood heights and weights that occurred during this period as a result of improved nutritional status. As compared with similarly aged white girls, black girls are more advanced skeletally (after age 9 years), 20 are taller, 3,21 and are heavier. 3 It is uncertain, however, whether these characteristics account for the earlier sexual development of black girls in the United States.The objectives of the current study were to examine changes in the menarcheal ages of girls between 1973 and 1994 and to determine whether differences between black and white girls are attri...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relation of Age at Menarche to Race, Time Period, and Anthropometric Dimensions: The Bogalusa Heart Study

et al. 2002

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“…10 Further, a link between body fatness and the hormonal changes that lead to the onset of menarche has been implicated. [11][12][13][14][15][16] However, the temporal direction of this relationship remains uncertain. Nonetheless, in view of the secular trend toward increasing obesity occurring in the pediatric population of the US, 17,18 it is important to examine the consequences of excess body fatness related to early menarche at the population level.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Longitudinal changes in risk variables underlying metabolic Syndrome X from childhood to young adulthood in female subjects with a history of early menarche: The Bogalusa Heart Study

2003

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OBJECTIVES:To examine the longitudinal changes in adiposity and related risk variables of Syndrome X from childhood to young adulthood with respect to early onset of menarche. DESIGN: Community-based longitudinal cohort of female subject (65% white, 35% blacks subjects) who participated in two or more surveys from childhood to young adulthood and had reported their menarcheal age (o12 y, n ¼ 437 vs Z12 y, n ¼ 1042). RESULTS: In childhood (5-11 y), adolescence (12-18 y), and young adulthood (19-37 y), females with early menarche displayed significantly higher body mass index (BMI) and triceps skinfold thickness; higher stature in childhood and adolescence; higher fasting insulin and homeostasis model assessment index of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in childhood and adulthood; and higher fasting glucose in adulthood. Blood pressure and lipoprotein variables showed no early menarche-related differences. Longitudinal rates of change in BMI (P ¼ 0.002), triceps skinfold thickness (P ¼ 0.05), insulin (P ¼ 0.09), and HOMA-IR (P ¼ 0.05) were positive and faster among female subjects with early menarche; fasting glucose decreased slowly in this group (P ¼ 0.006). In a multivariate analysis, body fatness and insulin related independently to early menarche (Po0.001). This association was stronger in white subjects (P ¼ 0.0008). In adulthood, the prevalence of clustering of three to four risk factors of syndrome X (highest quartile of: (1) BMI, (2) fasting insulin, (3) systolic or mean arterial pressure, and (4) total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol or triglycerides to HDL cholesterol ratio specific for age, race, and study year) was higher among those with early menarche (10.7 vs 6.2%, P ¼ 0.002). The odds for developing such clustering in adulthood among those with early menarche was 1.54 (95% CI ¼ 1.14-2.07), regardless of race. CONCLUSION: Early menarche is characterized by excess body fatness and insulin beginning in early childhood and higher prevalence of clustering of adverse levels of risk variables of metabolic Syndrome X in young adulthood.

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“…The underlying mechanisms of the association between BMI and dysmenorrhea are not well understood, and they may differ in underweight and obese women. Nevertheless, despite some disagreement [206], a certain amount of body fat appears to be important to maintain normal ovulatory cycles with both too much and too little fat being associated with the disruption of their reproductive health [205,207]. There are several known mechanisms on the influence of adipose tissue on ovulation and the menstrual cycle: 1) adipose tissue converts androgens to oestrogen by aromatisation; 2)…”

Section: Dysmenorrheamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Under this theory, there may be psychological stress related to being underweight or obese which may cause differences in pain perception and sensitivity between these women and normal weight women, resulting in different subjective experiences of pain [206,208]. In addition, there is evidence that ovarian hormones (especially oestrogens) play a role in modulating a range of chronic pain conditions through affecting concentration of oestrogen receptors in the spinal cord or the corresponding brain regions, or through interacting with different neurotransmitters that modulate pain perception [212].…”

Section: Dysmenorrheamentioning

confidence: 99%

The magnitude, long-term trend and lifestyle risk factors of dysmenorrhea and premenstrual syndrome

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Critical fat, menarche, and the maintenance of menstrual cycles

Cited by 106 publications

References 40 publications

Relation of Age at Menarche to Race, Time Period, and Anthropometric Dimensions: The Bogalusa Heart Study

Relation of Age at Menarche to Race, Time Period, and Anthropometric Dimensions: The Bogalusa Heart Study

Longitudinal changes in risk variables underlying metabolic Syndrome X from childhood to young adulthood in female subjects with a history of early menarche: The Bogalusa Heart Study

The magnitude, long-term trend and lifestyle risk factors of dysmenorrhea and premenstrual syndrome

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