PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Kai Triebner
AU  - Ane Johanessen
AU  - Luca Puggini
AU  - Bryndís Benediktsdóttir
AU  - Þórarinn Gíslason
AU  - Gunilla Wieslander
AU  - Dan Norbäck
AU  - Rain Jõgi
AU  - Karl Franklin
AU  - Kjell Torén
AU  - Vivi Schlünssen
AU  - Mathias Holm
AU  - Lennart Bråback
AU  - Andrei Malinovschi
AU  - Lars Modig
AU  - Bertil Forsberg
AU  - Julia Dratva
AU  - Marie Waatevik
AU  - Trude D. Skorge
AU  - Randi J. Bertelsen
AU  - Eirunn Saure
AU  - Francisco Rodriguez-Sanchez
AU  - Oistein Svanes
AU  - Elisabeth Zemp
AU  - Ernst R. Omenaas
AU  - Ferenc Mascali
AU  - Bénédicte Leynaert
AU  - Deborah Jarvis
AU  - Shyamali Dharmage
AU  - Cecilie Svanes
AU  - Christer Janson
AU  - Eva Lindberg
AU  - Steinar Hustad
AU  - Francisco G. Real
TI  - Menopause is related to asthma: A Nordic cross-sectional survey
DP  - 2014 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 226
VI  - 44
IP  - Suppl 58
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/226.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/226.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2014 Sep 01; 44
AB  - BackgroundThere is inconsistent evidence of an association between menopause and poor respiratory health. We aimed to investigate whether asthma was related to menopausal status.MethodsPostal questionnaires about respiratory and women´s health were sent in 2010-2012 to a population-based sample of women (n=4569, response rate=67%) from the Respiratory Health In Northern Europe study. Menopause was defined as cessation of menstruations for at least one year and current asthma as reported use of asthma medication or having had an asthma attack in the last year. We included women between 45 and 66 years, not taking exogenous hormones (n=2252). Menopausal women (n=1925) were compared to women with regular menstruation (n=392) using logistic regressions with adjustment for age, smoking, BMI tertiles, physical activity and education.ResultsAmong menopausal women, prevalence of current asthma was 10.4% and mean BMI 25.8 kg/m2; among women menstruating regularly, 5.9% and 24.9 kg/m2, respectively. Menopausal women had a 95% higher risk of asthma (OR= 1.95, 95% CI= 1.13-3.34). Associations were significant after exclusion of ever smokers (OR= 2.28, 1.07-4.45). The relationship between asthma and BMI appeared to differ according to menopausal status.ConclusionMenopause was related to higher risk of current asthma. Interplay between menopausal status and BMI in association with asthma was indicated.