Endocrine Abstracts

JOINT1690

Background: Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), defined as menopause occurring before the age of 40 years, causes physiological changes in organs and health disorders. The issue of whether patients with POI have accelerated aging is important but epidemiological studies were lacking. This study aimed to analyze whether POI is associated with accelerated biological aging, and whether menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) in the POI population is associated with reduced biological aging.

Methods: This study analyzed 229,779 female aged 40 years and older from the UK Biobank (2006–2010) and NHANES (1999–2018). Menopause information such as age at menopause, cause of menopause, and use of MHT was collected through a questionnaire. Biological age acceleration was defined by the Klemera–Doubal method, which was calculated through biomarkers, in reference to chronological ageing. Biological age acceleration >0 was defined as biological aging. Association between POI and biological aging was analyzed using multivariate linear regression and logistic regression models.

Results: In the UK Biobank and NHANES, a total of 6,105 (3.7%) and 1,882 (15.9%) female with POI were recorded, respectively. The results showed participants with POI had an increased risk of biological aging (UK Biobank: OR=1.50 [95% CI: 1.24- 1.82]; NHANES: OR=1.20 [95% CI: 1.07- 1.34]) and decrease in leukocyte telomere length (LTL) (UK Biobank: 0.0109 [95% CI: 0.0079- 0.0109]), compared with those without POI. Restricted cubic spline showed linear relationship between age at menopause and biological aging. With every 5-year increase in menopausal age, the risk of biological aging decreased by 11% and 2%, respectively (UK Biobank: OR=0.89 [95%CI: 0.85- 0.93]; NHANES: OR=0.98 [95%CI: 0.95- 1.00]). In the UK Biobank, participants with natural and surgical POI had a 48%, 55% increased risk of biological aging compared without POI, respectively. In the NHANES, the risk of biological aging was increased by 17%, 27%, respectively in female with natural and surgical. Participants with POI who underwent MHT had reduced risk of aging compared with those who did not (UK Biobank: OR=0.63 [95%CI: 0.43- 0.92]; NHANES: OR=0.75 [95%CI: 0.61- 0.92]).

Conclusion: Female with POI had a significantly increased risk of biological aging compared with those without POI. Participants with POI who received MHT had a reduced risk of aging compared with those who did. This study suggests patients with POI should be informed about the risks of aging and the potential benefits of early MHT.