Unilateral Oophorectomy and Age at Natural Menopause: A Longitudinal Community‐Based Cohort Study
2024

Unilateral Oophorectomy and Age at Natural Menopause

Sample size: 23630 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Erin A. Brennand, Natalie V. Scime, Rebecca Manion, Beili Huang

Primary Institution: University of Calgary

Hypothesis

There may be a plateau in age at which point unilateral oophorectomy no longer is associated with menopause timing.

Conclusion

Unilateral oophorectomy is associated with earlier age at natural menopause, particularly when performed before 40 years of age.

Supporting Evidence

  • Unilateral oophorectomy was associated with a 1.8-year earlier age of menopause.
  • Women with unilateral oophorectomy had higher odds of early menopause and premature ovarian insufficiency.
  • The impact of unilateral oophorectomy on menopause timing diminishes after age 40.

Takeaway

If a woman has one ovary removed, she might go through menopause earlier, especially if it happens when she's younger than 40.

Methodology

Secondary analysis of survey data from Alberta's Tomorrow Project using flexible parametric survival analysis and logistic regression.

Potential Biases

Retrospective self-reported data may introduce memory error.

Limitations

Lack of data on reasons for unilateral oophorectomy and potential recall bias.

Participant Demographics

23,630 women, with 548 experiencing unilateral oophorectomy.

Statistical Information

Confidence Interval

95% CI 1.31–2.19

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1111/1471-0528.17980

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