Early age at menarche and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: a cohort study

Purpose: To evaluate whether there is an association between age at menarche (AAM) and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, including 5390 pregnant women who were screened for GDM at Alexandra Hospital in Athens, Greece over a 15-year period (2000–2014). Maternal age, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), height, family history of type 2 diabetes mellitus, parity, educational and smoking status, and AAM were recorded. The results were expressed as odds ratios (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results: Pregnant women with GDM experienced earlier menarche compared to normoglycemic women (12.9 ± 1.5 vs 13.1 ± 1.6, p < 0.001, respectively). The OR for a woman with AAM <12 years to develop GDM was 1.08 (95% CI 1.03–1.14), while the OR to be obese was 1.70 (95% CI 1.50–1.90). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that AAM is a risk factor for GDM. However, that effect was lost after adjusting for BMI. Conclusion: Early AAM may be associated with an increased risk of GDM. Therefore, it can be used to identify high-risk women and implement preconception interventions for GDM prevention. Future studies should be conducted to confirm these findings.