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

To evaluate whether there is an association between age at menarche (AAM) and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

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).

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.

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.