Search

Age at menarche may be associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors in different ethnic groups. The purpose of this study was to identify the association of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors with age at menarche (AAM) in Mashhad, the second biggest city in Iran. This was a cross- sectional study based on cohort data of 2353 women (35-65 years) from Mashhad, Iran for whom the age at menarche was reported. Baseline demographic, anthropometric data, and biochemical profiles were also collected. The levels of depression and anxiety were evaluated using a validated Persian version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the association between age at menarche with CVD risk factors. Anthropometric parameters, short stature, prevalence of diabetes, and CVD risk were significantly higher in women who were younger at menarche (AAM) in comparison to women with an older AAM. Women with a menstruating age of 11 years had a significantly higher weight (P < 0.001), higher BMI (P < 0.001), lower waist circumference (WC) (P = 0.004), higher hip circumference (HC) (P < 0.001) and higher waist-to-thigh ratio (WTR) (P < 0.001) than women with an AAM of ≥ 15 years. University-educated women and employed women were most likely to have menarche at ≥ 15 years (P < 0.001 and P = 0.012 respectively. In girls who menstruated at age ≤ 11 years old, the odds of having a BMI > 28.7 kg/m2, WC > 96 cm, HC > 105 cm and WTR > 61.96 were higher than girls who menstruated at 13 years old. The odds of height > 155 cm was higher in girls with menarche age of ≥ 15 than 13 years and the odds of having depression scores greater than 12 was lower in menarche age group of ≥ 15 years. The girls with menstruation age of 12 years had higher odds of having diabetes mellitus and HC > 105 cm than girls with menstruation age of 13 years. The odds of demi span exceeded 74 cm and height > 155 cm were higher in girls with menarche age of 14 than 13 years. AAM may be a useful factor to identify women at greater risk of CVD to implement appropriate preventive measures., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical statement: The study approval code from the MUMS ethics committee is IR.MUMS.REC.1386.250 which was approved according to Helsinki ethical principles in medical research., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) can be determined and quantified using the electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis. Identification of the risk factors associated with ECG abnormalities may advise prevention approaches to decrease CVD burden. In this study we aimed to investigate the association between CVD risk factors and minor and major ECG abnormalities in a general Iranian adult population. This study was conducted in 2010 and covered a population of 9035 males and females aged 35 to 65 years recruiting from the phase I of Mashhad Stroke and Heart Atherosclerotic Disorder (MASHAD) cohort study. The participants were drawn by a stratified cluster random sampling technique. The Bivariate and multinomial logistic regression analysis were conducted considering gender stratification to explore the association of ECG abnormalities with traditional cardiovascular risk factors. There was a significant association between minor and major ECG abnormalities and hypertension (HTN), type 2 diabetes (T2DM), smoking, and physical activity (p < 0.005). There was a significant trend, in both genders, for increasing major abnormalities as the number of CVD risk factors increased. But, only in women, the minor abnormalities increase in frequency as the number of CVD risk factors increased. The results of multinomial logistic regression showed that men with HTN [ARRR = 1.25, 95% CI 0.99, 1.57] and T2DM [ARRR = 1.31, 95% CI 0.99, 1.74] had the highest likelihood to have major abnormalities, although these are not statistically significant. For women, those with HTN had the highest likelihood to have major [ARRR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.13, 1.63] and minor [ARRR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.15, 1.58] abnormalities. Also, women aged > 60 years were more likely to have major [ARRR = 2.01, 95% CI 1.49, 2.74] and minor [ARRR = 1.59, 95% CI 1.20, 2.10] abnormalities compared to women aged < 45 years. Age and HTN were significantly associated with major and minor ECG abnormalities in women, and, on the other hand, HTN and T2DM were associated with major abnormalities in men. Taken together, these findings suggest that healthcare providers should advise preventive approaches to the asymptomatic adults with both major and minor electrocardiographic abnormalities that may predict cardiovascular risk., (© 2024. The Author(s).)