In an alarming finding, a study has found that Indian women are now attaining menopause as early as at the age of 30. It also puts them at the higher risk of being affected with osteoporosis, heart diseases, diabetes, hypertension and breast cancer, said a study conducted by the Institute for Social and Economic Change in Bangalore.
The study, conducted by T.S. Syamala and M. Sivakami, said that women living in rural areas are more prone to "premature menopause." "It is of great concern that women are attaining premature menopause. Some women are attaining it as early as 30 years," Syamala said. "Early menopause may be a risk factor for earlier mortality from diseases related to decreased estrogen levels and may promote increased incidence of osteoporosis, heart diseases, diabetes, hypertension and breast cancer," she said.
The report, which was presented in the Parliament, has said that in India 3.1 per cent of the women are already in menopause by the age of 30-34, and which rises to eight per cent for the age bracket of 35-39 with the incidence of menopause being quite rapid after the age of 40-41.
The proportion of women in premature menopause is lower in urban areas (16.1 per cent)than in rural areas (18.3 per cent).
Syamala said women who marry late do not need to panic as they have children late, resulting in delayed menopause. "The proportion of women who are in menopause decreases considerably with the increase in education. Overall, women from a low socio-economic background reached menopause earlier than their counterparts," Syamala said.
The study, said that there are higher number of illiterate women who are in premature menopause as against others who are educated. While among the illiterate women premature menopause is (19.5 per cent), which reduces to 11.1 per cent when the education increases for women, the study said.
It said that the proportion of women aged 30-49 who are in menopause is highest for Andhra Pradesh (31.4 per cent), followed by the states of Bihar (21.7 per cent) and Karnataka (20.2 per cent) It is lowest in Kerala (11.6 per cent), followed by West Bengal (12.8 per cent) and Rajasthan (13.1 per cent).
While natural menopause occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 years with a mean age of incidence around 51 years worldwide. "The mean age of menopause is 44.3 years. This is the time when a woman's life undergoes a transition from the reproductive to the non-reproductive stage," Syamala said. She said that this is a stage when the menustrual cycle stops for over 12 months and there is a drop in the levels of the two most important hormones in the body of women - estrogen and progesterone.
The data for the study, which was based from the National Family Health Survey of 1998-99 collected information from a sample of more than 90,000 married women aged between 15-49, which covers 99 per cent of India's population living in 26 states.
The study, conducted by T.S. Syamala and M. Sivakami, said that women living in rural areas are more prone to "premature menopause." "It is of great concern that women are attaining premature menopause. Some women are attaining it as early as 30 years," Syamala said. "Early menopause may be a risk factor for earlier mortality from diseases related to decreased estrogen levels and may promote increased incidence of osteoporosis, heart diseases, diabetes, hypertension and breast cancer," she said.
The report, which was presented in the Parliament, has said that in India 3.1 per cent of the women are already in menopause by the age of 30-34, and which rises to eight per cent for the age bracket of 35-39 with the incidence of menopause being quite rapid after the age of 40-41.
The proportion of women in premature menopause is lower in urban areas (16.1 per cent)than in rural areas (18.3 per cent).
Syamala said women who marry late do not need to panic as they have children late, resulting in delayed menopause. "The proportion of women who are in menopause decreases considerably with the increase in education. Overall, women from a low socio-economic background reached menopause earlier than their counterparts," Syamala said.
The study, said that there are higher number of illiterate women who are in premature menopause as against others who are educated. While among the illiterate women premature menopause is (19.5 per cent), which reduces to 11.1 per cent when the education increases for women, the study said.
It said that the proportion of women aged 30-49 who are in menopause is highest for Andhra Pradesh (31.4 per cent), followed by the states of Bihar (21.7 per cent) and Karnataka (20.2 per cent) It is lowest in Kerala (11.6 per cent), followed by West Bengal (12.8 per cent) and Rajasthan (13.1 per cent).
While natural menopause occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 years with a mean age of incidence around 51 years worldwide. "The mean age of menopause is 44.3 years. This is the time when a woman's life undergoes a transition from the reproductive to the non-reproductive stage," Syamala said. She said that this is a stage when the menustrual cycle stops for over 12 months and there is a drop in the levels of the two most important hormones in the body of women - estrogen and progesterone.
The data for the study, which was based from the National Family Health Survey of 1998-99 collected information from a sample of more than 90,000 married women aged between 15-49, which covers 99 per cent of India's population living in 26 states.
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