Women who experience menopause at an earlier age than average may be six times more likely to develop certain types of cancer, including breast and ovarian cancer, a study suggests.
British researchers have discovered that a woman with a certain collection of genes can begin to experience hormonal changes before the age of five.
This same genetic makeup has also been shown to increase a woman’s risk of cancer.
These include the BRCA1 gene mutation carried by famed actress Angelina Jolie, who underwent a preventative double mastectomy in 2013 after testing positive.
Experts from the University of Exeter and Cambridge made their discovery after analysing the genetic data of more than 100,000 British women.
Actress Naomi Watts, 55, the most famous face to talk about early menopause, Mulholland Drive and Peter Jackson’s King Kong, experienced the transition at just 36. Watts is seen here at the premiere of ‘The Friend’. 2024 Toronto International Films earlier this month
They found a collection of genes that cause a woman’s eggs to degrade more quickly.
Women are born with a limited number of eggs and when this supply runs out, it can trigger hormonal changes that lead to menopause.
Most British women get it between the ages of 45 and 55, but up to one in 20 may get it earlier.
The new study, published in the journal naturesuggests that some people with certain genetic traits are more likely to run out of eggs faster than the average woman.
Specifically, women with a defective copy of a gene called ZNF518A had the highest mortality rates at menopause, experiencing the change an average of five and a half years earlier than women with a normal copy.
It was found in one in 4,000 women according to the sample size in the UK alone.
Another aspect of the study looked at whether genes associated with breast and ovarian cancer risk also affect the timing of menopause.
Experts found that BRCA1, which increases a woman’s chances of developing breast cancer by up to 85 percent, reduces the average age of menopause by 2.1 years.
Experts also found that the famous BRCA1 gene mutation in actress Angelina Jolie, who underwent a preventative double mastectomy after testing positive in 2013, can cause women to experience menopause about 2 years earlier than average. Jolie is pictured here at the premiere of ‘Bloodles’ at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month.
Women with a faulty mutation in the BRCA1 gene have a lifetime risk of breast cancer of up to 85 per cent, which is almost six times higher than the average risk of developing the disease of around 14 per cent for all British women. File image
Another gene, BRCA2, which increases a woman’s chances of developing breast cancer by up to 77 percent, has been shown to reduce the average age of menopause by 1.2 years.
To put this into context, British women have an average lifetime risk of developing breast cancer of just 14 per cent.
Experts identified another gene linked to the timing of menopause, called SAMHD1, which also affects cancer risk.
It has been shown to delay the average age of menopause by one year.
But it has been shown to increase the risk of cancer of all types by up to 60 percent in women, especially breast cancer.
The authors say exploring the genetic factors that influence menopause expands knowledge about possible links to other diseases.
They added that finding ways to influence these genes could improve outcomes, such as expanding fertility options.
Professor Anna Murray from Exeter and one of the lead authors said: “The menopause has been researched for decades but is now a rapidly evolving area of science.”
“Menopause has a huge impact on women when planning their careers and lives, and understanding the genetic changes is of particular interest for potential treatments that could prolong reproductive life in the future.”
Premature menopause is quite rare: only 5 percent of women experience it.
Actress Naomi Watts, 55, of Mulholland Drive and Peter Jackson’s King Kong fame, is the most famous face to talk about early menopause, having experienced symptoms such as “sensitive, itchy skin” at 36.
She has since launched her own line of menopause products, Stripes, to “address the changes of menopause to the skin and body.”
Symptoms of early menopause include years of irregular menstrual cycles, spotting between periods, and changes in vaginal bleeding.
Early menopause has previously been linked to health problems.
This condition is known to increase the risk of osteoporosis (weak bones), heart disease, depression, dementia and Parkinson’s. Sufferers experience menopausal symptoms more severely.
Premature menopause can be caused by DNA abnormalities, an autoimmune disease or infection, or side effects of cancer treatment.
But in 90 percent of cases the cause of early menopause is unknown.
Those who start before menopause are usually given hormone therapy to replace the hormones they produce.
Doctors advise patients to take it at least until the average age of menopause.
Early menopause is different from premature menopause, which is the term used when a woman stops having periods before age 40. It affects only about 1 percent of women.
