Objectives: To look for possible association between past history of ovulation induction and age at menopause.
Design: Women attending our postmenopausal outpatient clinic were asked to fill questionnaires with demographic data, obstetrical history (including treatment for infertility), and medical details related to menopause.
Patients: The study group (n=31) consisted of women with a history of ovulation induction, and a control group (n=200) included women who did not experience such intervention.
Results: The age at the final menstrual bleeding was 46.4+/-5 in the study group, and 50+/-4 for the control group (P<0.001). This difference was most prominent for women who had induction of ovulation prior to age 35 years: they entered menopause at age 43.8+/-5 years. Smoking had a weak effect on the age at menopause (48.5+/-4 for current, vs. 49.9+/-4 for non- or past-smokers; P<0.03).
Conclusions: This retrospective and preliminary study raises the question whether hormonal manipulations and ovarian over-stimulation during fertility treatments could be a risk factor for premature menopause.