Table 4.
Unadjusted geometric mean hormone levels by components of lifetime ovulatory years quartile in postmenopausal women not using hormone therapy at the time of blood draw in the Nurses’ Health Study (n=1976)
| Estradiol (pg/mL) | Estrone (pg/mL) | Estrone sulfate (pg/mL) | Testosterone (ng/dL) | DHEAS (ug/dL) | Prolactin (ng/mL) | SHBG (nmol/L) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | Mean (95% CI) | N | Mean (95% CI) | N | Mean (95% CI) | N | Mean (95% CI) | N | Mean (95% CI) | N | Mean (95% CI) | N | Mean (95% CI) | |
| Age at menarche | ||||||||||||||
| <12 | 347 | 5.5 (5.2–5.8) | 323 | 23.6 (22.4–24.8) | 260 | 244.1 (224.1–265.8) | 402 | 19.7 (18.8–20.7) | 282 | 59.8 (54.9–65.1) | 264 | 8.9 (8.4–9.4) | 383 | 55.1 (52.4–58.0) |
| 12 | 408 | 5.3 (5.0–5.6) | 391 | 23.3 (22.2–24.5) | 303 | 233.9 (215.0–254.5) | 468 | 20.0 (19.1–20.9) | 334 | 59.8 (55.1–65.0) | 298 | 9.0 (8.6–9.4) | 447 | 55.4 (53.0–58.0) |
| 13 | 498 | 5.1 (4.9–5.4) | 468 | 22.5 (21.5–23.4) | 345 | 228.3 (212.6–245.1) | 554 | 19.9 (19.1–20.8) | 402 | 55.2 (51.4–59.4) | 344 | 9.0 (8.6–9.4) | 533 | 56.1 (53.7–58.6) |
| 14 | 227 | 5.1 (4.8–5.5) | 221 | 22.2 (20.9–23.6) | 169 | 221.1 (201.5–242.6) | 268 | 19.9 (18.7–21.1) | 214 | 58.1 (52.8–64.0) | 173 | 8.8 (8.2–9.5) | 250 | 56.3 (53.0–59.8) |
| >14 | 144 | 4.7 (4.3–5.1) | 133 | 21.7 (20.1–23.4) | 105 | 227.1 (198.8–259.4) | 177 | 19.3 (17.8–21.0) | 142 | 54.6 (48.4–61.6) | 113 | 8.9 (8.2–9.7) | 166 | 59.8 (55.0–65.0) |
| ANOVA p-value | 0.04 | 0.27 | 0.64 | 0.96 | 0.45 | 0.99 | 0.50 | |||||||
| Age at menopause | ||||||||||||||
| <48 | 240 | 5.3 (4.9–5.6) | 225 | 22.8 (21.5–24.3) | 173 | 250.5 (225.9–277.7) | 280 | 20.0 (18.9–21.2) | 200 | 66.6 (60.1–73.8) | 179 | 9.2 (8.5–9.9) | 269 | 57.0 (53.6–60.7) |
| 48–49 | 246 | 4.8 (4.5–5.2) | 236 | 21.9 (20.7–23.1) | 191 | 211.3 (192.1–232.5) | 287 | 19.9 (18.9–21.1) | 213 | 62.6 (56.8–69.1) | 187 | 8.7 (8.2–9.3) | 272 | 61.5 (58.0–65.3) |
| 50–51 | 564 | 5.1 (4.9–5.3) | 533 | 22.6 (21.7–23.5) | 403 | 215.0 (201.1–229.9) | 648 | 19.2 (18.4–20.0) | 484 | 54.1 (50.6–57.7) | 409 | 8.9 (8.5–9.3) | 619 | 57.5 (55.3–59.7) |
| >51 | 574 | 5.5 (5.2–5.7) | 542 | 23.4 (22.5–24.4) | 415 | 252.4 (235.9–270.0) | 654 | 20.3 (19.5–21.1) | 477 | 55.8 (52.1–59.7) | 417 | 9.0 (8.6–9.4) | 619 | 52.1 (50.0–54.3) |
| ANOVA p-value | 0.02 | 0.28 | 0.008 | 0.22 | 0.002 | 0.76 | <0.0001 | |||||||
| OC use | ||||||||||||||
| No | 1107 | 5.3 (5.1–5.4) | 1052 | 23.0 (22.3–23.6) | 779 | 229.0 (218.1–240.4) | 1257 | 20.3 (19.7–20.9) | 929 | 55.6 (53.1–58.3) | 784 | 9.1 (8.8–9.4) | 1200 | 56.3 (54.7–58.0) |
| Yes | 511 | 5.1 (4.9–5.4) | 479 | 22.5 (21.5–23.4) | 398 | 238.6 (223.0–255.3) | 605 | 18.9 (18.1–19.7) | 441 | 61.8 (57.5–66.3) | 403 | 8.6 (8.2–8.9) | 572 | 55.5 (53.3–57.8) |
| t-test p-value | 0.35 | 0.40 | 0.33 | 0.004 | 0.01 | 0.03 | 0.58 | |||||||
| Duration of OC use | ||||||||||||||
| ≤0.5 | 101 | 4.9 (4.4–5.5) | 97 | 21.9 (19.8–24.3) | 76 | 222.8 (189.4–262.0) | 121 | 19.4 (17.5–21.5) | 83 | 59.8 (50.1–71.4) | 81 | 8.6 (7.9–9.3) | 116 | 56.3 (51.5–61.5) |
| >0.5–3 | 140 | 5.2 (4.7–5.8) | 129 | 22.9 (21.0–25.0) | 118 | 244.0 (214.9–277.1) | 168 | 19.1 (17.5–20.8) | 125 | 58.0 (50.4–66.7) | 115 | 8.3 (7.6–9.0) | 160 | 54.6 (50.7–58.7) |
| >3–8 | 131 | 5.2 (4.8–5.7) | 122 | 22.3 (20.5–24.2) | 91 | 239.4 (210.7–272.1) | 154 | 18.9 (17.5–20.5) | 114 | 68.2 (60.4–77.1) | 97 | 8.5 (7.9–9.2) | 147 | 54.3 (49.9–59.1) |
| >8 | 117 | 5.1 (4.6–5.6) | 111 | 22.6 (20.6–24.8) | 99 | 244.6 (210.9–283.7) | 132 | 18.0 (16.7–19.5) | 96 | 60.1 (51.1–70.7) | 95 | 9.0 (8.2–9.9) | 124 | 55.8 (51.3–60.6) |
| ANOVA p-value | 0.84 | 0.92 | 0.80 | 0.69 | 0.39 | 0.60 | 0.92 | |||||||
| Parity | ||||||||||||||
| Nulliparous | 75 | 5.3 (4.6–6.0) | 74 | 23.0 (20.6–25.7) | 50 | 261.4 (211.9–322.4) | 81 | 21.0 (18.6–23.8) | 58 | 62.0 (51.6–74.4) | 50 | 8.7 (8.0–9.5) | 79 | 60.2 (53.8–67.3) |
| Parous | 1549 | 5.2 (5.1–5.3) | 1462 | 22.8 (22.3–23.4) | 1132 | 230.7 (221.6–240.2) | 1788 | 19.8 (19.3–20.2) | 1316 | 57.4 (55.2–59.8) | 1142 | 8.9 (8.7–9.2) | 1700 | 55.9 (54.6–57.2) |
| t-test p-value | 0.81 | 0.87 | 0.21 | 0.28 | 0.45 | 0.55 | 0.20 | |||||||
| Parity | ||||||||||||||
| 1–2 | 462 | 5.3 (5.0–5.6) | 439 | 23.3 (22.3–24.4) | 333 | 240.0 (221.7–259.9) | 513 | 20.9 (20.0–21.9) | 379 | 62.7 (58.0–67.8) | 331 | 9.4 (8.9–9.9) | 497 | 55.0 (52.5–57.5) |
| 3 | 394 | 5.2 (4.9–5.4) | 371 | 22.5 (21.5–23.6) | 292 | 243.0 (225.7–261.7) | 477 | 20.0 (19.1–20.9) | 352 | 56.1 (51.9–60.6) | 300 | 8.9 (8.4–9.3) | 448 | 55.4 (52.9–58.0) |
| 4 | 355 | 5.1 (4.8–5.5) | 330 | 22.6 (21.5–23.7) | 252 | 227.9 (209.1–248.4) | 410 | 19.0 (18.1–20.0) | 300 | 55.8 (51.4–60.5) | 265 | 8.9 (8.4–9.4) | 397 | 56.6 (53.9–59.5) |
| >4 | 338 | 5.2 (4.9–5.5) | 322 | 22.6 (21.5–23.8) | 255 | 209.0 (192.5–226.8) | 388 | 18.8 (17.9–19.8) | 285 | 54.4 (49.8–59.3) | 246 | 8.6 (8.1–9.1) | 358 | 56.9 (54.0–60.0) |
| ANOVA p-value | 0.83 | 0.66 | 0.04 | 0.007 | 0.05 | 0.10 | 0.71 | |||||||
| Breastfeeding | ||||||||||||||
| No | 563 | 5.3 (5.0–5.5) | 532 | 23.3 (22.4–24.2) | 411 | 231.9 (216.7–248.1) | 663 | 20.4 (19.6–21.2) | 488 | 56.5 (53.0–60.3) | 422 | 9.2 (8.8–9.6) | 630 | 56.3 (54.2–58.6) |
| Yes | 1061 | 5.2 (5.0–5.3) | 1004 | 22.5 (21.9–23.2) | 771 | 232.0 (221.0–243.5) | 1206 | 19.5 (19.0–20.1) | 886 | 58.2 (55.4–61.2) | 770 | 8.8 (8.5–9.1) | 1149 | 55.9 (54.3–57.6) |
| t-test p-value | 0.44 | 0.18 | 0.99 | 0.09 | 0.48 | 0.08 | 0.76 | |||||||
| Months breastfed | ||||||||||||||
| ≤3 | 450 | 5.2 (4.9–5.4) | 423 | 22.7 (21.7–23.8) | 326 | 225.0 (208.2–243.1) | 510 | 19.6 (18.8–20.6) | 362 | 59.8 (55.4–64.6) | 329 | 8.7 (8.3–9.1) | 492 | 56.1 (53.7–58.6) |
| 4–11 | 328 | 5.1 (4.8–5.4) | 311 | 22.3 (21.1–23.5) | 243 | 236.0 (217.6–256.1) | 374 | 19.1 (18.1–20.1) | 282 | 57.4 (52.6–62.6) | 244 | 8.5 (8.1–9.0) | 357 | 56.5 (53.6–59.6) |
| ≥12 | 283 | 5.2 (4.9–5.6) | 270 | 22.6 (21.3–23.9) | 202 | 238.8 (216.7–263.1) | 322 | 19.8 (18.7–21.0) | 242 | 56.9 (51.7–62.7) | 197 | 9.2 (8.6–9.9) | 300 | 54.9 (51.7–58.4) |
| ANOVA p-value | 0.86 | 0.86 | 0.56 | 0.60 | 0.68 | 0.17 | 0.77 | |||||||
| Ovulatory years | ||||||||||||||
| <29.8 | 403 | 5.0 (4.8–5.3) | 381 | 21.9 (20.9–23.0) | 313 | 230.3 (213.4–248.7) | 470 | 18.5 (17.7–19.4) | 347 | 59.7 (55.2–64.6) | 312 | 8.4 (8.0–8.9) | 445 | 57.7 (55.0–60.5) |
| 29.8–33.0 | 408 | 5.0 (4.7–5.2) | 392 | 22.4 (21.4–23.5) | 296 | 226.2 (210.2–243.3) | 478 | 19.6 (18.8–20.5) | 355 | 58.4 (54.1–63.0) | 301 | 9.2 (8.7–9.7) | 451 | 57.9 (55.4–60.5) |
| 33.1–35.9 | 392 | 5.3 (5.0–5.6) | 365 | 23.1 (22.0–24.3) | 269 | 223.5 (205.4–243.1) | 442 | 20.6 (19.6–21.6) | 323 | 55.4 (51.1–60.1) | 278 | 9.1 (8.6–9.5) | 422 | 56.7 (53.9–59.6) |
| ≥36.0 | 421 | 5.5 (5.2–5.8) | 398 | 23.8 (22.7–24.9) | 304 | 247.4 (227.8–268.7) | 479 | 20.6 (19.7–21.6) | 349 | 56.9 (52.7–61.5) | 301 | 9.1 (8.7–9.6) | 461 | 52.3 (50.0–54.8) |
| ANOVA p-value | 0.02 | 0.09 | 0.28 | 0.004 | 0.59 | 0.05 | 0.007 | |||||||