Table 5.
Adjusted geometric mean hormone levels by lifetime ovulatory years quartile among postmenopausal women not using hormone therapy at the time of blood draw in the Nurses’ Health Study (n=1976)
| Hormone | N | Ovulatory years | Difference per 5 years* | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||||||
| <29.8 Mean (95% CI)* | 29.8–33.0 Mean (95% CI)* | 33.1–35.9 Mean (95% CI)* | ≥36.0 Mean (95% CI)* | % (95% CI) | p-trend | ||
| All women | |||||||
| Estradiol (pg/mL) | 1624 | 5.1 (4.8, 5.3) | 5.1 (4.9, 5.3) | 5.3 (5.0, 5.6) | 5.4 (5.1, 5.6) | 2.7 (0.1, 5.4) | 0.05 |
| Estrone (pg/mL) | 1536 | 21.8 (20.8, 22.8) | 22.8 (21.8, 23.8) | 23.1 (22.1, 24.2) | 23.6 (22.5, 24.7) | 2.6 (0.1, 5.1) | 0.04 |
| Estrone sulfate (pg/mL) | 1182 | 232.4 (215.5, 250.7) | 233.1 (216.7, 250.8) | 223.8 (207.2, 241.7) | 237.7 (220.1, 256.7) | 0.3 (−3.6, 4.3) | 0.89 |
| Testosterone (ng/dL) | 1869 | 18.0 (17.1, 18.9) | 19.5 (18.7, 20.5) | 20.9 (20.0, 22.0) | 21.0 (20.0, 22.1) | 6.2 (3.5, 9.0) | <0.0001 |
| DHEAS (ug/dL) | 1374 | 55.9 (51.5, 60.5) | 57.6 (53.5, 62.1) | 56.7 (52.4, 61.3) | 60.4 (55.8, 65.5) | 2.2 (−2.1, 6.7) | 0.32 |
| Prolactin (ng/mL) | 1192 | 8.3 (7.9, 8.7) | 9.1 (8.7, 9.6) | 9.1 (8.6, 9.6) | 9.3 (8.8, 9.8) | 1.3 (−1.5, 4.2) | 0.35 |
| SHBG (nmol/L) | 1779 | 55.5 (53.1, 58.1) | 56.6 (54.2, 58.9) | 57.6 (55.1, 60.1) | 54.9 (52.5, 57.3) | 0.7 (−1.7, 3.1) | 0.57 |
| BMI<25 | |||||||
| Estradiol (pg/mL) | 830 | 4.2 (3.9, 4.5) | 4.2 (3.9, 4.5) | 4.0 (3.8, 4.3) | 4.2 (3.9, 4.5) | 0.1 (−3.6, 3.9)† | 0.96 |
| Estrone (pg/mL) | 789 | 20.1 (18.9, 21.4) | 20.5 (19.4, 21.7) | 19.4 (18.2, 20.7) | 20.2 (18.9, 21.5) | −0.9 (−4.2, 2.5)† | 0.60 |
| Estrone sulfate (pg/mL) | 591 | 202.7 (183.3, 224.2) | 196.2 (178.5, 215.7) | 177.5 (159.9, 197.1) | 181.4 (163.1, 201.8) | −4.5 (−9.5, 0.8)† | 0.09 |
| Testosterone (ng/dL) | 958 | 18.3 (17.1, 19.6) | 19.6 (18.5, 20.9) | 20.7 (19.3, 22.2) | 21.2 (19.7, 22.8) | 5.2 (1.3, 9.1)† | 0.008 |
| DHEAS (ug/dL) | 708 | 57.1 (51.2, 63.6) | 60.0 (54.2, 66.4) | 53.1 (47.5, 59.4) | 63.9 (56.7, 72.0) | 2.5 (−3.7, 9.0)† | 0.44 |
| Prolactin (ng/mL) | 612 | 8.5 (7.9, 9.1) | 8.7 (8.1, 9.3) | 9.4 (8.8, 10.1) | 9.5 (8.8, 10.3) | 1.5 (−2.2, 5.4)† | 0.43 |
| SHBG (nmol/L) | 923 | 67.5 (63.9, 71.3) | 68.4 (64.9, 72.0) | 72.5 (68.5, 76.8) | 67.7 (63.8, 71.8) | 0.7 (−2.3, 3.8)† | 0.64 |
| BMI≥25 | |||||||
| Estradiol (pg/mL) | 794 | 6.1 (5.6, 6.6) | 6.2 (5.7, 6.7) | 6.9 (6.4, 7.5) | 7.2 (6.7, 7.8) | 7.3 (3.1, 11.7)† | 0.0006 |
| Estrone (pg/mL) | 747 | 23.6 (21.8, 25.4) | 24.9 (23.2, 26.7) | 27.5 (25.7, 29.4) | 28.2 (26.3, 30.2) | 7.0 (3.1, 11.1)† | 0.0004 |
| Estrone sulfate (pg/mL) | 591 | 264.9 (235.1, 298.5) | 274.7 (243.9, 309.3) | 279.6 (248.0, 315.1) | 313.3 (278.9, 352.0) | 6.0 (−0.3, 12.7)† | 0.06 |
| Testosterone (ng/dL) | 911 | 17.6 (16.4, 18.9) | 19.4 (18.2, 20.8) | 21.2 (19.9, 22.7) | 20.8 (19.5, 22.2) | 7.4 (3.6, 11.4)† | 0.0001 |
| DHEAS (ug/dL) | 666 | 54.4 (48.3, 61.4) | 55.6 (49.8, 62.1) | 60.5 (54.2, 67.6) | 57.2 (51.4, 63.6) | 1.7 (−4.2, 8.0)† | 0.58 |
| Prolactin (ng/mL) | 580 | 8.1 (7.4, 8.8) | 9.6 (8.9, 10.4) | 8.8 (8.1, 9.5) | 9.2 (8.5, 9.9) | 1.3 (−2.8, 5.6)† | 0.54 |
| SHBG (nmol/L) | 859 | 45.5 (42.2, 49.1) | 46.1 (43.0, 49.4) | 45.7 (42.7, 48.9) | 42.9 (40.1, 45.8) | −1.0 (−4.6, 2.5)† | 0.60 |
*
Adjusted for age at blood draw (continuous), smoking (never, former, current), alcohol (no regular use, ≤10, >10–20, >20–30, >30 grams/day), years since menopause (continuous), hysterectomy, unilateral oophorectomy, and irregular cycles. Models for all women additionally adjusted for BMI.
†
p-values for heterogeneity comparing difference in hormone levels per 5 ovulatory years among those with BMI<25 to those with BMI≥25, estradiol: p=0.07, estrone: p=0.02, estrone sulfate: p=0.04, testosterone: p=0.47, DHEAS: p=0.94, prolactin: p=0.37, SHBG: p=0.66.