Epidemiology Commons^™

Vitamin D, Calcium, And Dairy Consumption And Risk Of Early Menopause, Alexandra C. Purdue-Smithe

Doctoral Dissertations

Early menopause, defined as the cessation of ovarian function before the age of 45, affects roughly 10% of women in Western populations. Current research suggests that women who experience early menopause are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease and other adverse health outcomes. Early menopause may also have substantial financial and psychological consequences for family planning, particularly as women increasingly delay childbearing into the later reproductive years. Emerging research suggests that modifiable lifestyle factors such as diet may play an important role in ovarian aging. According to our review of the current biologic and epidemiologic literature in Chapter 1, vitamin …