Study title

There is growing understanding of the importance of reproductive factors for respiratory health. Preventable factors such as smoking, obesity, physical activity and hormone therapy are known to affect both menopause and the airways. However, there is scarcely any knowledge on respiratory health changes during menopause, how sex hormones mediate such changes, or the potential for intervention. The issue is complex, and few study cohorts have sufficient information and numbers in the right age range. Understanding respiratory health changes during menopause is important, as women expect to live longer and with better life-quality, obesity is increasing globally with unknown consequences for reproductive and respiratory health, and obstructive lung diseases remain high in spite of decreasing smoking prevalence. The aim of this project was to study how menopause and the menopausal transition influences respiratory health (asthma, COPD, allergy and lung function), how potential changes are mediated by sex hormones, to identify effects of hormone therapy and of life-style factors (smoking, obesity, physical activity), and to design intervention strategies. Data from RHINE (Respiratory health i Northern Europe) and ECRHS (European Cohort Respiratory Health Survey) were used. These cohorts include extensive longitudinal data about respiratory and reproductive health, and blood samples from two time points 5-10 years apart available for hormone analyses. For further information about ”Menopause and Respiratory Health: The Role of Sex Hormones, Life Style Factors and Hormone Therapy, 2012”, please contact the principal investigator.