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The results of a new study show that abuse may affect the function of the ovaries.
Researchers have found that women who have been physically or sexually abused in their
childhood or adolescence are more likely to have higher levels of follicle-stimulating
hormone (FSH), which plays a key role in ovarian function. Furthermore, this disturbance
of ovarian function due to abuse may potentially lead to premature menopause—a risk factor for heart disease.
The study was conducted by lead researcher Jenifer E. Allsworth of Brown University
School of Medicine in Providence, Rhode Island, and published in the November 2001 issue
of Epidemiology. In March 1999, 732 women between the ages of 36 and 45 from the
Harvard Study of Moods and Cycles study completed a survey of lifetime experience of
physical and sexual harm. The researchers measured FSH and estrogen levels in the women at
the beginning of the study.
Allsworth and her colleagues found that 59% of the women who completed the survey
reported an incidence or fear of abuse in their past. The researchers were able to link
physical and sexual abuse inflicted during childhood or adolescence to higher levels of
FSH, compared to women who reported that they were never abused. (FSH is a hormone
involved in the menstrual cycle that stimulates the maturation of reproductive eggs; FSH
levels typically rise when a woman nears menopause as the body attempts to trigger the
maturation of the remaining eggs). Furthermore, women in their forties who were abused at
any time (childhood, adolescence, or adulthood) were more likely to have lower estrogen
levels compared with women who were never abused.
According to the researchers, the study’s findings show that abuse can affect the
body’s hormonal system. In this case, physical and sexual abuse alter ovary function,
which may possibly lead to an earlier onset of menopause since FSH and estrogen levels
have been affected. This is particularly alarming, according to Allsworth and her
colleagues, because going through menopause early increases a woman’s risk for heart
disease.
While further research is needed to better understand how menopause affects heart
disease risk, it is thought that the loss of estrogen at menopause puts woman at greater
risk for heart problems. Researchers believe that estrogen helps a woman’s arteries
to expand when they become blocked with hardened fatty build-up, allowing the blood to
flow around the blockage. As men age and their arteries become blocked, the body develops new arteries to serve as
back-up (or collateral) blood routes. However, women do not develop these collateral blood
supplies as they age since, with estrogen, their blood vessels can expand to accommodate
blockage. Thus, the thought is that when a woman’s estrogen production decreases
significantly at menopause, her arteries tend to lose their flexibility and her risk of
heart disease increases significantly since no collateral blood supply is developed. The
earlier a woman reaches menopause, the sooner her risk of heart disease increases.
While the study’s findings are interesting and help researchers begin to establish
a connection between physical abuse and ovary function, the results are preliminary
(ironically, early age at menopause is associated with a decreased risk of ovarian cancer). There are many other, more established risk factors for heart disease, including:
- Advancing age
- Family history of heart disease
- Sex (males are at higher risk than females)
- High blood cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Smoking
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Lack of physical activity
Studies also show that women tend to underestimate their risk of heart disease.
Therefore, it is important for to women receive regular physical examinations so any
potential problems can be detected early.
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