InterLACE: A new international collaboration for a life course approach to women\u27s reproductive health and chronic disease events

Evidence from population-based studies of women increasingly points to the inter-related nature of reproductive health, lifestyle, and chronic disease risk. This paper describes the recently established International Collaboration for a Life Course Approach to Reproductive Health and Chronic Disease. InterLACE aims to advance the evidence base for women\u27s health policy beyond associations from disparate studies by means of systematic and culturally sensitive synthesis of longitudinal data. Currently InterLACE draws on individual level data for reproductive health and chronic disease among 200,000 women from over thirteen studies of women\u27s health in seven countries. The rationale for this multi-study research programme is set out in terms of a life course perspective to reproductive health. The research programme will build a comprehensive picture of reproductive health through life in relation to chronic disease risk. Although combining multiple international studies poses methodological challenges, InterLACE represents an invaluable opportunity to strength evidence to guide the development of timely and tailored preventive health strategies

Association between reproductive life span and incident nonfatal cardiovascular disease: a pooled analysis of individual patient data from 12 studies

Importance: Early menarche and early menopause are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in midlife, but little is known about the association between reproductive life span and the risk of CVD. Objective: To investigate the association between the length of reproductive life span and risk of incident CVD events, while also considering the timing of menarche and menopause. Design, Setting, and Participants: Individual-level data were pooled from 12 studies participating in the International Collaboration for a Life Course Approach to Reproductive Health and Chronic Disease Events consortium. Women provided complete information on the timing of menarche and menopause, nonfatal CVD events, and covariates. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% CIs, adjusted for covariates. The association between reproductive life span and CVD was adjusted for age at menarche and age at menopause separately. Analysis began March 2018 and ended December 2019. Exposures: Reproductive life span was calculated by subtracting age at menarche from age at menopause and categorized as younger than 30, 30 to 32, 33 to 35, 36 to 38 (reference group), 39 to 41, 42 to 44, and 45 years or older. Main Outcomes and Measures: First nonfatal CVD event, including coronary heart disease and stroke events. Results: A total of 307855 women were included. Overall, the mean (SD) ages at menarche, menopause, and reproductive life span were 13.0 (1.5) years, 50.2 (4.4) years, and 37.2 (4.6) years, respectively. Pooled analyses showed that women with a very short reproductive life span