Does Menopause Affect Lung Function?

Small decreases in lung function are an inevitable consequence of aging; however, accelerated loss of lung function is linked to development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to early mortality. To determine how menopause might affect lung function loss, investigators retrospectively analyzed data from routine health checkups for ≈5500 Japanese women with no lung disease who reported menopause onset during 11 years of follow-up (median age at menopause, 52). Subgroups were analyzed to explore differences due to age, body weight, or smoking.