Integration of genomics and metabolomics for prevention of menopausal disorders

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K17275
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 58020:Hygiene and public health-related: including laboratory approach
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: Iida Miho 慶應義塾大学, 医学部(信濃町), 講師 (70594505)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 更年期障害 / 予防医学 / コホート研究 / メタボローム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Evidence on prevention of menopausal disorders among Japanese midlife women is limited. We explored risk factors and biomarkers for menopausal disorders using a variety of data from a cohort study of community-dwelling women. Our results showed that the profiles of plasma metabolites, which reflect both genetic and environmental influences, change rapidly around age 50, the median age of menopause, and also alter according to menopausal status (pre-menopause, menopausal transition, and post-menopause). Furthermore, the presence or absence of menopausal disorders could be discriminated with a certain degree of accuracy by using the plasma concentration data of 94 metabolites. As for risk factors of menopausal disorders, our study revealed that lifestyle habits and psychosocial factors such as alcohol consumption, insomnia, and anxiety state, as well as a low degree of work control and effort-reward imbalance may be involved in the development of menopausal disorders among working women.

Free Research Field

女性医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

指導的地位に女性が占める割合の増加が期待されている中、中高年女性の労働生産性に影響をもたらす更年期障害の予防や早期介入に関する対策は十分ではない．本研究により、働くの更年期障害の発症には、労働環境・生活習慣・心理社会的因子が複合的に関与している可能性が示され、包括的なアプローチの重要性がうかがえた。一方、更年期障害の診断に有用な客観的指標については、十分な対象者数ではなかったものの代謝プロファイル全体の変化が確認された。今後大規模な女性健康研究を可能とするデータベースの確立を期待したい。