Association between age at menarche and gestational diabetes: a retrospective case–control study

Our study explores how the timing of menarche relates to the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in Mexican women, a topic that, despite its biological plausibility, has received little attention in Latin America. We found that women who experienced menarche before age 12 were more than twice as likely to develop GDM as those with an average onset. Interestingly, our spline models revealed a modest U-shaped association, suggesting that both very early and late puberty may lead to metabolic disadvantages. Mediation analysis indicated that pre-gestational adiposity only explained a small part of this relationship, highlighting the contribution of broader endocrine and developmental mechanisms.

本研究旨在探讨墨西哥女性月经初潮（menarche）时间与妊娠期糖尿病（gestational diabetes mellitus, GDM）风险的关联——尽管该议题具备生物学合理性，但在拉丁美洲地区却鲜有相关研究涉足。我们发现，月经初潮早于12岁的女性，其罹患GDM的风险是初潮平均年龄女性的两倍以上。值得注意的是，本研究的样条模型（spline model）揭示了一种轻度U型关联，提示青春期过早或过晚均可能导致代谢不良结局。中介分析（mediation analysis）结果显示，孕前体脂量（pre-gestational adiposity）仅能解释该关联中的一小部分，凸显了更为广泛的内分泌与发育机制的贡献。