Early menopause and a low body mass index are associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease in Japanese women.

Objective: The primary objective was to investigate the association between early menopause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevalence in Japanese women. The secondary objective was to ascertain the association with CVD risk factors.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 7,239 naturally menopausal women from the Yamagata Cohort Study who completed an annual health visit and questionnaire between 2009 and 2015 were divided into three groups according to their age at menopause (women experiencing menopause at <45, 45-49 y, and ≥ 50 y).