Reproductive events, menopause and biological aging among latina women

The National Institute on Aging awarded Emory University $782,500 under the Aging Research program (CFDA 93.866) on February 1, 2026, to examine how reproductive events influence biological aging processes and menopause timing among Latina women.

The award funds analysis of reproductive events—including puberty, pregnancy, and menopause—and their associations with epigenetic aging and menopause in a sample of pre-menopausal Latina women participating in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). Work will involve collecting detailed information on reproductive events and perimenopausal symptoms through phone interviews, assaying existing blood samples for DNA methylation age (DNAm), and characterizing trajectories of epigenetic aging over a 12-year period across three time points. The study design permits comparison of individuals' epigenetic aging before and after reproductive events, enabling analysis of how social context modifies associations between reproductive events and aging processes.

The project period runs from February 1, 2026, through January 31, 2027, with place of performance in Atlanta, Georgia. The award is structured as a Project Grant, the standard assistance type for NIH research funding.

Abstract

The impact of reproductive events on menopause and aging processes is largely unknown. While menopause is part of the aging process, the timing of menopause varies with earlier onset associated with risk of premature mortality. Latina women's timing and frequency of reproductive events, including puberty, pregnancy, and menopause, differs from that of other racial/ethnic groups. Despite socioeconomic disadvantage, on average, latina women experience similar or lower risk of adverse birth outcomes compared to non-hispanic white women. This so called "birth paradox" does not apply to maternal outcomes. Latina women in the US have an elevated risk of primary cesarean, gestational diabetes, and increased risk of developing type II diabetes and heart disease later in life. We propose to examine how reproductive events are associated with biological aging processes and menopause and how social context may modify these associations in a sample of latina women participating in the hispanic community health study /study of latinos (hchs/SOL). The hchs/SOL study is a longitudinal study of US latinos, representing varied countries of origin, conducted in the US. The planned analyses will be conducted among a random sample of pre-menopausal women at baseline followed over a 12-year period. Leveraging the infrastructure of the hchs/SOL study, through a brief phone-call, we will collect detailed information on reproductive events, perimenopausal symptoms and timing of menopause. We propose to assay existing blood samples for dnam and characterize trajectories of epigenetic aging over a 12-year period (three time points) to understand how reproductive events influence timing of menopause and dnam age in adulthood among latina women. Uniquely, this design allows US to compare individuals' dnam aging pre- and post- reproductive events, a major strength of this proposal. Specifically, we will examine 1): how the frequency, severity and timing of reproductive events (menarche, infertility, pregnancy complications and gynecological disorders) affect menopausal onset and symptoms (n= 2000) and how social context may modify this association; 2) how frequency, severity, and timing of reproductive events impact the rate of epigenetic aging among premenopausal women of late reproductive age followed over a 12-year period to capture the menopausal transition (n=1000) and how social context modifies this association; 3): use genome wide methylation and functional enrichment analyses we will explore how reproductive events are related to alterations of DNA methylation, prior to and during the menopausal transition (n=1000). Upon completion of this project, our findings will elucidate important epigenetic pathways that will help explain how reproductive events affect aging processes among a population that experiences distinct sociocultural factors.