Use of antimüllerian hormone to predict the menopausal transition in HIV-infected women

Background HIV infection has been associated with early menopausal onset, which may have adverse long-term health consequences. Antimullerian hormone, a biomarker of ovarian reserve and gonadal aging, is reduced in HIV-infected women. Objective We sought to assess the relationship of antimullerian hormone to age of menopause onset in HIV-infected women. Study Design We used antimullerian hormone levels measured in plasma in 2461 HIV-infected participants from the Women's Interagency HIV Study to model the age at final menstrual period. Multivariable normal mixture models for censored data were used to identify factors associated with age at final menstrual period. Results Higher antimullerian hormone at age 40 years was associated with later age at final menstrual period, even after multivariable adjustment for smoking, CD4 cell count, plasma HIV RNA, hepatitis C infection, and history of clinical AIDS. Each doubling of antimullerian hormone was associated with a 1.5-year increase in the age at final menstrual period. Median age at final menstrual period ranged from 45 years for those in the 10th percentile of antimullerian hormone to 52 years for those in the 90th percentile. Other factors independently associated with earlier age at final menstrual period included smoking, hepatitis C infection, higher HIV RNA levels, and history of clinical AIDS. Conclusion Antimullerian hormone is highly predictive of age at final menstrual period in HIV-infected women. Measuring antimullerian hormone in HIV-infected women may enable clinicians to predict risk of early menopause, and potentially implement individualized treatment plans to prevent menopause-related comorbidities and to aid in interpretation of symptoms.