In previous studies, it has been documented that a short reproductive period is associated with a higher risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease. This study aims to investigate the association of the reproductive period length with decreased renal function. This study obtained data from "the Shanghai Suburban Adult Cohort and Biobank". An estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) below 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 indicated decreased renal function during follow-up. Participants were grouped into quintiles by reproductive period. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between the reproductive period and decreased renal function. A total of 5503 menopausal women with baseline eGFR > 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 were included. Age, eGFR, and metabolic equivalent of task (MET) at baseline were 61.0 (range, 36.0-74.0) years, 92.2 (range, 60.1-194.5) mL/min/1.73 m2, and 1386 (range, 160-6678), respectively. A reproductive period of 37-45 years was associated with a lower risk of decreased eGFR (OR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.35-1.00, p = 0.049) after adjusting for confounding variables. METs decreased the risk of decreased eGFR in women with a reproductive period of 37-45 years (OR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.23-0.81, p = 0.010). Women with a longer reproductive period have a lower risk of decreased renal function. METs had an opposite influence on renal function in women with longer (decreased risk) or shorter (increased risk) reproductive periods.
Keywords: chronic kidney disease; glomerular filtration rate; menopausal; reproductive period.