NEW DELHI: In a shocking finding, a study has found that Indian women are now attaining menopause as early as at the age of 30. It also puts them at a higher risk of being affected with osteoporosis, heart diseases, diabetes, hypertension and breast cancer, says a study conducted by Bangalore's Institute for Social and Economic Change.

The study, conducted by T S Syamala and M Sivakami, said that women living in rural areas are more prone to "premature menopause".

"It is of great concern that women are attaining premature menopause. Some women are attaining it as early as 30 years," said Syamala.

"Early menopause may be a risk factor for earlier mortality from diseases related to decreased estrogen levels and may promote increased incidence of osteoporosis, heart diseases , diabetes, hypertension and breast cancer," she said.

Natural menopause occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 years with a mean age of incidence around 51 years worldwide.

"The mean age of menopause in India is 44.3 years. This is the time when a woman's life undergoes a transition from the reproductive to the non-reproductive stage," Syamala said.

During this stage, the menstrual cycle stops for over 12 months and there is a drop in the levels of the two most important hormones in the body of women-estrogen and progesterone.

The data for the study, which was based on the National Family Health Survey of 1998-99, collected information from a sample of more than 90,000 married women aged between 15 and 49 and covering 99% of India's population living in 26 states. The report, which was presented in Parliament, has said that in India 3.1% of the women are already in menopause by the age of 30-34, and the incidence rises to 8% for the age bracket of 35-39 with menopause setting in quite rapidly after the age of forty.

Syamala said women who marry late need not panic as they have children late, resulting in delayed menopause. The study said that there are a higher number of illiterate women who are in premature menopause as against those who are educated.