Women’s Health
Women With 40+ Reproductive Years Had Lower Risk Of This Lung Disease
Author:Zhané SlambeeAugust 29, 2026
mindbodygreen editor
By Zhané Slambee
Image by Evgenij Yulkin / Stocksy
August 29, 2026
If you’ve had a cough that won’t go away or chest infections that keep returning, it’s easy to blame allergies, a stubborn cold, or getting older
But respiratory health later in life may be connected to something that happened much earlier: your reproductive years
New research examined whether the time between a woman’s first period and menopause was associated with her risk of developing bronchiectasis, a chronic lung condition
About the study
Researchers analyzed 96,996 postmenopausal women from the Women’s Health Initiative and followed their Medicare records for a median of 16 years
Every woman was at least 65 when her Medicare coverage began, so the analysis captured diagnoses made from that point forward
They calculated reproductive lifespan as the number of years between each woman’s first period and menopause
The analysis also accounted for smoking, body weight, hormone therapy, oral contraceptive use, surgical menopause, and existing health conditions
Bronchiectasis occurs when the airways become damaged and permanently widened, making it harder to clear mucus and easier for infections to develop
More reproductive years, lower risk
About 2,600 women, or 2.7% of the group, developed bronchiectasis during follow-up
Women with 40 or more reproductive years had a 12% lower risk than those with fewer than 30 years
Compared with women who reached menopause before age 40, those who reached menopause at 50 to 54 had a 14% lower risk, while those who reached menopause at 55 or older had a 17% lower risk
Hormone therapy complicated the picture. Among women who had never used it, having 40 or more reproductive years was associated with a 22% lower risk of bronchiectasis
Among hormone therapy users, reproductive lifespan wasn’t meaningfully associated with risk, although their overall risk was 19% higher
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What could explain the connection
Estrogen affects immune function, and levels drop substantially after menopause. Researchers suggest that lower estrogen could potentially make the airways more vulnerable to infections associated with bronchiectasis
But the study cannot establish that lower estrogen causes bronchiectasis
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The hormone therapy findings add to the uncertainty. Women who experienced an earlier or larger drop in estrogen may have already been more susceptible to health problems and more likely to use hormone therapy
Genetic and environmental factors could also influence both reproductive timing and lung health, and earlier menopause has already been associated with other long-term outcomes, including higher heart disease risk
The study has another limitation. Researchers identified bronchiectasis through Medicare billing codes rather than direct clinical evaluations
When they required two separate records to confirm a diagnosis, the association became weaker
What to know about your lungs after menopause
These findings aren’t a reason to start, stop, or change hormone therapy. The study didn’t compare different types of HRT, doses, or how long women used it. It also doesn’t show that earlier menopause causes lung disease
Instead, pay attention to respiratory symptoms that persist or keep returning
Bronchiectasis can cause a long-lasting cough that produces mucus and repeated chest infections
If you’re experiencing these symptoms regularly, talk to your doctor, and prepping for that appointment by tracking when symptoms flare can make the visit more useful
If you’re considering hormone therapy, discuss your individual health history, benefits, and risks with your health care provider rather than making a decision based on this study alone
The takeaway
Longer reproductive lifespans were associated with lower bronchiectasis risk in this large observational study, but the reason remains unclear
Persistent coughs or recurring chest infections are worth discussing with your doctor, regardless of when you reached menopause
