Mostly U.S. The team of based researchers found that women who always reported having irregular menstrual cycles experienced higher mortality than women who reported very regular cycles in the same age range. Other potentially influential factors such as age, weight, lifestyle, contraception and family medical history have been considered in this study.
In this study, 05 women were assessed who did not have a history of cardiovascular disease, cancer or diabetes. Women reported the normal length and regularity of their menstrual cycle at three different points: between the ages of 14 to 17, 18 to 22, and 29 to 46 years. The researchers tracked his health over a 24-year period.
“This study is a real step in closing the data gap that exists in women’s health. It raises many interesting research questions and areas of future study,” said Dr. Gani, a senior research fellow and consultant gynecologist at the University of Edinburgh. For the Reproductive Health Center, told the Science Media Center in London.
“These data will encourage future inquiries into menstrual symptoms and pathology as indicators of long-term health outcomes and may provide an early opportunity to implement preventive strategies to improve women’s health over a lifetime,” Maybin said, researching.
Studies have shown that irregular and long menstrual cycles are associated with an increased risk of major chronic diseases such as ovarian cancer, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and mental health problems.
In particular, research published Wednesday in the BMJ Medical Journal found that women between the ages of 18 and 22 and between 29 and 46 years of age with a normal cycle length of 40 days or more reported that they were more likely to die prematurely As before before the age of 70 – in the same age range compared to women with a normal cycle length of 26 to 31 days.
The link to heart disease-related deaths was stronger than deaths from cancer or other causes.
Authors Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, Michigan State University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China.
No reason for alarm
Experts said that women who experience irregular or long menstrual cycles should not be alarmed by the findings of the study. “It’s important to remember that irregular menstruation is a symptom, not a diagnosis,” she said.
“Among the specific underlying causes of irregular menstruation, the risk of premature death may be higher than irregular bleeding. We already know that women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have an increased risk of the main causes of irregular periods. Diabetes, high blood pressure and hypertension. Women with PCOS talk to their doctor to reduce these risks, ”he said.
This study was observable and could establish only a relationship between irregular or prolonged menstrual cycles and premature death, not a causal link. Other insecure factors could have influenced the results.
Maybin noted that all of the participants in the study are registered nurses. Shift work, especially night shifts, has a significant effect on long-term health. Abigail Fraser, a reader of epidemiology at the University of Bristol, said the study did not take into account socioeconomic status.
The researchers said the study had some limitations, as participants had to rely on their own recall of their menstrual cycle, which would not be entirely accurate, the researchers said.
However, the authors said in a statement that studies like this “present as strong evidence as possible for this question” because menstrual cycles cannot be disrupted.
An extra important hint
Like temperature and pulse rate, it should be used to assess a patient’s overall health, and doctors should try to identify abnormal menstrual patterns in adolescence. This new study suggests that this applies to all women throughout their reproductive lives.
“The key issue illustrated by this study is that menstrual regularity and reproductive health provide a window to overall long-term health,” said Leeds Teaching Hospital’s reproductive medicine professor and obstetricians and obstetricians in the UK. Spokesman for gynecologists on reproductive medicine.
“Young women with irregular periods need a thorough assessment not only of their hormones and metabolism but also of their lifestyle so that they can give advice about their steps that can improve their overall health,” Bellen said in the study.
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