Long menstrual cycles up risk of early death
Women with cycles of 40 days or longer, or cycles too irregular to estimate, may have undiagnosed conditions, reports BMJ research
Women who have unusually long or irregular menstrual cycles throughout their reproductive lifespan are more likely to experience premature death than those with regular cycles – especially if they smoke – a study suggests.
US researchers examined data on more than 79,500 premenopausal women who had no history of cancer, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes.
They provided information on the length and duration of their menstrual cycles at ages 14-17, 18-22, and 29-46.
During 1.88 million person-years of follow-up, 1,975 women died before age 70, the BMJ study showed.
