Shorter menstrual cycles may affect timing of menopause
Cycle length 'a window into future midlife health' according to US findings
The length of a woman’s menstrual cycle may provide clues about the severity of symptoms to be experienced during menopause and when it will start, research suggests.
In the study of more than 600 women, researchers found that women with short menstrual cycles (less than 25 days) during their reproductive years were likely to experience more menopause symptoms.
They were also more likely to start menopause earlier than women with normal menstrual cycles (26 to 34 days).
Dr Chrisandra Shufelt, president of the North American Menopause Society, which published the findings, said the menstrual cycle was a biologic marker of overall health.
