US and Chinese researchers conducted a study on the menstrual cycle of women. According to the results, an irregular menstrual cycle may be a sign of increased risks of premature mortality. For scientists, the menstrual cycle is a vital clinical sign for all women.
A regular menstrual cycle testifies to the normal functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis. In women, therefore, it is a clinical marker that makes it possible to understand the general state of health . However, an irregular menstrual cycle can be the sign of a disruption of this axis. In the past, researchers have associated disruption of the menstrual cycle with non-communicable diseases. These include type 2 diabetes, ovarian cancer, coronary heart disease and mental health issues.
Attempting to explain this phenomenon, the hypotheses favor certain mechanisms possibly linked to a disturbed hormonal environment . For example, hyperinsulinaemia (chronic inflammation) or metabolic disorders. The impact of such a cycle on mortality is also relatively unknown, as evidenced by the limited availability of data on the subject. The study published in the British Medical Journal on September 30, 2020 was intended to provide more data about the links between these two variables.
The data collected by researchers from the universities of Harvard, Michigan (United States) and Huazhong (China) come from the Nurse Health Study II. This is a cohort composed mainly of nurses. Thus, the study does not concern a representative sample of the female population of the United States. The data relate to the menstrual cycle of these women between 14 and 17 years old, between 18 and 22 years old and finally between 29 and 46 years old. According to the results, the risk of premature mortality, namely dying before the age of 70, increases by 73% in the case of women with an irregular cycle, or cycles abnormally spaced in time. This correlation is also stronger for women with cardiovascular disease or subject to smoking.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has previously discussed the need to view the menstrual cycle as a vital sign of adolescent health. Nevertheless, the study makes it possible to understand that this is not limited to adolescent girls but concerns all women. The researchers believe that caregivers need to be more aware of the characteristics of the menstrual cycle in women throughout their reproductive years. The goal ? Avoid long-term health problems by modifying lifestyle women at risk.
