The conclusion was published by researchers of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health (USA), published in the scientific journal BMJ on September 30, based on the health assessment of 79,505 women in many countries.
The study started in 1993 when most of these women were in their 30s and 40s. After nearly 30 years of collecting statistical information on the health and pathology of these 79,505 people, researchers found that people with irregular periods or longer than 32 days often have a low life expectancy. While women with regular cycles of 28-30 days live a long life, the rest of the group usually does not exceed the age of 70.
A menstrual cycle is counted from the first day of the period to the first day of the next visit. A woman’s menstrual cycle is usually around 28 days long, but sometimes 25-35 days.
According to the researchers, irregular menstrual cycles that last for many years in adulthood are associated with a higher risk of developing cancer or cardiovascular disease.
This risk is higher in people whose menstrual cycles exceed 40 days.
Compared with women who have regular cycles, the irregular cycle group has a higher body mass index (BMI), a risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, endometriosis, and easy development of disease in the uterus, susceptible to diabetes.
Hormonal disorders are believed to be part of the reason for low life expectancy in this group of women, researchers believe.
Out of nearly 80,000 women, 1,975 had irregular periods and died before the age of 70, 894 died from cancer, and 172 from cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Jorge E. Chavarro, Department of Nutrition and Epidemiology at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, said there is a lot of scientific literature on the relationship between health problems and the risk of chronic diseases. with the menstrual cycle.
Dr. Chavarro hopes the study will raise health care providers’ awareness that the menstrual cycle could be a “key marker” when evaluating a woman’s health. Women concerned about this finding should contact their doctor for resolution.
After the research published in the scientific journal BMJ, scientists around the world agreed and said that this finding, although limited, was only studying the health of white women, but the conclusion was it’s correct.
Frans M. Helmerhorst, a medical doctor at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands, said this new study complements previous research that irregular menstrual cycles may be associated with cardiovascular disease and death from obesity.
Doctors at the British Fertility Association say that many women suffer from menstrual disorders due to causes such as work, nighttime sleep, nutrition, or depression.
Therefore, women with irregular periods need a comprehensive assessment not only of their hormones and metabolism but also of their lifestyle so that they can be consulted to improve their overall health.
