Do you have an irregular period? It could be an early warning sign of heart ... trends now
Women with irregular menstrual periods appear to face a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease, a new study suggests.
Up to a fifth of American women of reproductive age – roughly 12 million of them – deal with an abnormal period that occurs when the length of one’s menstrual cycle unexpectedly falls outside of the regular range, typically fewer than 21 days or longer than 35 days.
Irregular menstrual periods can be an inconvenience for millions of women at best, but at worst, they increase women’s risk of heart disease by 19 percent and of atrial fibrillation by a staggering 40 percent, according to a team of researchers in China.
The study followed more than 58,000 women for 12 years, after which researchers found roughly 3.4 percent of the women with irregular cycles developed cardiovascular disease compared to about 2.5 percent of those with normal periods.
Dr Huijie Zhang, a professor at Southern Medical University in China and lead author of the study, said: ‘These findings have important public health implications for the prevention of atrial fibrillation and heart attack among women and highlight the importance of monitoring menstrual cycle characteristics throughout a woman’s reproductive life.’
An analysis of data for more than 58,000 women found that short (less than 21 days) as well as long (more than 35 days) menstrual cycles were associated with a higher risk of developing heart disease, atrial fibrillation, and heart attack
The sweeping study reflected health data of more than 58,000 healthy women in the UK who reported on their cycle length at the start of a 12-year follow-up period.
The menstrual cycle is counted from the first day of one period to the first day of the
