featured-image

PTI New Delhi, May 30 Early menstruation, or periods, in young girls has been linked to childhood obesity and a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, a new study has found. The research was done on more than 70,000 women in the US. The average age of getting the first period fell from 12.

5 years among women born from 1950-1969 to 11.9 years among women born from 2000-2005, according to the study led by Harvard University's School of Public Health. The trends were found to be more stark in women belonging to racial minorities like Black, Hispanic, Asian, or mixed race and in women rating themselves as low in socioeconomic status.



The study, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open, is the first to discern menstrual trends in women across races and social strata, according to the researchers. “Continuing to investigate early menarche and its drivers is critical,” said corresponding author Zifan Wang, a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard's School of Public Health. "Early menarche is associated with higher risk of adverse health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer,” he said.

“To address these health concerns, which our findings suggest may begin to impact more people, with disproportionate impact on already disadvantaged populations, we need much more investment in menstrual health research," Wang said. The research also found that menstrual cycles are taking time bef.

Back to Health Page