Research lists first signs of menopause

Source: Agencies  |   2008-7-1  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

SHORTENED time between menstrual periods may be the first sign of menopause for many women, while heavy bleeding may have other causes, a new American study shows.

Researchers found that among women between the ages of 42 and 52, those in the early stage of menopause commonly had shortened intervals between periods - fewer than 21 days. Often, these periods were "anovulatory," meaning the women had bleeding but did not ovulate.

In contrast, longer intervals between periods - more than 36 days - were more common later in menopause, the study found, the researchers report in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.

However, heavy bleeding appeared to be unrelated to ovulation, according to the investigators, led by Dr Bradley J. Van Voorhis, of the University of Iowa College of Medicine in Iowa City.

Instead, heavy bleeding was more often seen in women who were obese or had uterine fibroids, which are non-cancerous growths that can cause pain as well as heavy menstrual bleeding.

The findings are based on 804 American women who were followed for three years. During that time, they periodically gave urine samples so the researchers could determine whether they were ovulating; they also recorded their monthly menstrual patterns on calendars.

Women were separated into groups based on their current menstrual patterns. Those who'd had unpredictable periods for the past three months were considered to be in the early phases of menopause; those who'd skipped two periods or more were considered to be in the late phases.

In general, the researchers found, short intervals between periods were common among women in early menopause, and 44 percent of their periods were anovulatory. Longer intervals were more common in late menopause.