A shorter-than-average menstrual cycle (25 days or less between periods) may predict earlier onset of menopause and more menopausal symptoms, including more serious problems, according to published research in Menopause magazine.
Researchers found that as women approached menopause in midlife, those with shorter cycles were more likely to have trouble sleeping, heart trouble, depression, and physical or mental exhaustion than those whose menstrual cycles were closer. than normal or of a longer duration (26 to 34 days from the first day of one period to the first day of the next). The findings were based on data from 634 women who were followed for almost two decades.
