Menstrual characteristics associated with endometriosis
Abstract
This case-controlled study investigates whether the presence of menstrual characteristics, which may increase the exposure of the peritoneal cavity to retrograde menstruation, increases the risk of developing endometriosis. The menstrual characteristics considered were 1. age at menarche of less than 12 years, 2. duration of menstrual flow greater than five days and 3. menstrual cycle lengths of < 28 days. The frequency with which these menstrual characteristics occurred in 305 women with proven endometriosis was compared with their frequency in 305 age-matched women without endometriosis. Adjusting for the confounding factors of parity, age at first childbirth and social class, the only menstrual characteristic that was significantly associated with endometriosis was menstrual cycle lengths of less than 28 days (odds ratio 1.83; 95% confidence intervals 1.60-2.55). There was insufficient evidence to conclude that the presence of menstrual characteristics which may increase the exposure of the peritoneal cavity to retrograde menstruation, increase a women's risk of developing endometriosis. The association of short menstrual cycle lengths with endometriosis may have been consequential rather than causal.
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Women with endometriosis demonstrate shorter menstrual cycles relative to unaffected women.
“Women with endometriosis, by contrast, demonstrate shorter menstrual cycles relative to unaffected women (Arumugam & Lim, 1997; Wei et al., 2016; Yasui et al., 2015).”
From Endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome are diametric disorders (2021) · cites this paper as Arumugam & Lim, 1997
Age at menarche and menstrual cycle characteristics have been robustly associated with endometriosis.
“as they [1] have been robustly associated with endometriosis (34–38)”
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“Women with endometriosis, by contrast, demonstrate shorter menstrual cycles relative to unaffected women (Arumugam & Lim, 1997; Wei et al., 2016; Yasui et al., 2015).”
BackgroundDoroftei, B., Ilie, O.-D., Balmus, I.-M., Ciobica, A., Maftei, R., Scripcariu, I., Simionescu, G., Grab, D., Stoian, I., & Ilea, C. (2021) · Diagnostics · doi:10.3390/diagnostics11081434 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Arumugam, K., & Lim, J. M. H.
- Affiliations
- University of Malaya (MY)
- Corresponding author
- Arumugam, Kulenthran
- ORCID
- Lim, Jason M. H.
- Venue
- BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1997-08
- Volume
- 104
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 948-950
- ISSN
- 0306-5456 (ISSN-L)
- 1470-0328
- 1471-0528
- OpenAlex
- W2079607212
- Cited by
- 94
- References
- 14
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 7 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 1.66
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Endometriosis Research and Treatment
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Menstrual Health and Disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Ectopic Pregnancy Diagnosis and Management
- Keywords
- endometriosis, menstrual characteristics, retrograde menstruation, menstrual cycle length, age at menarche, menstrual flow duration, endometriosis risk factors
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Endometriosis, Female, Humans, Maternal Age, Menarche, Menstrual Cycle, Menstruation, Risk Factors, Case-Control Studies
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