You remember yours first menstrual cycle? That day that changed your life, which marked the transition from childhood to adolescence. A moment that many women do not forget. Still, what we often don’t know is that the age in which the first menstruation arrives it can also say a lot about ours future health.
To say it is one Brazilian study just presented in San Franciscoduring the congress of theSociety Endocrinewhich analyzed beyond 7,600 women between 35 and 74 years old. The results make you think: who has had the cycle before 10 years or After 15 he risks much more to develop chronic diseasescompared to those who had the menarca in a “normal” age, that is, between 10 and 15 years.
Why can the out -of -law menarca create serious health problems?
In detail, the women who have had the cycle very soon they were more subject to obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular problems and also complications in pregnancylike preeclampsia. In short, a longer exposure to estrogen – the female hormone that regulates the cycle – seems to increase the risks for the heart, metabolism and mental health.
On the contrary, those who have had the cycle over 15 years they showed Less probability of being obesebut more cases of menstrual irregularities And Some heart diseases. In addition, other studies have connected the late menarca to a greater risk of osteoporosis, fractures and Alzheimer’sprobably because of a less exposure to estrogenfundamental for the health of bones and brain.
The team led by Flávia Rezende Tinano of the University of San Paolo divided the participants into three groups: early menarca (before 10 years), standard (10-15 years) And late (after 15). In addition to the interviews, women were subjected to physical exams, laboratory analysis and ultrasounds. The picture that emerged is clear: The age of the first cycle is not only a stage of growth, but a health indicator long -term.
Why do the girls today have a cycle before?
Another point on which the researchers are questioning is Because today’s girls start to always menstruate before. In the 1950s and 1960s, the average age of the first cycle was approximately 12.5 years. Today, between the born between 2000 and 2005, the average dropped to 11.9 years.
According to the experts, among the main causes there would be the increase in childhood obesityexposure to chemicals that alter the hormonal system – the famous Endocrine interferingpresent in plastic, cosmetics and food – e High levels of psychological stress Even in children.
“Many women remember the moment of the first cycle, but they don’t know that that event can have important consequences on their future health,” explained Dr. Tinano. That’s why it’s important know these ties and talk about it, even with the doctors, for prevent serious disorders such as diabetes or cardiovascular diseases.
There puberty It is not just a phase of life, but A Window on Health. Recognize its signals – too early or too delayed – can help intervene firstchoose healthier lifestyles and monitor the alarm bells more consciously.
