A shorter-than-average menstrual cycle — 25 days or fewer between periods — might predict early onset of menopause and more menopausal symptoms, including more severe issues, according to research published in the journal Menopause.
Researchers found that, as women approached menopause in midlife, those with short cycles were more likely to have sleep problems, heart discomfort, depression, and physical or mental exhaustion than those whose menstrual cycles were closer to either a normal or longer length (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 tracked for nearly two decades.