Irregular Cycle May Increase Diabetes Risk

Women With Long Or Irregular Menstrual Cycles Have Twice The Risk

Women who have long or very irregular menstrual cycles have an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.

Dr. Caren G. Solomon and colleagues from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston used data from the Nurses' Health Study II to assess the risk of type 2 diabetes in women with a history of long or highly irregular menstrual cycles.

The study, published in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association, found that women whose cycles were long -- 40 days or longer -- or very irregular had about twice the risk of developing diabetes compared with women with a usual cycle length of 26 to 31 days.

And the risk was greater for women who were obese, the researchers said.

According to background information in the article, other studies have shown an association between long or irregular menstrual cycles and insulin resistance. Whether menstrual cycle irregularities predict future risk of type 2 diabetes has been unknown.

Additional findings in this study indicate that women with short cycles tended to be nonwhite, smokers, have a family history of type 2 diabetes and have a history of oral contraception use when they entered the Nurses' Health Study II.

The researchers suggested that, based on these findings, women with menstrual cycle irregularities and a family history of diabetes should take steps to reduce their own risk, such as weight control and exercise.

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