KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 — The Apple Women’s Health Study is still the most publicised wide-scale research study on women’s health and this year, more preliminary findings have been revealed, pertaining to that cornerstone of women’s health: periods.
Menstruation cycle tracking apps have been around for more than a decade and the data they provide can be useful for women not just to prepare for coming periods, but as a fertility predictor and means to assist diagnosis of women’s health issues.
While irregular periods can sometimes occur due to external factors that include diet, sudden weight loss and stress, women who have long experienced irregular periods could have higher risks of uterine cancer.
According to the study, 5.7 per cent of study participants reported that their cycles took five or more years to reach regularity after their first period.
This group of individuals were found to have more than 3.5 times the risk of uterine cancer and more than twice the risk of endometrial hyperplasia.
Endometrial hyperplasia is an abnormal thickening of the uterine lining, where it becomes too thick, causing more than usual vaginal bleeding and in some people, putting them at risk of developing uterine cancer.
The study also looked at women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Twelve per cent of study participants had reported having PCOS, and they had more than four times the risk of endometrial hyperplasia as well as more than 2.5 times the risk of uterine cancer.
Another interesting finding was that after analysing over 125,000 menstrual cycles, researchers found that participants who took a Covid-19 vaccine had slightly longer menstrual cycles in which they received it.
Cycles however returned to normal or pre-vaccination lengths in the following cycle.
In a statement Dr Shruthi Mahalingaiah, Harvard Chan School’s assistant professor of Environmental Reproductive and Women’s Health and co-principal investigator of the Apple Women’s Health Study, said that more awareness on menstrual cycle physiology as well as the impact of PCOS as well as irregular periods on uterine health was needed.
“This analysis highlights the importance of talking to a healthcare provider when menstruators are experiencing persistent changes to their period that span many months,” she said.
What does this mean for women? It is a reminder that knowing your cycles and tracking changes in your period is not a trivial thing — and in the case of PCOS and women with irregular periods, it might just be what makes them more vigilant about possible cancer signs.
Forearmed is forewarned as the saying goes. By using period apps, in tandem with regular consultations with your regular women’s health practitioner, women are now empowered to make better decisions and safeguard their health.
