Type 1 Diabetes Associated with Menstrual Problems

According to results of a recent study published in Diabetes Care, women with type 1 diabetes who are under age 30 may be more likely to experience menstrual problems, including longer and heavier periods, than those without the condition. They also tend to begin menstruating at a later age, go through menopause relatively early, and tend to become pregnant less often.

In the study, Elsa S. Strotmeyer, MPH, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh, and her colleagues reviewed questionnaires on menstrual and reproductive health from 143 women with type 1 diabetes, 186 of their sisters without diabetes, and 158 unrelated women also free of diabetes. The women were, on average, 42 years old at the time of the survey, although some were old enough to report their age at menopause.The good news is that the study focused on women now in their 40s. But improvements in treatment in the past 2 decades may make the problem for today?s 20-somethings less prevalent than in the past.