%0 Journal Article
%T The correlation between menstrual characteristics and fertility in women of reproductive age: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
%A Cao Y
%A Zhao X
%A Dou Z
%A Gong Z
%A Wang B
%A Xia T
%J Fertil Steril
%V 0
%N 0
%D 2024 Jun 25
%M 38936536
%F 7.49
%R 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2024.06.016
%X <B>OBJECTIVE: </B>Menstruation serves as an indicator of women's reproductive well-being and plays a pivotal role in their fertility; nevertheless, there remains an ongoing debate regarding the epidemiological evidence linking menstrual characteristics and fertility.<BR><B>OBJECTIVE: </B>To explore the correlation between menstrual characteristics and fertility in women of reproductive age.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane libraries to identify research articles published up until 9 February 2024.<BR><B>UNASSIGNED: </B>We included all studies in which the relationship between menstrual characteristics and pregnancy rates among women of reproductive age was investigated. We excluded studies involving the administration of oral contraceptives, application of assisted reproductive technologies, and individuals with a documented history of infertility or partners with a known history of infertility.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>Clinical pregnancy and miscarriage.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>This meta-analysis was composed of nine studies involving a total of 399,966 women, and the evidential quality derived from these studies was deemed to be high with a low risk of bias. Compared with a normal menstrual cycle length (2532 days), the impact of a short (<25 days) or long (>32 days) menstrual cycle on a woman's pregnancy was relatively insignificant (OR=0.81, CI [0.65, 1.01], I2=68%; OR=0.89, CI [0.75, 1.06], I2=60%, respectively); however, a change in cycle length may increase the risk of miscarriage (RR=1.87, CI [1.11, 3.15], I2=0%; RR=1.66, CI [1.07, 2.57], I2=43%, respectively). In comparison to women experiencing menarche at a typical age (1214 years), those with a late age at menarche (>14 years) exhibited a decreased likelihood of pregnancy (OR=0.92, CI [0.91, 0.93], I2=0%); and compared with women experiencing a normal duration of menstrual bleeding (47 days), those with a short duration of menstrual bleeding (<4 days) exhibited reduced fertility potential (OR=0.86, CI [0.84, 0.88], I2=29%).<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Short and long menstrual cycle lengths may elevate women's susceptibility to spontaneous abortion, whereas late age at menarche and short duration of menstrual bleeding appear to be linked to diminished fertility among women of reproductive age.