As it turns out, too early puberty in girls may indicate an increased risk of health problems well into adulthood.
This is reported by the Dr. Evin website.
Girls can get their first period at different ages. In European girls, the first menstruation usually occurs at 12-13 years of age. But it happens that it happens later or earlier. And the latter option in our days occurs more often, and sometimes parents have to buy pads for their ten-year-old daughter.
As scientists have found out, getting your period too early can be a worrying sign. And it's not about reproductive health risks. The study found that girls who menstruate at a very young age are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and adult-onset stroke.
Researchers at Tulane University in Louisiana examined data from more than 17,000 women between the ages of 20 and 65 between 1999 and 2018.
They were divided into groups depending on the age at which they had their first period: 10 years and younger, 11, 12, 13, 15 years and older. The authors of the paper then monitored their health status.
During the years of follow-up, 1773 individuals (10%) developed type 2 diabetes, and among this group, 205 women also reported some type of cardiovascular disease.
The data were then analyzed. It turned out that women who had their first menstruation before the age of 13 had a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes in adulthood.
It was found that those who started menstruating at age 10 or younger had an increased risk of 32%. Those who experienced menstruation at age 11 had a 14% higher risk, and at age 12 had a 29% higher risk.
In addition to the fact that in diabetic women, an earlier age of menstrual onset was associated with an increased risk of stroke. Diabetic ladies who faced their first period at age 10 or earlier had a threefold increased risk.
According to scientists, these results are due to the fact that in women with an earlier age of menarche, the body is exposed to estrogen for a longer period of time. In addition, early menstruation is initially associated with higher levels of this hormone.
The authors of the paper emphasize: although the association between age of first menstruation and stroke complications weakened slightly after accounting for weight, it was still statistically significant.
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