Shruthi Mahalingaiah: Many Patients Want to Know What Happens to Irregular Cycles Over Time
Shruthi Mahalingaiah, Associate Professor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Many patients want to know: what happens to irregular cycles over time?
My team and I have been working to close the gap in research and learn more. Recent findings from the Apple Women’s Health Study, which looked at more than 160,000 menstrual cycles from 15,000+ participants, showed that participants with PCOS and irregular cycles tended to have longer, less predictable cycles when they were younger. Over time, though, those cycles often become shorter and more regular, looking more similar to people who had more regular cycles by about age 40.
After age 50, cycles generally lengthened and become more irregular again for everyone, likely due to the menopausal transition.
Knowing what to expect as you grow older is so important. These findings give people with irregular cycles (and their clinicians) clearer expectations about how menstrual patterns may shift with age.
Read the full study in American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology to learn more.”
Title: Variability of menstrual cycles by age, polycystic ovary syndrome, and early-life cycle irregularity in the apple Women’s Health Study
Authors: Roisin Mortimer, Gowtham Asokan, Donna D. Baird, Allen J. Wilcox, Kayley Abrams, Christine L. Curry, Jukka-Pekka Onnela, Brent A. Coull, Russ Hauser, Michelle A. Williams, Zifan Wang, Shruthi Mahalingaiah
Stay updated on all scientific advances in the field of fertility with Fertility News.
-
Apr 17, 2026, 04:19WHO Raises Alarm Over Global Burden of Child Marriage
-
Apr 17, 2026, 04:11Sign Up for Our Latest BFS Insights Webinar – British Fertility Society
-
Apr 17, 2026, 03:43Chantelle Pereira: Endometriosis Paper Highlights Diagnostic Delays and Gaps in Patient Care
-
Apr 17, 2026, 03:35Tal Varsano: Plasma Proteomic Signature of the Human Menstrual Cycle
-
Apr 17, 2026, 03:30Vacancy for a Friendly Senior Embryologist in Berlin, Germany – ESHRE
-
Apr 17, 2026, 03:05Clinical Study Supports Continued IVF After Unsuccessful First Transfer – RBMO
-
Apr 17, 2026, 02:57Standing Together for Black Maternal Health Week – ACOG
-
Apr 16, 2026, 17:24No Difference Between Natural and Artificial Cycles in Endometrium Cases – RBMO
-
Apr 16, 2026, 17:20Marco Zaccaria: Recognizing Innovation in Adenomyosis Treatment