The correlation between menstrual characteristics and fertility in women of reproductive age: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE 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 as well as fertility. OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlation between menstrual characteristics and fertility in women of reproductive age. DATA SOURCES A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane libraries to identify research articles published up until February 9, 2024. STUDY SELECTION AND SYNTHESIS: 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, the application of assisted reproductive technologies, and individuals with a documented history of infertility or partners with a known history of infertility. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Clinical pregnancy and miscarriage. RESULT(S) 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 (25-32 days), the impact of a short (<25 days) or long (>32 days) menstrual cycle on a woman's pregnancy was relatively insignificant ([odds ratio {OR}, 0.81; 95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.65-1.01; I2, 68%]; [OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.75-1.06; I2, 60%], respectively); however, a change in cycle length may increase the risk of miscarriage ([relative risk, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.11-3.15; I2, 0]; [relative risk, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.07, 2.57; I2, 43%], respectively). In comparison to women experiencing menarche at a typical age (12-14 years), those with a late age at menarche (>14 years) exhibited a decreased likelihood of pregnancy (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.91-0.93; I2, 0%); and compared with women experiencing a normal duration of menstrual bleeding (4-7 days), those with a short duration of menstrual bleeding (<4 days) exhibited reduced fertility potential (OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.84-0.88; I2, 29%). CONCLUSION(S) Short and long menstrual cycle lengths may elevate women's susceptibility to spontaneous abortion, whereas late age at menarche as well as short duration of menstrual bleeding appear to be linked to diminished fertility among women of reproductive age. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION PROSPERO CRD42023487458 (9 December 2023).