Review
Version 1
This version is not peer-reviewed
The Menstrual Cycle as a Vital Sign: A Comprehensive Review
Version 1
: Received: 10 July 2024 / Approved: 11 July 2024 / Online: 12 July 2024 (04:21:01 CEST)
How to cite: Rosen Vollmar, A. K.; Mahalingaiah, S.; Jukic, A. M. The Menstrual Cycle as a Vital Sign: A Comprehensive Review. Preprints 2024, 2024070965. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.0965.v1 Rosen Vollmar, A. K.; Mahalingaiah, S.; Jukic, A. M. The Menstrual Cycle as a Vital Sign: A Comprehensive Review. Preprints 2024, 2024070965. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.0965.v1
Abstract
Some medical professional organizations have advocated for including the menstrual cycle as a vital sign in adolescence, but not in adulthood. However, documenting menstrual cycle patterns is not routine clinical or research practice. Vital signs are used to predict health outcomes, indicate needed treatment, and monitor a clinical course. They can help identify pathologies, affirm wellness, and are responsive to exposures. Here we review the scientific evidence showing how the menstrual cycle meets these criteria and should therefore be treated as a vital sign. Using key words and controlled vocabulary terms, we carried out multiple literature searches, prioritizing the inclusion of systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and clinical practice guidelines. This review describes how the menstrual cycle is a health indicator, can cyclically impact health conditions, and its associations with long-term post-menopausal health outcomes. We review exposures influencing the menstrual cycle, evidence underlying its use to optimize wellness, and available tools for documenting cycles. Supplementary materials include patient handouts on menstrual cycle tracking, and an index of related clinical practice guidelines and reviews by subject. The menstrual cycle is a vital sign from menarche through menopause, an underutilized but powerful tool for understanding gynecological and general health.
Keywords
menstrual cycle, menstruation, vital signs, menstrual cycle tracking, menstrual health
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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