According to a new study, early menstruation increases the chances of hot flashes and night sweats later during menopause. The study was done by the researchers from the University of Queensland and has been published in an International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

To conduct the study, data from more than 18,000 middle-aged women from the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia was collected. The data was analysed by the School of Public Health researchers.

Dr Hsin-Fang Chung from the University of Queensland said that the study showed that girls who started menstruating at the age of 11 years or before had 50 per cent higher chances of experiencing the two symptoms. The symptoms are also called vasomotor symptoms during menopause.

The data collected from the study was compared to the data of women who started menstruating at the age of 14 or later.

It was found that women who started menstruating early had higher chances of experiencing the two symptoms, rather than just one symptom alone.

Previous researchers have also linked early menstruation with the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Obesity also plays a major role. Women who started menstruating early and were overweight during their mid-life were at two times greater risk of experiencing hot flashes and night sweats as compared to women who started menstruating at the age of 14 or after that and had a normal weight.

Thus, the study indicated that women who start menstruating early should pay attention to getting enough physical activity during their adulthood to reduce their risk of experiencing menopausal symptoms later.