The overlooked connection: Managing menstrual irregularities in chronic conditions - A scoping review
- 1Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- 2Cavarzan Chair in Women’s Research, WCHRI, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- 3Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Abstract
Background: Menstrual irregularities are frequently reported among women living with chronic conditions, yet menstrual health remains inconsistently assessed and poorly integrated into chronic condition management. The extent to which menstrual irregularities are reported, interpreted, and managed across chronic condition contexts has not been comprehensively synthesized.
Objective: To map the existing evidence on the prevalence, types, and management of menstrual irregularities among women of reproductive age with chronic conditions.
Eligibility criteria: Eligible studies included biological females aged 18–45 years with chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and liver disease, reporting menstrual irregularities.
Sources of evidence: A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Systematic searches of MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science, along with grey literature sources, were conducted for English-language studies published from 2010 to 2025. Data was extracted and synthesized.
Charting methods: Four independent reviewers used a standardized form to extract study design, population characteristics, chronic condition, menstrual irregularities, and key findings; discrepancies were resolved through consensus.
Results: Twenty-six studies from 15 countries met the inclusion criteria. Across categories of chronic condition, the most reported menstrual irregularities included amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, polymenorrhea, and menorrhagia, and were consistently associated with adverse cardiometabolic, inflammatory, and quality-of-life outcomes. Reported interventions were heterogeneous and largely symptom-focused, with limited attention to underlying systemic or hormonal mechanisms.
Conclusions: Menstrual irregularities are common among women with chronic conditions and may serve as early clinical markers of systemic dysfunction and disease progression. Integrating standardized menstrual assessment into chronic condition management represents an important opportunity to improve early detection, risk stratification, and patient-centered care. Future research should prioritize longitudinal and interventional studies to inform evidence-based, multidisciplinary models that embed menstrual health as a core component of chronic condition care.
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BibTeX
@article{dueck2026overlooked,
title = {{The overlooked connection: Managing menstrual irregularities in chronic conditions - A scoping review}},
author = {Jennifer L. Dueck and Hilary Hwu and Simin Popat and Alena K. Thompson and Nicole L. Tegg and Colleen M. Norris},
journal = {Women's Health},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1177/17455057261493736},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057261493736},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The overlooked connection: Managing menstrual irregularities in chronic conditions - A scoping review
AU - Jennifer L. Dueck
AU - Hilary Hwu
AU - Simin Popat
AU - Alena K. Thompson
AU - Nicole L. Tegg
AU - Colleen M. Norris
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/29
JO - Women's Health
DO - 10.1177/17455057261493736
UR - https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057261493736
AB - Background: Menstrual irregularities are frequently reported among women living with chronic conditions, yet menstrual health remains inconsistently assessed and poorly integrated into chronic condition management. The extent to which menstrual irregularities are reported, interpreted, and managed across chronic condition contexts has not been comprehensively synthesized. Objective: To map the existing evidence on the prevalence, types, and management of menstrual irregularities among women of reproductive age with chronic conditions. Eligibility criteria: Eligible studies included biological females aged 18–45 years with chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and liver disease, reporting menstrual irregularities. Sources of evidence: A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Systematic searches of MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science, along with grey literature sources, were conducted for English-language studies published from 2010 to 2025. Data was extracted and synthesized. Charting methods: Four independent reviewers used a standardized form to extract study design, population characteristics, chronic condition, menstrual irregularities, and key findings; discrepancies were resolved through consensus. Results: Twenty-six studies from 15 countries met the inclusion criteria. Across categories of chronic condition, the most reported menstrual irregularities included amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, polymenorrhea, and menorrhagia, and were consistently associated with adverse cardiometabolic, inflammatory, and quality-of-life outcomes. Reported interventions were heterogeneous and largely symptom-focused, with limited attention to underlying systemic or hormonal mechanisms. Conclusions: Menstrual irregularities are common among women with chronic conditions and may serve as early clinical markers of systemic dysfunction and disease progression. Integrating standardized menstrual assessment into chronic condition management represents an important opportunity to improve early detection, risk stratification, and patient-centered care. Future research should prioritize longitudinal and interventional studies to inform evidence-based, multidisciplinary models that embed menstrual health as a core component of chronic condition care.
SN - 1745-5057
SN - 1745-5065
ER -