MENORRHAGIA - A SEARCH FOR EPIDEMIOLOGIC RISK MARKERS

Objective: To isolate epidemiological risk factors for menorrhagia. Me thods: Menstrual blood loss (MBL) of one bleeding episode of 182 healt hy women was measured with the alkaline hematin method and the results were related to age, parity, body mass index and smoking habits. Mult iple and logistic regression analysis was performed to isolate the var iables that most influence MBL. Two consecutive menstrual episodes wer e measured in 117 women, to determine individual constancy. Results: M BL increased significantly with age (Kruskal-Wallis, P < 0.03) and the percentage of women with menorrhagia was significantly higher above 4 0 years of age (Mann-Whitney's ranks sum test, P < 0.05). The odds rat io of parous:nulliparous women for menorrhagia was 2.27:1, but after a djustment for age this influence disappeared. Body mass index and smok ing habits were not significantly related to menorrhagia. The mean dif ference between the MBL of two consecutive menstruations is 2.1 ml (S. E.: 1.7, 95% CI: -1.3 to 5.5 ml). Conclusions: Only age could be indic ated as a risk marker for menorrhagia. Parity, body mass index and smo king habits appear to have no significant effect on MBL, when adjusted for age. The individual constancy in MBL between two consecutive cycl es is very high and therefore one single measurement suffices in studi es of MBL. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.