Heavy periods study to create world's largest biobank

Professor Gemma Sharp, from the University of Exeter, hopes the study will be "a real game changer" for menstrual health research A major new research project aiming to transform care for women with heavy periods is to create the world's largest menstrual fluid biobank. The CycleTrack study hopes to improve understanding of heavy menstrual bleeding and related conditions such as endometriosis and fibroids, helping speed up diagnosis and treatment for millions of women.

Led Professor Gemma Sharp shared the study was going to be "a real game changer" for menstrual health research and could cut waiting times for effective treatment. Supercars seized ahead of wedding after M5 matter Autistic DJ befriended at festival given 'dream' set Drought leaves 'barely any apples' to make cider As part of the study, researchers are working with women who have personal experience of heavy periods.

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Maria Lewis Weston-Super-Mare Lived Updates

Maria Lewis, 34, from Weston-super-Mare, has lived with heavy menstrual bleeding since she first started menstruating and was diagnosed with endometriosis last year. She has taken part in the Children of the 90s , external study since childhood and was keen to support the latest research. Describing the impact of her condition, she shared: "It's horrific.

I'm in pain every day." Although she cannot take part in the menstrual fluid collection because she takes hormonal contraception to manage her symptoms and no longer menstruates, she believes the research could help improve understanding of conditions affecting women. She shared: "Absolutely, it needs more of a platform and a louder voice." Maria Lewis, who suffers from heavy periods, says she is in pain on a daily basis Researchers say menstrual health remains poorly understood despite being a key indicator of overall health, partly because of a lack of high-quality data.

Recent studies have suggested heavy periods can affect many aspects of daily life , external , including educational attainment and school attendance. The study will recruit participants from two long-running birth cohort studies: Children of the 90s in south-west England and Born in Bradford in West Yorkshire.

Thousands of volunteers will use a specialist app and detailed questionnaires to record symptoms, sleep, mood, energy levels and overall wellbeing.

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They Believe Findings Could Updates

They believe the findings could lead to earlier diagnosis, more personalised treatment plans and new methods of identifying health risks linked to heavy periods, including iron deficiency. The project is being led She shared: "HMB is excessive menstrual blood loss that interferes with your physical, social, emotional and/or quality of life.

"It can occur with or without underlying pathology such as fibroids, hormonal issues.

Professor Sharp shared CycleTrack would be the largest bank of dried menstrual fluid samples in the world. She added: "We'll be able to understand what causes different conditions, like endometriosis, fibroids, the impact of those conditions on other areas of life, and then hopefully new ways to predict, prevent, and treat those symptoms as well." Researchers say the work could help address long-standing gaps in understanding menstrual health and improve support for millions of women.

The CycleTrack , external team hopes the large volume of data generated The information could also help shape future guidance for schools and employers on supporting people affected Scientists say many women face delays in diagnosis and treatment, while some may not realise symptoms such as extreme tiredness or dizziness can be linked to blood loss and iron deficiency.

Sample collection is due to begin this month, with researchers expecting data from thousands of participants to contribute to what they describe as a step change in understanding menstrual health. All the data will have been collected Preliminary findings will follow Currently only Children of the 90s and Born in Bradford participants can take part, but the research team has a waiting list , external if people are interested in taking part in future studies (funding dependent).

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