Your Monthly Cycle Is A Vital Sign?
Tampons and menstrual pads arranged on yellow and green background.
For centuries, practitioners of Traditional East Asian Medicine have recognized that the menstrual cycle reveals profound insights into overall health. Ancient texts, such as Fu Qing Zhu's volumes on Fu Ke/Gynecology and Zhang Zhong Jing’s Jing Gui Yao Lue/Essential Prescriptions from the Golden Cabinet, detailed how menstrual patterns reflect the body's physiology and how to address related pathologies. Today, groundbreaking research published in Fertility and Sterility Reviews affirms this ancient wisdom, showing that the menstrual cycle should be considered a vital sign alongside blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature.
Why Your Period Deserves the Same Attention as Your Blood Pressure
When you visit your doctor, measuring your vital signs is routine. But for women and people with a uterus, one crucial indicator of health is often overlooked: menstrual cycle patterns. A comprehensive review by researchers from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health reveals that menstrual cycles meet all criteria for vital signs—they predict health outcomes, indicate treatment needs, and monitor clinical progress.
The research, led by Ana K. Rosen Vollmar and colleagues, examined thousands of studies to demonstrate how menstrual cycle characteristics serve as powerful predictors of both immediate and long-term health outcomes. "The menstrual cycle is a vital sign from menarche through menopause, an underused but powerful tool for understanding gynecological and general health," the authors conclude.
Umm, yeah, East Asian Medicine has used it as a primary health assessment for centuries.
Beyond Reproduction: How Your Cycle Affects Your Entire Body
Many people view menstruation solely through a reproductive lens, but the research reveals far broader implications. Throughout the menstrual cycle, hormonal fluctuations create measurable changes in:
Cardiovascular function: Blood pressure and heart rate increase during the luteal phase
Thermoregulation: Body temperature rises by 0.5°F after ovulation
Immune system activity: Inflammatory markers and immune cell counts fluctuate cyclically
Metabolism: Energy intake and metabolic rate increase in the luteal phase
Neurological function: Sleep patterns and circadian rhythms shift across the cycle
These changes aren't simply inconveniences—they're windows into how well your body's complex systems are functioning.
East Asian Medicine emphasizes the assessment of the menstrual blood quality, color, quantity, and duration of flow as a health indicator. Specific details are correlated to diagnostic patterns outlined in the Chinese classics. For example, thin, pale-colored menstrual blood can indicate Blood Vacuity, which may be related to anemia.
Early Warning System: What Your Cycle Reveals About Future Health
Perhaps most compelling is the research showing how menstrual patterns predict long-term health outcomes. The analysis of nearly one million participants revealed that people with irregular or long cycles face significantly increased risks for:
Type 2 diabetes: 17-66% higher risk for those with irregular cycles
Cardiovascular disease: 8-40% increased risk associated with cycle irregularities
Cancer: 11% higher risk of any cancer, 23% higher risk of obesity-related cancers
Premature mortality: 18-40% increased risk depending on cycle characteristics
These associations remained significant even when researchers accounted for other health conditions, suggesting that menstrual cycle patterns provide unique health information not captured by other measures.
Recognizing the Warning Signs
The research identifies several menstrual patterns that warrant medical attention:
Cycle length irregularities: Normal cycles occur every 24-38 days. Consistently shorter or longer cycles, or significant month-to-month variation, may indicate hormonal imbalances or underlying conditions.
Bleeding abnormalities: Heavy bleeding affecting quality of life, bleeding lasting more than 8 days, or irregular bleeding between periods can signal everything from bleeding disorders to structural abnormalities.
Absent periods: Amenorrhea in people who aren't pregnant, breastfeeding, or using hormonal contraception requires evaluation for conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), thyroid disorders, or eating disorders.
Cyclical symptoms: Severe mood changes, migraines, or other symptoms that consistently coincide with specific cycle phases may indicate conditions requiring targeted treatment.
The Mind-Body Connection: Mental Health and Menstrual Cycles
The research also confirms what many people experience firsthand—mental health conditions often fluctuate with menstrual cycles. Depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and even seizure disorders frequently worsen during the premenstrual phase or menstruation. Understanding these patterns allows for more targeted treatment approaches and better symptom management.
From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Medicine
Traditional East Asian Medicine's emphasis on menstrual health as a reflection of overall well-being aligns remarkably with this modern research. Practitioners understood that "blood stasis," irregular qi dynamics, and organ system imbalances would manifest in menstrual irregularities. While the language differs, both traditions recognize menstruation as a barometer of health that extends far beyond reproduction.
Taking Action: How to Track Your Cycle as a Vital Sign
The research emphasizes that effective cycle tracking involves more than marking period dates on a calendar. Comprehensive tracking includes:
Cycle length and regularity
Bleeding duration and flow including color, viscosity, and heaviness of flow.
Associated symptoms (pain, mood changes, headaches)
Cyclical patterns in energy, sleep, and appetite
Physical signs like basal body temperature or cervical fluid changes
Modern period-tracking apps can facilitate this process, though the researchers note that many apps lack accuracy and evidence-based features. Consider apps that do not use predictive modeling and only collect and map data associated with each cycle. Basal body temperature charting, the Mira or Inito devices, and Oura rings are good choices. The key is consistent, detailed tracking that you can share with healthcare providers without creating additional stress.
Revolutionizing Healthcare Through Menstrual Awareness
This research represents a paradigm shift toward recognizing menstrual health as integral to overall wellbeing. For too long, period problems have been dismissed as "just part of being a woman" or treated as isolated reproductive issues. The evidence clearly demonstrates that menstrual cycles provide valuable insights into cardiovascular, metabolic, immune, and neurological health.
Healthcare providers should routinely ask about menstrual patterns, just as they check blood pressure and temperature. People with menstrual cycles should feel empowered to track their patterns and discuss them with their healthcare teams as important health information.
By elevating menstrual cycle tracking to a vital sign status, we honor both ancient wisdom and modern science, while taking a crucial step toward more comprehensive and personalized healthcare for women and people with a uterus. Your cycle isn't just about reproduction—it's a monthly report card on your overall health that deserves serious attention and respect.
In Portland, Oregon, Dr. Lee Hullender Rubin, DAoM, MS, LAc, FABORM, can help you regulate your menstrual cycle with acupuncture and the whole system of Traditional East Asian Medicine. Contact us to learn more.
Source: Rosen Vollmar, A. K., Mahalingaiah, S., & Jukic, A. M. (2025). The menstrual cycle as a vital sign: a comprehensive review. F S Rev, 6(1), 100081.
Photo by Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition on Unsplash