Menstruation

Researchers said a blood test can show when a woman may experience her last menstrual period. This was the top story in endocrinology last week.

The amount of anti-Müllerian hormone in the blood can be used to estimate when a woman will undergo her final menstrual period and, in general, does so better than measuring follicle-stimulating hormone, according to an analysis of the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation.

Results from a phase 3 trial of linzagolix showed that the therapy was effective in reducing heavy menstrual bleeding caused by uterine fibroids, according to a press release issued by the manufacturer, ObsEva.

Apple recently announced that it will partner with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to create the first long-term study on a large scale focused on menstrual cycles and gynecologic conditions. The Apple Women’s Health Study, using the capabilities of the Apple Watch, will inform screening and risk assessment of women’s health conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, infertility, osteoporosis, pregnancy and menopausal transition.

Apple announced that it is launching three studies leveraging the Apple Watch’s capabilities to allow people to track their heart rate and movement, to allow women to track their menstrual cycles and to determine how routine sound exposure affects hearing.