--- title: Are menstrual cycle features and premenstrual symptoms inherited? description: Menarche age, cycle regularity, and premenstrual symptom reporting may be inherited, but menstrual cycle length may not be. The findings should be interpreted url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/genetic-and-environmental-variation-in-menstrual-cycle-histories-of-two-british-1987/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Are menstrual cycle features and premenstrual symptoms inherited? Survey study, 1987 # Are menstrual cycle features and premenstrual symptoms inherited? Menarche age, cycle regularity, and premenstrual symptom reporting may be inherited, but menstrual cycle length may not be. The findings should be interpreted cautiously. Early or limited evidence 462 female twin pairs from UK volunteer and population registers ## What they did 462 female twin pairs completed questionnaires about menstrual cycles. Researchers used statistical models to separate genetic from environmental factors. ## What they found Age of menarche, menstrual cycle regularity, and premenstrual symptom reporting showed signs of being heritable. Menstrual cycle length did not. Results were not fully replicated in the smaller of the two samples studied. ## What it means for you Some aspects of PMS and menstrual patterns may run in families, but the study has limits. The findings were not consistent across both groups, and asking women to remember past cycles has been questioned as a method. 462 twin pairs studied two samples analyzed separately not all variables replicated in smaller sample ## About the study Original title Genetic and environmental variation in menstrual cycle: histories of two British twin samples Authors van den Akker OB, Stein GS, Neale MC et al. Journal Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae Year 1987 Study design Survey study Participants 462 What was tested None Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1017/s0001566000006929](https://doi.org/10.1017/s0001566000006929) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Randomised trial, 2026 Does aerobic or resistance exercise reduce anxiety in women with PMS? Cohort study, 2025 How common is PMS in Chinese teenage girls, and what factors are linked to it? Systematic review, 2025 Does alcohol use affect menstrual health in teenage girls? Systematic review, 2025 Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS? Randomised trial, 2024 Does curcumin-piperine combination improve antioxidant activity in women with PMS and period pain? Systematic review, 2024 How common is premenstrual syndrome in Africa, and what factors increase the risk? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗