Puberty timing has profound effect on later health, study finds

Early puberty in men and women is linked with higher risks for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and a range of other adverse health outcomes, a large study published in Scientific Reports has found.1

Research carried out by the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge found that earlier and later puberty timing in men and women were both associated with 48 adverse outcomes across a range of cancers, as well as cardiometabolic, gynaecological/obstetric, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, and neurocognitive categories. Early and late menarche were both associated with a higher risk of early natural menopause in women.

The UK …