Prediction of the menopause.
SWAN is an American epidemiological study of the health of middle-aged women.
Data from it was recently published about pattern of hormone production in the run-up to the menopause.
They identified a group of women in their 40s who had had an anovulatory cycle.
They then had follow-up for two years.
Daily monitoring of urinary hormones was done for one month each year.
FSH, LH, oestrogen and progesterone were looked at.
Vasomotor symptoms were recorded.
No patterns emerged.
Having an anovulatory cycle did not predict the arrival of the menopause in the next two years.
Nor did the hormone patterns.
You can find the summary of the study here.