Women with long Covid prone to longer, heavier periods, study finds

Women with long Covid are prone to longer, heavier periods that could put them at greater risk of iron deficiency, which exacerbates common symptoms of the condition, doctors say.

- Ian Sample Science editor

The findings emerged from a survey of more than 12,000 women in the UK, which also found that the severity of long Covid symptoms rose and fell across the menstrual cycle and became worse when women had their periods.

Preliminary tests revealed hormonal changes and excessive inflammation of the womb lining in women with long Covid, the researchers said more work was needed to establish the knock-on effects.

The work points to a two-way effect, with long Covid affecting women's periods and hormonal changes over the menstrual cycle affecting the severity of long Covid symptoms.

"Our hope is that this will allow us to develop really specific treatments for women with long Covid who are suffering with menstrual disturbance," said Dr Jacqueline Maybin, a consultant gynaecologist at the University of Edinburgh Centre for Reproductive Health. "It may also lead to female-specific treatments for long Covid itself, which we know can be quite prevalent in women of reproductive age."