What: Heavy, prolonged periods are the norm for one out of three women in menopause, according to a study from the Menopause Society. But you may not be surprised to learn that phenomenon hasn’t been studied much, nor have the potential side effects of prolonged bleeding…like fatigue.

Key line: “To the authors’ knowledge, the study is the first to evaluate over time the association between heavy and prolonged menstrual bleeding among premenopausal and perimenopausal women and their reports of fatigue or vitality. ‘Menstruation remains a subject cloaked in silence and associated with taboos, even within the realm of scientific inquiry,’ said lead study author Dr. Siobán Harlow, professor emeritus of epidemiology and of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan, via email. ‘Lack of dialogue about menstruation, particularly about the changes in bleeding patterns as women approach menopause, leads to women’s lack of knowledge about what is normal.’”

Source: CNN, Menopause Society