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Reproductive endocrinology

The genetics behind age at menarche

Nature Reviews Endocrinology volume 20, page 508 (2024)Cite this article

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The first menstrual period, or menarche, is an important milestone in female sexual maturation. Studies have begun to determine how genetic variation influences age at menarche (AAM), with a large study recently published in Nature Genetics adding considerably to this knowledge base.

To study the effect of common genetic variants on AAM, the researchers performed the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) to date focused on this topic, using genomic data from approximately 800,000 women. They also looked at rare genetic variants using an exome-wide association study that included over 220,000 women.

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  1. Nature Reviews Endocrinology http://www.nature.com/nrendo/

    Senegal Carty

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  1. Senegal Carty
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Correspondence to Senegal Carty.

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Carty, S. The genetics behind age at menarche. Nat Rev Endocrinol 20, 508 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-024-01020-9

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