Abstract:
Background: Menorrhagia, characterised by menstrual blood loss exceeding 80 mL per cycle,
is a common issue in Western Kenya. However, there are insufficient data on how hormonal
disorders contribute to its occurrence.
Objective: This study aimed to examine the differences and associations between thyroid and
reproductive hormone levels in women with menorrhagia versus those without, in Bungoma
County, Kenya.
Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 428 women (214 with
menorrhagia and 214 controls) aged 18–45 years, between 01 December 2022 and 31 September
2023 at Bungoma County Referral Hospital. The analysis included thyroid stimulating
hormone, total and free triiodothyronine, thyroxine, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH),
luteinising hormone, prolactin, oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
Results: Women experiencing menorrhagia had statistically significant increases in
levels of FSH (p < 0.0001), oestrogen (p < 0.001), and total testosterone (p < 0.001), while
prolactin levels had a statistically significant decrease (p < 0.001) compared to those
without menorrhagia. There were no statistically significant differences in total
triiodothyronine (p = 0.384), free triiodothyronine (p = 0.610), total thyroxine (p = 0.127),
free thyroxine (p = 0.360), or thyroid stimulating (p = 0.118). No associations were found
between menorrhagia and either thyroid or reproductive hormones.
Conclusion: Elevated levels of FSH, oestrogen, and testosterone, along with reduced
prolactin, may serve as potential biomarkers for diagnosing menorrhagia in premenopausal
or reproductively aged women. A screening tool that integrates these hormonal markers
could improve the accuracy of diagnosis and optimise treatment strategies in primary
healthcare settings.
What this study adds: The study suggests that levels of FSH, oestrogen, total testosterone, and
prolactin differ significantly between women with and without menorrhagia, indicating
their potential use in predicting the condition.
