7 Surprising things your first period can tell you about your health

2. Type 2 Diabetes

“slide-text”>Women who got their first period before age 12 have a significantly greater risk of type 2 diabetes than those who got it later in life, according to a survey of about 4,600 middle-aged women published in Diabetic Medicine. “The early menarche increased diabetes by increasing insulin resistance,” says study author Jung Sub Lim, M.D., Ph.D.