Women who go through early menopause are at higher risk of heart disease and stroke.
A study led by Oxford University also found a link with cardiovascular disease with starting periods early, pregnancy complications and hysterectomy.
Women who went through the menopause before the age of 47 had a 33 per cent heightened risk of cardiovascular disease, rising to 42 per cent for their risk of stroke.
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Those who began having periods before the age of 12 were at 10 per cent greater risk of cardiovascular disease than those who had been 13 or older when they started, the study said.
Previous miscarriages were associated with a higher risk of heart disease, with each miscarriage increasing the risk by six per cent.
And having a stillbirth was associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease in general and of stroke in particular.
The study, published in the journal Heart, found having a hysterectomy was linked to a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease and of heart disease.
And those who had had their ovaries removed before a hysterectomy were twice as likely to develop such diseases.