--- title: Do physical changes happen before menstruation? | Niyora description: Yes. Before menstruation compared to after, women showed increased perceived stress, faster heart rate, higher blood pressure, weight gain, and slower reactio url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/analysis-of-perceived-stress-cardiovascular-and-central-nervous-system-changes-2017/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do physical changes happen before menstruation? Lab study, 2017 # Do physical changes happen before menstruation? Yes. Before menstruation compared to after, women showed increased perceived stress, faster heart rate, higher blood pressure, weight gain, and slower reaction times. Early or limited evidence 60 healthy women aged 18-22 years ## What they did The study measured 60 healthy women aged 18-22 during their premenstrual and postmenstrual phases. Researchers recorded heart rate, blood pressure, weight, how quickly they reacted to sounds and images, and their perceived stress level. ## What they found During the premenstrual period compared to after menstruation, women showed increases in perceived stress, pulse rate, blood pressure, weight, auditory reaction time, and visual reaction time. ## What it means for you These findings show that before menstruation, women's bodies show signs of stress and their nervous system works more slowly. Changes might come from hormonal shifts. The study is small and only included young healthy women, so findings may not apply to all women. 60 healthy women studied 18-22 age range in years ## About the study Original title Analysis of perceived stress, cardiovascular and central nervous system changes before and after menstruation in the age group 18-22 years Authors Amita Pardeshi Journal International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences Year 2017 Study design Lab study Participants 60 What was tested None. Researchers measured women during different cycle phases. Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20173578](https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20173578) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Cohort study, 2025 How common is PMS in Chinese teenage girls, and what factors are linked to it? Randomised trial, 2024 Does curcumin reduce depression, anxiety, and stress in women with PMS and dysmenorrhea? Study, 2026 Does how women's body responds to stress change across their menstrual cycle? Survey study, 2022 What factors are associated with irregular menstrual cycles and how do irregular cycles affect other symptoms? Survey study, 2022 Do stress and rumination increase with PMS severity? Lab study, 2020 Does anxiety sensitivity change during different parts of the menstrual cycle? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗