Survey study, 2024
Does PMS or PMDD affect teenage girls' heart rhythm signals?
This small study found that teens with premenstrual disorder had some different ECG (heart electrical) measurements than those without it, but it does not prove PMD causes dangerous heart rhythm problems.
What they did
Researchers studied 43 adolescent girls aged 12 to 18 with regular periods. They used a symptom questionnaire to split them into a premenstrual disorder (PMD) group of 27 and a control group, then took a standard 12-lead ECG from each to measure two heart signal patterns called QT dispersion and P-wave dispersion.
What they found
The PMD group had a mean age of 15.15 years. Age at first period and cycle patterns were similar between groups. The PMD group had significantly higher minimum P-wave values (p = 0.010) and higher P-wave dispersion (Pd) (p < 0.001) than controls. Higher symptom scores were also linked to higher Pd (p = 0.049).
What it means for you
The authors suggest these ECG changes might mean a slightly higher future risk of certain heart rhythm problems in some people with PMD, and that an ECG screening could be worth considering. But this was a cross-sectional study with only 43 participants and no follow-up over time, so it cannot show actual heart rhythm events or long-term risk.
43
Total participants
27
Girls with PMD
15.15 years
Mean age in PMD group
About the study
- Original title
- Are adolescents with premenstrual disorder at risk for cardiac arrhythmias?
- Authors
- Akbulut O, Ertugrul I, Pehlivantürk-Kızılkan M et al.
- Journal
- The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research
- Year
- 2024
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 43
- What was tested
- ECG measurement (QT dispersion and P-wave dispersion), compared between those with and without premenstrual disorder
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1111/jog.16084
Topics
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