--- title: Is there a link between premenstrual disorders and autoimmune disease? description: Yes. Women with autoimmune disease have 12% higher risk of premenstrual disorders, and women with premenstrual disorders have 23% higher risk of autoimmune di url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/bidirectional-relationship-between-premenstrual-disorders-and-autoimmune-disease-2025/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Is there a link between premenstrual disorders and autoimmune disease? Cohort study, 2025 # Is there a link between premenstrual disorders and autoimmune disease? Yes. Women with autoimmune disease have 12% higher risk of premenstrual disorders, and women with premenstrual disorders have 23% higher risk of autoimmune disease. Strong study design 3,630,028 women of reproductive age in Sweden, 2001-2022, including 104,972 with premenstrual disorders ## What they did They examined Swedish health registers from 2001-2022 covering 3,630,028 women of reproductive age. They identified 104,972 women with premenstrual disorders and compared them to unaffected women and their sisters. ## What they found Women with autoimmune disease had 12% increased risk of premenstrual disorders (95% CI 1.10-1.15) versus unaffected women and 6% increased risk versus sisters (95% CI 1.01-1.11). Women with premenstrual disorders had 23% increased risk of autoimmune disease (95% CI 1.20-1.26) versus unaffected women and 17% (95% CI 1.10-1.24) versus sisters. The link was strongest for thyroid disease and celiac disease. Among women with both premenstrual disorders and depression after childbirth, the association was stronger. ## What it means for you There is a two-way link between premenstrual disorders and autoimmune disease, especially in women who have had children and depression after childbirth. Doctors should check for autoimmune disease in women with premenstrual disorders and vice versa. This is from Sweden and needs confirmation in other countries. 12% increased risk of PMS in women with autoimmune disease 23% increased risk of autoimmune disease in women with PMS 104,972 women with premenstrual disorders identified ## About the study Original title Bidirectional relationship between premenstrual disorders and autoimmune disease: a nationwide register-based study in Sweden Authors Zhou J, Bränn E, Yang Y et al. Journal European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists Year 2025 Study design Cohort study What was tested None Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2025.367](https://doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2025.367) Original abstract Background: Premenstrual disorders (PMD) affect millions of women in reproductive age worldwide. Understanding the potential link between PMD and its comorbidities, including autoimmune disease (AD), is crucial for ultimately improving women’s health. Although hormonal fluctuations seem involved in the development of PMD and some AD, the relationship between PMD and AD remains unclear. Hence, we aimed to investigate the bidirectional association between PMD and AD.Methods: Leveraging Swedish nationwide and regional registers, we conducted a nested-case control study and a matched-cohort study. Among 3,630,028 eligible women of reproductive ages during 2001-2022, we identified 104,972 incident PMD, their unaffected full sisters, and 10 unaffected matched women per case. We extracted 41 types of AD diagnosis recorded in the registers. Using conditional logistic regression and Cox regression models, we estimated the odds ratio (OR) and hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI).Findings: Women with AD had a 12% increased risk of subsequent PMD (95% CI 1.10-1.15) compared to unaffected women, and a 6% increased risk compared to their unaffected full sisters (95% CI 1.01-1.11). Women with PMD had 23% (95% CI 1.20-1.26) and 17% (95% CI 1.10-1.24) elevated risks of subsequent AD compared to unaffected women and full sisters, respectively. Among parous women, a stronger bidirectional association was observed for those both exposed to PMD and perinatal depression (nested case-control OR:1.46, 95%CI 1.38-1.54; matched cohort HR:1.49, 95%CI 1.34-1.66) compared to only PMD (nested case-control OR:1.04, 95%CI 1.00-1.07; matched-cohort HR:1.14, 95%CI 1.07-1.21). The strongest bidirectional association with PMD was found for autoimmune thyroid disease and celiac disease.Interpretation: Our findings illustrate a bidirectional association between PMD and AD, in particular among parous women with a history of perinatal depression. If confirmed in future studies, healthcare professionals need to be vigilant about the risk of AD in women with PMD and vice versa. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Pregnancy and postpartum](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-postpartum/)[Thyroid disorders](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-thyroid/)[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/) 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 Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Systematic review, 2022 Does having PMDD increase the risk of depression during pregnancy or after birth? Survey study, 2024 How do hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle affect gut health and mood? Survey study, 2005 Does the menstrual cycle affect obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms? Systematic review, 2026 Why do some women experience mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle? Review, 2023 What treatments help mental and physical health problems linked to the menstrual cycle? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗