---
title: Why does asthma worsen at certain times of the menstrual cycle?
description: Women with perimenstrual asthma have higher airway sensitivity and allergic-type immune markers that increase during the luteal phase, which may explain worse
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/bronchial-hyperreactivity-in-perimenstrual-asthma-is-associated-with-increased-2017/
---

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- Why does asthma worsen at certain times of the menstrual cycle?

Cohort study, 2017

# Why does asthma worsen at certain times of the menstrual cycle?

Women with perimenstrual asthma have higher airway sensitivity and allergic-type immune markers that increase during the luteal phase, which may explain worsening asthma.

 Early or limited evidence

12 women with perimenstrual asthma, 9 with asthma unrelated to menstrual cycle, and 10 healthy controls

## What they did

Prospective cohort over 10 weeks covering 2 consecutive menstrual cycles. Premenopausal women with perimenstrual asthma (n=12), non-PMA asthmatics (n=9), and healthy controls (n=10) had bronchial responsiveness testing to methacholine. Blood IgE was measured and induced sputum was collected on day 26 of each cycle, tested for eotaxin, IL-4, and IL-10.

## What they found

PMA patients had significantly higher bronchial responsiveness and total blood IgE compared to non-PMA asthmatics and healthy controls (p=0.001, p=0.022). In the luteal phase, PMA patients had increased sputum eotaxin and IL-4 compared to non-PMA asthmatics (p=0.016, p=0.041) and healthy subjects (p<0.001 both). No differences in IL-10.

## What it means for you

The study shows a biological mechanism: the immune system shifts toward allergic-type response during the luteal phase in women with perimenstrual asthma. However, only 12 women with PMA were studied, which limits how much these findings apply to other women.

12

women with perimenstrual asthma

p=0.001

higher airway responsiveness in PMA

p=0.022

higher IgE in PMA

## About the study

Original title Bronchial hyperreactivity in perimenstrual asthma is associated with increased Th-2 response in lower airways Authors Skoczynski S, Semik-Orzech A, Sozanska E et al. Journal Journal of thoracic disease Year 2017 Study design Cohort study Participants 12 What was tested None Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.21037/jtd.2017.06.121](https://doi.org/10.21037/jtd.2017.06.121)

## Topics

[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)

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