Cohort study, 2015
Is there a measurable body stress marker linked to PMS?
Yes, women with PMS had lower levels of a saliva immune marker (S-IgA) after their period and higher stress scores than women without PMS, but their cortisol levels were no different, suggesting S-IgA may track PMS-related stress better than cortisol does.
What they did
A Japanese research team followed 13 women with PMS and 11 women without PMS, all with regular periods, for two full menstrual cycles in 2010. They collected saliva samples to measure an immune protein (S-IgA) and the stress hormone cortisol, and had women fill in a stress questionnaire, at premenstrual, menstrual and postmenstrual points in the cycle.
What they found
After their period, women with PMS had lower S-IgA levels than women without PMS (P < 0.05). Within the PMS group, S-IgA was higher before the period than after it (P < 0.05). Cortisol did not differ between groups or across cycle phases at all. Stress questionnaire scores were higher in the PMS group than controls before and after the period (P < 0.05), and lower S-IgA after the period was linked to higher stress scores (P < 0.05).
What it means for you
This hints that a saliva immune marker, rather than the stress hormone cortisol, might reflect the stress that comes with PMS. But the study only included 13 PMS women and 11 controls from one region of Japan, so it is too small to draw firm conclusions or apply widely.
13
Women with PMS studied
11
Control women studied
P < 0.05
Significance level used
About the study
- Original title
- Characteristics of Perceived Stress and Salivary Levels of Secretory Immunoglobulin A and Cortisol in Japanese Women With Premenstrual Syndrome
- Authors
- Watanabe K, Shirakawa T
- Journal
- Nursing and midwifery studies
- Year
- 2015
- Study design
- Cohort study
- What was tested
- None tested; this was an observational study measuring saliva markers and stress scores across the menstrual cycle.
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.17795/nmsjournal24795
Topics
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