Non-randomised trial, 1997
How does body temperature change across the menstrual cycle in women with and without PMS?
Body temperature patterns shift during the luteal phase in all women. Women with PMS showed greater daily variation in these patterns, which may relate to symptom worsening.
What they did
Researchers measured body temperature in healthy women and in patients with PMS or depression at different phases of the menstrual cycle. Temperature was taken both rectally and under the tongue in healthy women, and only under the tongue in patients.
What they found
In healthy women, the luteal phase showed higher average and lowest nighttime temperatures, decreased temperature swing across the day, and a 2 to 3 hour delay in when the lowest and highest temperatures occurred. In women with PMS, the temperature swing decreased especially in the follicular phase, and the luteal phase showed large day to day changes in temperature patterns.
What it means for you
Body temperature rhythms are less stable in the luteal phase. Greater instability in temperature patterns may be linked to PMS symptom worsening. The study did not include a healthy control group to compare directly against the PMS patients, making it hard to know if the patterns are truly different.
2-3 hours
delay in temperature timing during luteal phase
luteal phase
when temperature instability increases
About the study
- Original title
- Circadian changes in body temperature during the menstrual cycle of healthy adult females and patients suffering from premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Nakayama K, Nakagawa T, Hiyama T et al.
- Journal
- International journal of clinical pharmacology research
- Year
- 1997
- Study design
- Non-randomised trial
- What was tested
- None (observational study)
- Read the paper
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9526177/
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