---
title: Do some asthmatic women experience worsening asthma symptoms during their menstrual cycle?
description: Yes, in this study about 28% of asthmatic women reported menstrual-related asthma worsening with increased inhaler use and decreased airflow during the premen
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/clinical-differences-among-women-with-and-without-self-reported-perimenstrual-1998/
---

- [Niyora](https://niyora.com/)
- [Research](https://niyora.com/research/)
- [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/)
- Do some asthmatic women experience worsening asthma symptoms during their menstrual cycle?

Cohort study, 1998

# Do some asthmatic women experience worsening asthma symptoms during their menstrual cycle?

Yes, in this study about 28% of asthmatic women reported menstrual-related asthma worsening with increased inhaler use and decreased airflow during the premenstrual phase. These women tended to be older with more severe asthma.

 Moderate study design

32 adult women with asthma and regular menstrual cycles

## What they did

This was a prospective study of 32 women with asthma and regular menstrual cycles. Women recorded daily asthma symptoms, medication use, and breathing measurements over 6 consecutive menstrual cycles. They also had breathing tests (spirometry and methacholine bronchoprovocation) during the luteal and follicular phases of 2 cycles.

## What they found

Nine of 32 women (28.2%) reported menstrual-related asthma. Women with perimenstrual asthma had significantly increasing inhaler use and decreasing peak flow rates during the perimenstrual interval. Women with perimenstrual asthma were older (P=.007), had longer duration of asthma (P=.039), and increased baseline asthma severity (P=.076) compared with women without perimenstrual asthma.

## What it means for you

Some asthmatic women experience menstrual-related asthma worsening, and these women tend to be older with more severe asthma. They may need closer monitoring during their menstrual cycle. The study is exploratory and relatively small.

32

Women with asthma studied

28.2%

Percentage with perimenstrual asthma worsening

6

Consecutive menstrual cycles tracked

## About the study

Original title Clinical differences among women with and without self-reported perimenstrual asthma Authors Shames RS, Heilbron DC, Janson SL et al. Journal Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology Year 1998 Study design Cohort study Participants 32 What was tested Measurement of asthma symptoms and lung function across menstrual cycles Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/s1081-1206(10)63111-0](https://doi.org/10.1016/s1081-1206(10)63111-0)

## Topics

[Premenstrual exacerbation (PME)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pme/)

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.

Ask AI about this page

Copy prompt

ChatGPT

↗

Claude

↗

Perplexity

↗

Google AI Mode

↗

Grok

↗