Randomised trial, 1989
What causes PMS and how should adolescents with it be treated?
The exact cause of PMS is not yet known. Adolescents with PMS should be managed with reassurance, diet, and exercise rather than medication, because no single treatment has been proven effective in rigorous studies.
What they did
This is a clinical review summarizing what is known about PMS in young women and adolescents. The authors reviewed literature on how common PMS is, what might cause it, and what treatments have been tested.
What they found
PMS is uncommon in young girls and adolescents but becomes more common as women age. Up to 40% of older women experience PMS. The biological causes of PMS have not been identified. Randomized double-blind crossover studies have failed to confirm that any one treatment works.
What it means for you
Because we don't know what causes PMS and no medicine has proven benefit, the best approach for adolescents is non-medication strategies: reassurance, diet changes, and exercise. This is a review of existing knowledge, not a new study, so it reflects expert opinion rather than new data.
40
percent of older women with PMS
About the study
- Original title
- Common menstrual disorders
- Authors
- Coupey SM, Ahlstrom P
- Journal
- Pediatric clinics of North America
- Year
- 1989
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 40
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/s0031-3955(16)36685-8
Topics
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