--- title: Do women with PMDD react differently to stress than other women? description: Yes, in this small study, women with PMDD showed different heart and stress-hormone responses to stressful tasks than women without PMDD, and this was true in url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/dysregulation-of-cardiovascular-and-neuroendocrine-responses-to-stress-in-1998/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do women with PMDD react differently to stress than other women? Cohort study, 1998 # Do women with PMDD react differently to stress than other women? Yes, in this small study, women with PMDD showed different heart and stress-hormone responses to stressful tasks than women without PMDD, and this was true in both halves of their cycle. Early or limited evidence 12 women with prospectively confirmed PMDD and 12 healthy women, compared across two cycle phases. ## What they did Researchers compared 12 women with confirmed PMDD to 12 healthy women. Both groups gave a speech and did a stressful mental math task, once in the follicular (pre-ovulation) phase and once in the luteal (pre-period) phase. Researchers measured heart function and stress hormones, and asked about abuse history and current life stress. ## What they found Women with PMDD had significantly lower stroke volume, cardiac output, and cortisol, but significantly higher norepinephrine and total peripheral resistance, both at rest and during the stress tasks, in both cycle phases. More PMDD women had histories of sexual abuse and reported more current life stress. PMDD women also had higher norepinephrine-to-cortisol ratios at rest and under stress. ## What it means for you This suggests the body's stress-response system may work differently in some women with PMDD, possibly connected to past trauma. The study only looked at 12 women per group, so results may not apply to all women with PMDD. 12 Women with PMDD studied 12 Healthy comparison women ## About the study Original title Dysregulation of cardiovascular and neuroendocrine responses to stress in premenstrual dysphoric disorder Authors Girdler SS, Pedersen CA, Straneva PA et al. Journal Psychiatry research Year 1998 Study design Cohort study Participants 12 What was tested Comparison of physical and hormone responses to a speech and a mental math stress test (no treatment given). Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/s0165-1781(98)00074-2](https://doi.org/10.1016/s0165-1781(98)00074-2) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/) 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. ## Related studies Review, 2023 What treatments help mental and physical health problems linked to the menstrual cycle? Randomised trial, 2019 Does online cognitive behavioral therapy help women with PMDD? Case-control study, 2016 Is cortisol dysregulation a cause of PMS or PMDD? Review, 2003 How do menstrual cycle hormones affect the brain and cause mood disorders like PMDD? Survey study, 2026 How common is PMDD among female medical students and what triggers it? Survey study, 2026 What hormonal and psychological factors affect PMS symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗