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.

Women with PMDD studied

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

Topics

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)Low mood and depression Stress

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