Case-control study, 2012
Do women with mood symptoms linked to their menstrual cycle have different thyroid hormone levels?
Yes. Women with menstrually related mood symptoms had different thyroid hormone patterns, including faster conversion of one hormone and lower levels of another. These patterns were linked to worse premenstrual symptoms.
What they did
Researchers measured thyroid hormones in 57 women with mood symptoms linked to their menstrual cycle and 52 without these symptoms. Some women in each group had experienced sexual abuse (23 in the mood symptom group, 18 in the other).
What they found
Women with menstrually related mood symptoms had higher T3-to-T4 conversion ratios and lower T4 levels. These thyroid patterns linked to worse premenstrual symptoms. Sexual abuse history was linked to higher TSH. In women with mood symptoms, sexual abuse linked to higher T3; without mood symptoms, linked to lower T3.
What it means for you
Thyroid hormones may play a role in menstrually related mood symptoms. Sexual abuse history changes thyroid hormones differently depending on whether someone has these mood symptoms. This complex area needs more research to understand.
57
with menstrually related mood disorder
52
without mood symptoms
23 and 18
with sexual abuse histories
About the study
- Original title
- Hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis function in women with a menstrually related mood disorder: association with histories of sexual abuse
- Authors
- Bunevicius A, Leserman J, Girdler SS
- Journal
- Psychosomatic medicine
- Year
- 2012
- Study design
- Case-control study
- Participants
- 52
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1097/psy.0b013e31826c3397
Topics
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