---
title: Do women with PMS react differently to stress? | Niyora
description: Possibly. Women with PMS showed different heart rate patterns during stress compared to women without PMS, suggesting their nervous system handles stress diff
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/influences-of-premenstrual-syndrome-on-psychophysiological-responses-to-acute-2007/
---

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- Do women with PMS react differently to stress?

Lab study, 2007

# Do women with PMS react differently to stress?

Possibly. Women with PMS showed different heart rate patterns during stress compared to women without PMS, suggesting their nervous system handles stress differently. Both groups felt psychological stress.

 Early or limited evidence

39 women screened; 14 participated (7 with PMS, 7 without)

## What they did

The study screened 39 women for PMS. 14 participated: 7 with PMS and 7 without. During premenstrual and postmenstrual phases, they gave a public speech while researchers measured psychological stress, heart rate, heart rate variability, and salivary cortisol.

## What they found

Both groups felt psychological stress from public speaking. The PMS group showed a lower ratio of low to high frequency heart rate variation, indicating different nervous system regulation of stress response.

## What it means for you

This suggests women with PMS may regulate stress differently than women without PMS. However, the study is very small (7 in each group) and measured only one stress situation (public speaking), so we don't know if results apply more broadly.

39

women screened for PMS

7

women with PMS

7

women without PMS

## About the study

Original title INFLUENCES OF PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME ON PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO ACUTE STRESS Authors Yayoi Oda Journal PSYCHOLOGIA Year 2007 Study design Lab study Participants 39 What was tested Acute stress test using public speaking Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.2117/psysoc.2007.192](https://doi.org/10.2117/psysoc.2007.192)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)

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