Cohort study, 2011
Does premenstrual symptom worsening change how bipolar disorder develops over time?
Yes. Women with bipolar disorder who reported premenstrual symptom worsening had more mood episodes and relapsed sooner, though other patterns in their illness may partly explain this.
What they did
293 women with bipolar disorder of reproductive age were followed for 1 year. 191 women (65.2%) reported premenstrual worsening of symptoms and 102 did not. Researchers tracked how many mood episodes they had and, for women who started in recovery, how long until they relapsed.
What they found
Women with premenstrual worsening had more mood episodes (mostly depressive) and a shorter time until relapse. When researchers adjusted for other mood patterns, the relapse difference was no longer significant. They had more depressive and mood elevation symptoms overall.
What it means for you
Premenstrual worsening may be a sign of more severe bipolar disorder. This applies only to women with bipolar disorder, not to PMS or PMDD in general. The study was observational, so we cannot say the menstrual cycle causes worse illness.
293
women with bipolar disorder
65.2%
had premenstrual exacerbation
1
year follow-up
About the study
- Original title
- Longitudinal follow-up of bipolar disorder in women with premenstrual exacerbation: findings from STEP-BD
- Authors
- Dias RS, Lafer B, Russo C et al.
- Journal
- The American journal of psychiatry
- Year
- 2011
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 191
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2010.09121816
Topics
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