Cohort study, 1993
What does the pattern of premenstrual syndrome symptoms look like across the menstrual cycle?
Symptoms clearly increase starting about 7 days before menstruation and peak on the second day of the next period. However, when researchers checked the same women again over 2 years, fewer of them still met the criteria for PMS.
What they did
51 women with PMS answered questions about their symptoms every other day for at least 2 consecutive menstrual cycles using a standard questionnaire called the Moos' Menstrual Distress Questionnaire.
What they found
Symptoms showed a clear pattern, starting about 7 days before menstruation and reaching their peak on the second day of the next cycle. Over 2 years of observation, there was a substantial decrease in the number of women who still had PMS.
What it means for you
If you have PMS, your symptoms likely follow a predictable pattern tied to your cycle. The main limitation is the small sample size and short follow-up period, so we do not know if this pattern holds long-term.
51
women with PMS
7 days
before menstruation when symptoms started increasing
2
consecutive menstrual cycles tracked
About the study
- Original title
- Longitudinal measurement in the diagnostics of the premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- van der Ploeg HM, Lodder EB
- Journal
- Journal of psychosomatic research
- Year
- 1993
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 51
- What was tested
- None. The study only measured symptoms.
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/0022-3999(93)90121-u