Cohort study, 1988
Do women with PMS experience bigger appetite changes during their cycle than other women?
Yes. Both groups had increased appetite before their period, but women with PMS had much stronger appetite increases. In PMS women, increased appetite was linked to depressed mood.
What they did
21 women with PMS and 13 control women reported their appetite across their menstrual cycle. Researchers tracked any mood changes too.
What they found
Both groups had significant appetite increases with a greater menstrual cycle effect in the PMS group. In PMS women only, the premenstrual appetite increase was highly correlated with depression.
What it means for you
Appetite changes in PMS may be tied to mood changes. The control group was small, which limits how much we can generalize these findings to all women.
21
women with PMS
13
control women
About the study
- Original title
- Menstrual cycle phase-related changes in appetite in patients with premenstrual syndrome and in control subjects
- Authors
- Both-Orthman B, Rubinow DR, Hoban MC et al.
- Journal
- The American journal of psychiatry
- Year
- 1988
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 21
- What was tested
- None - this was an observational study, not a treatment trial
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1176/ajp.145.5.628
Topics
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