---
title: Does the menstrual cycle affect blood sugar control in women with diabetes?
description: As a group, women with diabetes showed no major changes in blood sugar or food intake during the menstrual cycle. However, women with poor mood before their p
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/metabolic-control-food-intake-and-mood-during-the-menstrual-cycle-in-patients-1994/
---

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- Does the menstrual cycle affect blood sugar control in women with diabetes?

Case-control study, 1994

# Does the menstrual cycle affect blood sugar control in women with diabetes?

As a group, women with diabetes showed no major changes in blood sugar or food intake during the menstrual cycle. However, women with poor mood before their period had more low blood sugar episodes.

 Moderate study design

20 women with insulin-dependent diabetes and 20 healthy controls

## What they did

The study followed 20 women with insulin-dependent diabetes and 20 healthy women for two menstrual cycles, tracking blood glucose, food intake, mood, weight, and insulin use during different weeks.

## What they found

No systematic changes in blood glucose, food intake, mood, or weight during different weeks. Glycated protein was higher in premenstrual weeks than postmenstrual weeks (P<0.05), though the absolute difference was small. Poor mood during premenstrual weeks was associated with more low blood sugar episodes (P<0.01) and frequent insulin dose changes (P<0.01).

## What it means for you

Women with diabetes do not experience major menstrual-related swings in blood sugar as a group, but a small proportion may have real difficulties. The link between low mood and low blood sugar suggests these factors are connected.

20

women with insulin-dependent diabetes

20

healthy controls

P < 0.05

glycated protein difference

## About the study

Original title Metabolic control, food intake and mood during the menstrual cycle in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes Authors Lundman B, Asplund K, Norberg A Journal International journal of nursing studies Year 1994 Study design Case-control study What was tested None - observational study Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/0020-7489(94)90079-5](https://doi.org/10.1016/0020-7489(94)90079-5)

## Topics

[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Appetite and food cravings](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-food-cravings/)

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