Study, 1989
What causes headaches that come before your period in older women?
Changes in progesterone, serotonin, and histamine levels are involved. Older women with this type of PMS also have weaker nervous system responses to stress.
What they did
Researchers measured hormone levels and tested nervous system responses in 26 women aged 39-49 with headache-form PMS and 13 women without it, tracking both during different parts of the menstrual cycle.
What they found
Women with headache-form PMS had different levels of progesterone, serotonin, and histamine. Their nervous system did not show the normal increase in activity during the second half of the cycle. Women aged 44-49 with this condition had the most severe and longest-lasting headaches and showed inadequate nervous system responses.
What it means for you
Hormones and nervous system function are involved in headache-form PMS in older women. The main limits are the small sample size and that this was done in one location.
26
women with headache-form PMS
13
comparison women without PMS
39-49
age range in years
About the study
- Original title
- [Pathogenetic mechanisms of the development of the cephalgic form of premenstrual syndrome in patients of older age groups]
- Authors
- Komarova IuA, I'lina EM, Balan VE
- Journal
- Akusherstvo i ginekologiia
- Year
- 1989
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 26
- Read the paper
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2618954/