Survey study, 1979
Do hormone levels explain why women have premenstrual symptoms?
No. Women with more premenstrual symptoms had similar progesterone and oestradiol levels to women with fewer symptoms, suggesting hormones alone may not explain PMS.
What they did
39 healthy women kept daily symptom records throughout their cycles. Progesterone and oestradiol levels were measured daily during the premenstrual week and twice daily for the rest of the cycle.
What they found
No significant differences in progesterone or oestradiol levels were found between women with high versus low symptom scores. Age was positively correlated with mean progesterone levels in the 3 weeks before menstruation.
What it means for you
Hormone levels alone may not explain why women experience premenstrual symptoms. Limitation: only 39 women, mostly hospital workers of similar age in one location.
39
women
23
median age
About the study
- Original title
- Plasma progesterone, oestradiol 17 beta and premenstrual symptoms
- Authors
- Taylor JW
- Journal
- Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica
- Year
- 1979
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.1979.tb00267.x
Topics
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