---
title: Do women with PMS have a higher risk of developing hypertension later?
description: Yes, women with PMS had 1.4 times higher risk of developing hypertension, with 3.3 times higher risk before age 40. This prospective study with long follow-up
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-syndrome-and-subsequent-risk-of-hypertension-in-a-prospective-study-2015/
---

- [Niyora](https://niyora.com/)
- [Research](https://niyora.com/research/)
- [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/)
- Do women with PMS have a higher risk of developing hypertension later?

Cohort study, 2015

# Do women with PMS have a higher risk of developing hypertension later?

Yes, women with PMS had 1.4 times higher risk of developing hypertension, with 3.3 times higher risk before age 40. This prospective study with long follow-up provides strong evidence.

 Strong study design

1,257 women with clinically significant PMS and 2,463 comparison women from Nurses' Health Study II

## What they did

Prospective follow-up study (Nurses' Health Study II) comparing 1,257 women with clinically significant PMS against 2,463 comparison women with few menstrual symptoms. Women were followed from 1991-2005 (when PMS status was assessed) through 2011 to track who developed hypertension, providing 6-20 years of follow-up.

## What they found

Over the follow-up period, 342 women with PMS developed hypertension compared with 541 women without PMS. After adjusting for age, smoking, body mass index and other risk factors, women with PMS had a hazard ratio of 1.4 (95% CI 1.2-1.6) for hypertension. For hypertension occurring before age 40, the hazard ratio was even higher at 3.3 (95% CI 1.7-6.5). Risk was attenuated in women with high intakes of thiamine and riboflavin.

## What it means for you

Women with PMS appear to have a substantially higher risk of developing hypertension, particularly earlier in life. The finding that B vitamin intake appears to reduce this risk suggests that nutrient deficiencies may partly explain the link between PMS and hypertension. This was a large, well-designed prospective study with long follow-up, providing strong evidence.

1.4

hazard ratio for hypertension with PMS (95% CI 1.2-1.6)

3.3

hazard ratio for hypertension before age 40 (95% CI 1.7-6.5)

6-20

years of follow-up

## About the study

Original title Premenstrual Syndrome and Subsequent Risk of Hypertension in a Prospective Study Authors Bertone-Johnson ER, Whitcomb BW, Rich-Edwards JW et al. Journal American journal of epidemiology Year 2015 Study design Cohort study Participants 1,257 What was tested None; observational study of PMS and hypertension risk Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwv159](https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwv159)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[SSRIs and antidepressants](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-ssri/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

## Related studies

Systematic review, 2024

What are the best treatments for PMDD and PMS?

Review, 2024

What are the most effective treatments for PMDD?

Guideline, 2023

How are GnRH agonists used to treat PMDD that doesn't respond to standard medications?

Systematic review, 2022

What are the best treatments for PMDD and PMS?

Cohort study, 2022

Can hormonal contraceptives or antidepressants reduce suicide risk in premenstrual disorders?

Randomised trial, 2020

Does adding fluoxetine to birth control pills help with severe PMS?

Ask AI about this page

Copy prompt

ChatGPT

↗

Claude

↗

Perplexity

↗

Google AI Mode

↗

Grok

↗