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.
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
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