Cohort study, 2000
How common are symptom changes across the menstrual cycle and PMDD?
Symptom changes during the menstrual cycle are very common, with 80.7% of women showing such changes. Among those who self-identified with PMS (51%), only 2-6% met clinical criteria for PMDD.
What they did
Prospective cohort study of 83 Icelandic women aged 20-40, some using oral contraceptives and some not. Women completed a 57-symptom checklist across 1-7 menstrual cycles (most tracked 3-4 cycles) and noted whether symptoms were worse in the follicular (earlier) or luteal (later) phase.
What they found
80.7% of women reported symptoms worse in the luteal phase. 72.3% reported symptoms worse in the follicular phase at least once. 51% self-identified with PMS, and 2-6% of that group met clinical criteria for PMDD. Symptom changes were seen mainly in physical symptoms.
What it means for you
Symptom changes during the menstrual cycle are normal for most women. This helps explain why so many women report PMS in surveys. Not all symptom changes represent a disorder. The findings are limited to Iceland and the sample is small.
80.7%
showed symptoms worse in later phase
51%
self-identified with PMS
2-6%
of PMS group met PMDD criteria
About the study
- Original title
- Prevalence of menstrual cycle symptom cyclicity and premenstrual dysphoric disorder in a random sample of women using and not using oral contraceptives
- Authors
- Sveindóttir H, Bäckström T
- Journal
- Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica
- Year
- 2000
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 83
- What was tested
- None - observational study
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1080/j.1600-0412.2000.079005405.x
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