Survey study, 1998
Is depression around the period, after birth, or at menopause caused by abnormal reproductive hormones?
No clear hormone abnormality has been found to explain PMS. No abnormalities in LH, estrogen, or progesterone were documented in PMS, though completely stopping monthly hormone cycling with a drug called leuprolide improved mood.
What they did
This review brought together research on depression and reproductive hormones, covering the time before a period, after childbirth, and around menopause.
What they found
No abnormalities in LH activity were documented in depression, and no abnormalities in LH, estradiol, or progesterone were documented in PMS. Completely stopping monthly cycling with leuprolide improved mood. Some studies suggested estrogen helped mood in women after menopause, but no well-controlled studies had tested estrogen treatment in women before or after menopause.
What it means for you
There is no evidence that PMS comes from abnormal hormone levels, but removing the monthly hormone cycle entirely may help mood. Whether estrogen itself helps mood is still unclear because strong, well-controlled studies had not been done. This is a summary of existing research rather than a new study, so it carries less certainty than a well-designed trial.
About the study
- Original title
- Psychoneuroendocrinology of depression. Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis
- Authors
- Young E, Korszun A
- Journal
- The Psychiatric clinics of North America
- Year
- 1998
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- Review of hormone-related research, including the effect of leuprolide (which stops monthly hormone cycling) and estrogen treatment
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/s0193-953x(05)70007-1
Topics
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