Survey study, 1996
Are PMS symptoms connected to steroid hormone levels?
Women with PMS had higher estradiol and lower progesterone than control women. Symptom peaks occurred 1 day after pregnenolone sulfate peaked or 3 to 4 days after other steroid peaks. Higher luteal estradiol and certain other steroids related to worse symptoms.
What they did
Researchers took daily blood samples from 12 women with PMS over two menstrual cycles and from 8 control women over one cycle. They measured multiple steroid hormones including pregnenolone, pregnenolone sulfate, and related compounds, and tracked symptoms daily.
What they found
PMS patients had higher estradiol and lower progesterone than controls. All steroid hormones measured cycled with the menstrual cycle. Symptom peaks appeared 1 day after pregnenolone sulfate peaked, but 3 to 4 days after other steroid peaks. In cycles with higher luteal estradiol, pregnenolone, and pregnenolone sulfate, women had more negative symptoms. Higher levels of other steroids (5 alpha-DHP and 5 alpha-THP) were associated with improved symptoms.
What it means for you
Several steroid hormones appear connected to PMS symptom severity, suggesting hormones play a role in who develops PMS and how severe their symptoms are. Different hormones peak at different times relative to symptom peaks. This is preliminary research with a very small sample, so these findings need confirmation in larger studies.
12
PMS patients studied
8
control women
3-4
days delay of symptom peak after most hormone peaks
About the study
- Original title
- Relationship between symptom severity and steroid variation in women with premenstrual syndrome: study on serum pregnenolone, pregnenolone sulfate, 5 alpha-pregnane-3,20-dione and 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-pregnan-20-one
- Authors
- Wang M, Seippel L, Purdy RH et al.
- Journal
- The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism
- Year
- 1996
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 12
- What was tested
- Measurement of hormone levels (observational; no treatment tested)
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1210/jcem.81.3.8772579
Topics
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