---
title: Does premenstrual syndrome get worse as women age? | Niyora
description: No. Symptoms actually decreased with age. The worst time for severe PMS was in women's late twenties through mid-thirties, not later in life.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/relationships-between-age-and-symptom-severity-among-women-seeking-medical-1995/
---

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- Does premenstrual syndrome get worse as women age?

Cohort study, 1995

# Does premenstrual syndrome get worse as women age?

No. Symptoms actually decreased with age. The worst time for severe PMS was in women's late twenties through mid-thirties, not later in life.

 Moderate study design

332 women seeking treatment for severe PMS; mean age 33.1 years

## What they did

Cross-sectional study of 332 women seeking treatment for severe PMS. Researchers compared symptoms and depression factors in younger women (ages 20-35) with older women (ages 36-44).

## What they found

Symptom severity decreased with age and was not linked to how long women had been experiencing PMS. Depression-related factors were the strongest predictors of symptom severity and best distinguished younger from older women.

## What it means for you

This contradicts the common belief that PMS worsens until menopause. The main limits are that this was a cross-sectional study (snapshot at one time, not following women over years) and only included women severe enough to seek treatment.

332

women in study

33.1

mean age (years)

5.3

standard deviation of age

## About the study

Original title Relationships between age and symptom severity among women seeking medical treatment for premenstrual symptoms Authors Freeman EW, Rickels K, Schweizer E et al. Journal Psychological medicine Year 1995 Study design Cohort study Participants 332 What was tested None; observational study Read the paper [doi.org/10.1017/s0033291700036205](https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291700036205)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Major depressive disorder](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-major-depression/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)

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

Study, 2026

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Systematic review, 2022

Does having PMDD increase the risk of depression during pregnancy or after birth?

Cohort study, 2015

How common are PMS and PMDD in young women, and are they connected to depression?

Survey study, 1985

Are women with PMS mood changes more likely to have depression?

Randomised trial, 2024

Does what you eat affect PMS symptoms?

Non-randomised trial, 2008

Does changing sleep timing help mood in women with PMDD?

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