Survey study, 2015
Do women with PMS have different heart rate and blood pressure patterns at different times of their cycle?
Yes. Women with mild PMS had higher heart rates and higher blood pressure in the days before their period compared to days after menstruation.
What they did
Researchers measured heart rate, blood pressure, and heart rhythm patterns in 60 women with mild PMS at two different times: 1 to 5 days before menstruation and 8 to 10 days after menstruation.
What they found
Before menstruation, women had higher heart rates and higher systolic blood pressure. Heart rate rhythm patterns also changed at different times of the cycle, with some measures increasing before menstruation and others increasing after menstruation.
What it means for you
Heart and blood pressure changes before menstruation may be due to water and salt retention from hormones, or from how the body's control systems respond to hormone changes. The study was small with only mild PMS cases in one age group (17 to 25 years), so results may not apply to all women with PMS or more severe symptoms.
60
Participants
17-25 years
Age range
About the study
- Original title
- Assessment of Cardiovascular Autonomic Functions and Baroreceptor Reactivity in Women with Premenstrual Syndrome
- Authors
- Grrishma B, Gaur GS, Velkumary S et al.
- Journal
- Indian journal of physiology and pharmacology
- Year
- 2015
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26685501/