Study, 1978
Do women with premenstrual tension have too much water in their bodies?
Women with premenstrual tension had normal total body water, but showed an imbalance between water and potassium during the late menstrual phase. Diuretics and bromocriptine did not help.
What they did
20 women with severe premenstrual tension and 20 control women without symptoms were studied. Doctors measured total body water, body potassium, and weight during different parts of the menstrual cycle. Some women with tension were also given a diuretic (bumetanide) or bromocriptine to test if these helped.
What they found
Total body water and potassium levels were similar in both groups on average. However, during the late menstrual phase (luteal phase), the water-to-potassium ratio was considerably higher in women with premenstrual tension compared to control women. Water and weight changed more between cycle phases in women with tension. Treatment with bumetanide or bromocriptine did not affect these measurements.
What it means for you
The issue in premenstrual tension may be related to how the body handles the balance of water and potassium during part of the cycle, not just having more total water. Diuretics and bromocriptine did not help correct this. The main limitations are the small groups (20 and 20) and only one type of ratio was measured differently.
20
women with tension
20
control women
About the study
- Original title
- Body water and weight in patients with premenstrual tension
- Authors
- Andersch B, Hahn L, Andersson M et al.
- Journal
- British journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
- Year
- 1978
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 20
- Read the paper
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/567064/
Topics
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