Cohort study, 2011
Which six symptoms best identify who has PMS?
Six key symptoms identify PMS just as well as tracking 17 symptoms: anxiety or tension, mood swings, aches, appetite changes, cramps, and decreased interest in activities. They correctly classified 84 to 86 percent of cases.
What they did
Analyzed daily symptom diaries from 1,081 women who sought PMS treatment at an academic medical center. Researchers used half the women to identify which symptoms best distinguished PMS from non-PMS, then tested these findings in the other half.
What they found
Six core symptoms identified PMS as well as 17 symptoms did: anxiety or tension, mood swings, aches, appetite or food cravings, cramps, and decreased interest in activities. The area under the curve was 0.84 in both models. Symptom scores correctly classified 84 to 86 percent of cases.
What it means for you
Using just six key symptoms is enough to diagnose PMS reliably in clinical practice, reducing the burden of tracking many symptoms. The study included only women seeking treatment at one medical center, so results may not apply to all women with PMS.
6
Core symptoms that identify PMS
84-86%
Correct classification rate
1,081
Women studied
About the study
- Original title
- Core symptoms that discriminate premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Freeman EW, Halberstadt SM, Rickels K et al.
- Journal
- Journal of women's health (2002)
- Year
- 2011
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 1,081
- What was tested
- None (diagnostic study analyzing existing daily diary data)
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2010.2161
Topics
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