Study, 2003
Do breast tenderness and hot flushes follow a pattern during the month?
Breast tenderness and night sweats clearly increased in the days before a period in most cycles. Daytime hot flushes did not show a clear pattern related to cycle timing overall, except in cycles when ovulation occurred.
What they did
24 women around age 47 kept daily diaries tracking breast tenderness, hot flushes, sleep, and body temperature across several menstrual cycles. Researchers measured whether symptoms were worse at specific times of the cycle.
What they found
98 complete menstrual cycles from 24 women were analyzed. 90% of cycles involved ovulation. Breast tenderness peaked in the days before the period. Night sweats also peaked premenstrually. Daytime hot flushes were not consistently cyclic, though they did show a pattern in ovulatory cycles. 25% of cycles had a short luteal phase (less than 10 days).
What it means for you
For most women in this age group, breast tenderness and night sweats do follow a monthly pattern. The study tracked only 24 women from one area, and they were volunteers who agreed to keep detailed diaries, so results may not apply to all mid-life women.
24
Number of women
98
Complete cycles analyzed
90%
Ovulatory cycles
About the study
- Original title
- Cyclicity of breast tenderness and night-time vasomotor symptoms in mid-life women: information collected using the Daily Perimenopause Diary
- Authors
- Hale GE, Hitchcock CL, Williams LA et al.
- Journal
- Climacteric : the journal of the International Menopause Society
- Year
- 2003
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 14
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1080/cmt.6.2.128.139
Topics
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