Study, 2010
What happens to your nervous system during PMS?
During PMS, your heart rate and blood pressure increase more than after your period, and your body reacts more strongly to cold. This happens because your nervous system becomes more active during the premenstrual phase.
What they did
The researchers measured heart rate, blood pressure, and how the body reacts to cold in 80 women aged 18 to 25. They tested 40 women with PMS and 40 without, measuring them during the premenstrual phase and after their period.
What they found
In women with PMS, heart rate, blood pressure, and response to cold were all significantly higher during the premenstrual phase than after the period. The difference between phases was much bigger in women with PMS than in women without PMS.
What it means for you
During PMS, something in your body makes your nervous system more active. This is probably due to hormonal changes that affect your brain chemicals. The study only looked at women aged 18 to 25, so it is unclear if this applies to older women.
80
women studied
40
women with PMS
18-25
age range in years
About the study
- Original title
- Effect of premenstrual stress on autonomic function
- Authors
- Rode MV, Kamble P, Phatak MS et al.
- Journal
- Annals of neurosciences
- Year
- 2010
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 80
- What was tested
- None (observational study).
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.5214/ans.0972-7531.1017307
Topics
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