Study, 1993
Do women with PMS have different fluid shifts in their bodies during their cycle?
Yes, women with PMS show evidence of fluid moving differently through their bodies during the second half of their cycle, though their total body weight doesn't change.
What they did
10 women with PMS had their body fluid distribution measured on their chest and leg during different parts of their menstrual cycle. Researchers used specialized methods to measure fluid pressure and how fast fluid moves out of blood vessels.
What they found
During the second half of the cycle, the fluid pressure in the leg decreased by 3.6 mm Hg, and the rate at which fluid moved out of blood vessels increased by 30 percent. The pressure on the chest stayed the same. Overall body weight did not change.
What it means for you
This suggests fluid moves around (redistributes) in women with PMS rather than just building up overall, which might explain feelings of bloating. But the study was very small with only 10 women and measured only one specific time point, so it's unclear how often this happens.
10
Women with PMS
3.6
Leg pressure decrease (mm Hg)
30
Percent increase in fluid filtering rate
About the study
- Original title
- Evidence for altered transcapillary fluid balance in women with the premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Tollan A, Oian P, Fadnes HO et al.
- Journal
- Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica
- Year
- 1993
- Study design
- Study
- What was tested
- None - observational
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.3109/00016349309068030
Topics
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