Survey study, 2025

Is premenstrual syndrome inherited from your family?

A study found that genes play a small role in who gets PMS symptoms. One genetic change was linked to PMS, and this same genetic pattern is also linked to depression.

Strong study design 54,789 women of European ancestry from Denmark and Sweden, including 17,511 with distressing premenstrual symptoms

What they did

Scientists looked at the DNA of 54,789 women from Denmark and Sweden. 17,511 of them had distressing premenstrual symptoms. They compared the DNA to find genetic changes that were more common in women with PMS.

What they found

One genetic location was linked to distressing premenstrual symptoms. The genes linked to distressing premenstrual symptoms were also linked to major depression. There was a weaker link to endometriosis. Hormone levels in the blood were not linked to these genes.

What it means for you

This is the first study to look at genes and PMS. It found one genetic link and showed that PMS and depression share some genes, which may explain why mood problems happen together with PMS. However, this study needs to be repeated in other populations to be sure the findings hold true.

17,511

Women with distressing premenstrual symptoms

54,789

Total women studied

Genetic locations identified

About the study

Original title: Genome-Wide Association Study of Distressing Premenstrual Symptoms in Two Nordic Populations
Authors: Hysaj E, Jaholkowski P, Shadrin AA et al.
Journal: medRxiv
Year: 2025
Study design: Survey study
Participants: 54,789
Open access: Yes
Read the paper: doi.org/10.64898/2025.12.01.25341208

Topics

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)Menstrual cycle and mood Major depressive disorder Endometriosis

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