---
title: Does how your blood responds to stress change during your menstrual cycle?
description: Stress affects your blood clotting markers similarly in both cycle phases. The changes are more pronounced before your period.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/hemostatic-responses-to-mental-stress-during-the-menstrual-cycle-1991/
---

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- Does how your blood responds to stress change during your menstrual cycle?

Study, 1991

# Does how your blood responds to stress change during your menstrual cycle?

Stress affects your blood clotting markers similarly in both cycle phases. The changes are more pronounced before your period.

 Early or limited evidence

9 healthy, non-smoking women.

## What they did

Nine healthy, non-smoking women were studied during both the follicular phase (early cycle) and luteal phase (late cycle). They completed a 20-minute mental stress test. Researchers took blood samples before, during, and after the stress test.

## What they found

Mental stress caused heart rate, blood pressure, and stress chemicals to increase. Several blood markers changed in response to stress: white blood cell count, hematocrit, fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor, and t-PA. These changes were more pronounced during the luteal phase. Factor VII clotting activity did not change significantly in either phase.

## What it means for you

Stress affects your blood system, and your menstrual cycle phase changes how strong that response is. The response is stronger before your period. This pattern is different from what happens in men. The study is small with only 9 women, so results need confirmation in larger studies.

9

women studied

20

minutes of mental stress test

## About the study

Original title Hemostatic responses to mental stress during the menstrual cycle Authors Jern C, Manhem K, Eriksson E et al. Journal Thrombosis and haemostasis Year 1991 Study design Study What was tested 20-minute mental stress test. Read the paper [doi.org/10.1055/s-0038-1646469](https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0038-1646469)

## Topics

[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)

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