Survey study, 2025
How do premenstrual symptoms change with age?
Physical symptoms vary with age. Acne and oily skin are most common at ages 20-29, and headache at 30-49. Emotional symptoms like irritability and anger are most severe at all ages.
What they did
Researchers studied 8990 Brazilian women aged 20 to 49 from five regions who had premenstrual symptoms affecting their daily life. Women completed a questionnaire about the presence and severity of their symptoms.
What they found
Ages 20-29: acne and oily skin was most common physical symptom; anxiety and tension most common emotional symptom. Ages 30-39: anxiety, tension, irritability, and anger were most common emotional symptoms. Ages 40-49: headache was most common physical symptom; anxiety and tension most common emotional. Irritability and anger was most severe symptom in all age groups.
What it means for you
The type of physical symptoms women experience changes with age, but emotional symptoms like irritability matter at all ages. This information could help doctors diagnose and treat symptoms that match each woman's age. The study only included Brazilian women with symptoms causing problems, so findings may not apply to other populations or milder symptoms.
8990
women studied
20-49
age range
46.7%
aged 20-29 years
About the study
- Original title
- Impact of age on premenstrual syndrome prevalence and severity: A population-based survey in Brazil
- Authors
- Pedro AO, Brandão JDP, de Oliveira Silva SB et al.
- Journal
- International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics
- Year
- 2025
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 8,990
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1002/ijgo.15895
Original abstract
Objective: To evaluate the relationship between premenstrual disorders (PMD) and age, we analyzed the prevalence and severity of psycho-emotional and physical symptoms in a representative sample of Brazilian women. Methods: This observational and retrospective study analyzed data from Brazilian women aged 20-49 years from five regions of the country who reported premenstrual symptoms. Participants completed a premenstrual symptom screening questionnaire and self-reported the presence and severity of their symptoms. Among 23 104 women reporting does premenstrual symptoms, 38.91% (n = 8990) experienced PMD caused functional impairment. Finally, 5121 participants agreed to complete the adapted version of the screening questionnaire. Results: The age group distribution was 20-29 (46.7%), 30-39 (38.3%), and 40-49 years (15%). The most prevalent and severe physical symptom was acne/oily skin in participants aged 20-29 years and headache in women aged 30-49 years. Regarding psycho-emotional symptoms, the most prevalent was anxiety/tension in women aged 20-29 years and 40-49 years and irritability/anger in those aged 30-39 years. Irritability/anger was the most severe symptom in all groups. Conclusion: PMD significantly impacts the quality of life of Brazilian women with varying intensity. Physical symptoms associated with PMD vary with age, while psycho-emotional symptoms, particularly irritability/anger and anxiety, were intense in Brazilian women of reproductive age. These findings inform early diagnosis and individualized treatment approaches for PMD, addressing the needs of women.
Reproduced under CC-BY.
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