--- title: Does reduced blood circulation cause premenstrual symptoms? | Niyora description: Possibly. Women who had premenstrual symptoms showed decreased blood circulation during the second half of their cycle, but only 11 women had symptoms and the url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/lower-peripheral-circulation-in-eumenorrheic-young-women-with-premenstrual-2007/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does reduced blood circulation cause premenstrual symptoms? Survey study, 2007 # Does reduced blood circulation cause premenstrual symptoms? Possibly. Women who had premenstrual symptoms showed decreased blood circulation during the second half of their cycle, but only 11 women had symptoms and the mechanism is unclear. Early or limited evidence 21 young women with regular menstrual cycles ## What they did 21 young women with regular cycles were measured twice, once during the first half of their cycle and once during the second half. A portable device measured blood circulation to hands and feet using near-infrared light. Hormone levels were measured in urine samples and menstrual symptoms with a questionnaire. ## What they found Women with premenstrual symptoms showed a decrease in blood oxygen levels returning to the heart during the second half of their cycle, but women without premenstrual symptoms did not. Temperature and hormone levels increased in all women during the second half of their cycle. ## What it means for you Reduced blood circulation during the second half of the menstrual cycle might be part of what causes premenstrual symptoms. However, the sample is very small (only 11 women had symptoms), the symptoms were mild and did not disrupt daily life, and the exact mechanism remains unclear. 21 young women studied 11 with premenstrual symptoms ## About the study Original title Lower peripheral circulation in eumenorrheic young women with premenstrual symptoms Authors Matsumoto T, Ushiroyama T, Tatsumi N Journal BioPsychoSocial medicine Year 2007 Study design Survey study Participants 11 What was tested Measurement of blood circulation at different menstrual cycle phases Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1186/1751-0759-1-8](https://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0759-1-8) Original abstract Background: A majority of women from all cultures and socioeconomic levels experience diverse psychosomatic and behavioral symptoms premenstrually, a phenomenon commonly termed premenstrual syndrome, although symptoms and discomfort levels vary from woman to woman. The underlying pathological mechanisms of premenstrual syndrome remain unknown; however, altered function or even slight disorder of the blood circulation system, which contributes to the orchestrations of the human internal environment, could cause bio-psychological changes leading to complaints and ultimately compromising a woman's overall health. The present study, therefore, investigates to what extent and how the menstrual cyclicity of peripheral circulation is associated with premenstrual symptomatology. Methods: Twenty-one eumenorrheic young women participated in this study. All subjects were investigated during the follicular and late luteal phases. Cycle phase was determined by the onset of menstruation and oral temperature and was verified by concentrations of ovarian hormones, estrone, and pregnanediol in a urine sample taken early in the morning. Peripheral circulation was evaluated with the Astrim (Sysmex, Kobe), a portable non-invasive monitoring device using the principle of near-infrared spectroscopy, which calculates the venous oxygenation index (VOI) based on the ratio of light absorption of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin, a proven reliable indicator of peripheral blood circulation. The Menstrual Distress Questionnaire was applied to measure physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms accompanying the menstrual cycle of the subjects. Results: The oral temperature and urinary ovarian hormones adjusted for creatinine significantly increased in the late luteal phase in all subjects. While 10 subjects experienced no symptoms during the menstrual cycle, 11 subjects had apparent physical and psychological discomfort in the late luteal phase. We found that VOI decreased more significantly in the late luteal phase than in the follicular phase only in women with premenstrual discomfort although the symptoms were not unbearable enough to cause the disruption of daily activities. Conclusion: Several models have tried to explain the etiopathogenesis of premenstrual syndrome. Although causes and consequences remain enigmatic, our data suggest that the peripheral circulation could alter in the luteal phase, which might be partly associated with premenstrual psychosomatic symptoms in eumenorrheic young women. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. 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