Cohort study, 2007
Do women with PMDD who experienced abuse have different stress responses?
Yes. Women with a history of abuse showed unusual stress responses including lower stress hormones and higher heart rates, regardless of PMDD status. Women with PMDD and abuse history also showed higher blood pressure during stress.
What they did
Researchers studied 25 women with PMDD and 42 women without PMDD. All were interviewed about abuse history and past mental health diagnoses. They measured stress hormones (cortisol and norepinephrine), heart rate, blood pressure, and blood vessel function while women were resting and during mental stress tasks.
What they found
More women with PMDD had experienced abuse than women without PMDD. All abused women, regardless of PMDD status, had lower levels of stress hormone (norepinephrine) and higher heart rates both at rest and during stress. They also had lower baseline cortisol. Abused women reported more severe daily emotional and physical symptoms. Only women with PMDD who had been abused showed higher blood pressure and blood vessel resistance during stress.
What it means for you
Women who have experienced abuse show persistent changes in their body's stress response systems, even without current mental illness or medication use. Women with PMDD may be more vulnerable to these stress-related changes. The study is relatively small and from one location.
25
Women with PMDD
42
Control women without PMDD
Higher in PMDD
Abuse history prevalence
About the study
- Original title
- Persistent alterations in biological profiles in women with abuse histories: influence of premenstrual dysphoric disorder
- Authors
- Girdler SS, Leserman J, Bunevicius R et al.
- Journal
- Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association
- Year
- 2007
- Study design
- Cohort study
- What was tested
- None
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.26.2.201
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