Cohort study, 1993
Is PMS partly genetic?
Yes, this study suggests genes play a role in PMS, because identical twins had more similar PMS scores than non-identical twins, but it cannot prove genes are the only reason.
What they did
Researchers gave a self-report questionnaire about premenstrual syndrome to 157 pairs of identical (monozygotic) female twins and 143 pairs of non-identical (dizygotic) female twins of reproductive age, then compared how similar each twin's PMS score was to their twin sibling's.
What they found
The correlation in PMS scores between identical twins was 0.55, about double the correlation between non-identical twins, which was 0.28. This pattern fits the idea that PMS tendency is influenced by genetic factors acting across several genes.
What it means for you
This suggests that part of why some women get more severe PMS than others may be inherited, not just down to lifestyle or environment. But the study cannot fully separate genetics from the possibility that identical twins simply share more similar environments, or that the twins' scores reflect another inherited trait, like a tendency toward anxiety, rather than PMS itself.
0.55
Correlation in identical twins
0.28
Correlation in non-identical twins
143
Dizygotic twin pairs studied
About the study
- Original title
- The premenstrual syndrome: a twin study
- Authors
- Condon JT
- Journal
- The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science
- Year
- 1993
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 143
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1192/bjp.162.4.481