Non-randomised trial, 1993
Do thyroid problems cause premenstrual syndrome, and can thyroid hormone treat it?
A small number of women with PMS had obvious thyroid disease (10.5%), and a larger number had subtle thyroid abnormalities (30%), but thyroid hormone treatment was no better than placebo for PMS overall.
What they did
Researchers tested thyroid function in women with PMS using multiple methods: basal thyroid tests (n=124), antibody tests (n=63), stimulation tests given during different cycle phases (n=39 to 21), and a blinded trial of thyroid hormone (L-T4) compared to placebo (n=30).
What they found
13 women (10.5%) had clear hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. 8 women (13%) had high thyroid antibodies. 18 women (30%) with normal basal thyroid levels had abnormal responses to a thyroid stimulation test, either blunted (6 women) or exaggerated (12 women). In the treatment trial, L-T4 was not superior to placebo for PMS.
What it means for you
Some women with PMS do have thyroid abnormalities, but for most, the abnormalities are subtle and treating them with thyroid hormone does not help PMS symptoms. The main limitation is that not all measurements were done as placebo-controlled trials.
10.5%
women with obvious thyroid disease
30%
women with abnormal thyroid response despite normal basal levels
13%
women with high thyroid antibodies
About the study
- Original title
- Thyroid function in women with premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Schmidt PJ, Grover GN, Roy-Byrne PP et al.
- Journal
- The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism
- Year
- 1993
- Study design
- Non-randomised trial
- Participants
- 124
- What was tested
- L-T4 (thyroid hormone) in a blinded placebo-controlled trial.
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1210/jcem.76.3.8445024
Topics
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