Non-randomised trial, 1990
Could progesterone antagonists help treat premenstrual syndrome?
Progesterone antagonists like RU-486 are theoretically promising for treating PMS because high progesterone levels may contribute to symptoms, but the medication has not been adequately tested in PMS and political controversy limits its availability for research.
What they did
This is not an experimental study. Instead, it is a discussion of how political and social factors affect the development of medications for PMS. The authors reviewed the scientific rationale for using progesterone antagonists and the barriers to testing them.
What they found
PMS is common and severe enough in some women to warrant treatment. No single treatment has been shown to be effective for most women with PMS. Increased progesterone levels and fluctuations during the premenstrual phase have been suggested as possible causes of PMS. Progesterone antagonists would be a promising treatment approach for a subset of women. However, political debate about the compounds' abortion-related properties limits their availability for clinical trials in the United States.
What it means for you
While progesterone antagonists are scientifically plausible for PMS treatment, they have not been tested in controlled trials for this indication. Political and social controversy restricts research, even for conditions unrelated to the drug's primary use. This is not evidence that the drug works.
About the study
- Original title
- Treatment of premenstrual syndromes with progesterone antagonists (e.g., RU-486): political and methodological issues
- Authors
- Halbreich U
- Journal
- Psychiatry
- Year
- 1990
- Study design
- Non-randomised trial
- What was tested
- Proposed but not tested: progesterone antagonist RU-486
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1080/00332747.1990.11024523
Topics
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