PMS linked to early menopause and vasomotor symptoms, finds study

A recent population-based cohort study published in JAMA Netw Open. found that those with premenstrual disorders (PMDs) had a significantly higher risk of experiencing early menopause (before age 45) and moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (such as hot flashes and night sweats) during menopause compared to women without PMDs.

The study, which collected data from June 1991 to June 2017, aimed to investigate whether women with PMDs have a higher risk of early menopause and vasomotor symptoms (VMS) during menopause.

The study revealed some compelling findings:

Increased Risk of Early Menopause: Among the 1,220 women with PMDs studied, 17 experienced early natural menopause (before age 45), equating to a rate of 7.1 per 1,000 person-years. Comparatively, among the 2,415 women without PMDs, only 12 experienced early menopause (2.7 per 1,000 person-years). This difference translated to an adjusted hazard ratio of 2.67.

Higher Likelihood of Moderate to Severe VMS: Of the women with PMDs, 68.3% reported experiencing moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (such as hot flashes and night sweats) during menopause. In contrast, 55.3% of women without PMDs reported such symptoms. The adjusted odds ratio for women with PMDs experiencing moderate to severe VMS was 1.68.

Interestingly, there was no significant association between PMDs and mild VMS.

Reference: Yang Y, Valdimarsdóttir UA, Manson JE, et al. Premenstrual Disorders, Timing of Menopause, and Severity of Vasomotor Symptoms. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(9):e2334545. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.34545