High blood ressure is linked to cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke. A new study found out that those who undergo severe pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) are more prone to hypertension.
Medical Daily reports that those who have severe PMS symptoms like irritability, depression, breast tenderness and bloating are significantly more likely to suffer high-blood pressure. Published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, researchers added that "several mechanisms underlying hypertension might also contribute to PMS."
To study its correlation, researchers analyzed the data of 116,686 women from age 25 to 42 who got involved in the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS2). Participants reported medical information such as high-blood pressure diagnoses, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, family history of hypertension, and occurrences and effects of PMS, as well as health behaviors like cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, use of oral contraceptive and physical activities.
According to the results, women who had moderate to severe PMS were 40% more likely to develop high blood pressure for the next 20 years compared to those who suffered less menstrual symptoms.
Furthermore, the risk of developing hypertension persisted when researchers adjusted to age, body mass index, family history, physical activity, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and oral contraceptive use.
Meanwhile, "an association between PMS and hypertension could be explained alternatively by adverse effects of PMS medications on blood pressure," the researchers added, saying those who used antidepressants had lower risks for high blood pressure.
Study suggests one way to reduce these PMS problems is to observe proper diet. In fact, those who had higher dietary intakes of B vitamin thiamine and riboflavin were 25 to 35% less likely to suffer menstrual symptoms.
However, researchers admit that "whether women with PMS have a higher risk of subsequently developing hypertension has not been assessed."
Researchers are planning to conduct further study to explain this connection.
