PMS May Increase Risk Of High Blood Pressure

PMS may be a sign of high blood pressure in the future, according to a recent study.

Researchers at University of Massachusetts at Amherst found that women who dealt with severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS) were three times as likely to experience high blood pressure in their 20s and 30s. If left untreated, high blood pressure can result in heart attack, kidney damage and even stroke, health officals say.

"To my knowledge, this is the first large, long-term study to suggest that PMS may be related to risk of chronic health conditions in later life," lead sutdy author Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson, an epidemiologist at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, said in a news release.

During the study, researchers tracked over 1,250 women who developed clinically significant PMS between 1991 and 2005 and about 2,500 women with few menstrual symptoms, according to Live Science. The women were between 25 and 42 years old at the beginning of the study and researchers followed them for six to 20 years. At the start of the study and two years afterward, the women were also asked if they received a diagnosis of high blood pressure from the doctors during the past two years. 

Researchers discovered a link between both high blood pressure and PMS which was strongest among women who were younger than 40. Those in this age group who had PMS were up to three times as likely to also have high blood pressure when compared to those in the same age group who did not have PMS. 

The study results suggest that women with PMS should be screened for high blood pressure so as to potentially prevent or treat future health problems early. 

The study is published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. 

Related Articles

Get A Creative Boost With A Dose Of Meditation

For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).