MENSTRUAL-CYCLE HORMONAL PROFILES OF WOMEN WITH AND WITHOUT PREMENSTRUAL-SYNDROME

This paper compares the urinary hormone profiles of estrogen and pregn anediol in women with documented premenstrual syndrome (PMS) (n = 65) and asymptomatic volunteers (n = 18). Daily 24-h urine samples were co llected for an entire menstrual cycle. Subject groups did not differ s ignificantly in menses length or in the day of the preovulatory estrog en peak. Cycle length was significantly shorter for the volunteers (p < 0.05). The day of the pregnanediol peak occurred significantly later for the PMS patient group than for the asymptomatic volunteers (p < 0 .05). Split plot analysis of variance showed no significant difference s overall between subject groups for levels of urinary estrogen or pre gnanediol. This study did not find evidence of progesterone deficiency amongst sufferers of the premenstrual syndrome.