MAGNESIUM MEASURES ACROSS THE MENSTRUAL-CYCLE IN PREMENSTRUAL-SYNDROME

The purpose of this study was to evaluate blood magnesium (Mg) measure s across the menstrual cycle in women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and control women. Longitudinal determinations of plasma, red blood c ell (RBC) and mononuclear blood cell (MBC) Mg were made in 26 women wi th prospectively confirmed PMS and in a control group of 19 Women. Dat a were analyzed using analysis of variance with repeated measures and Spearman rank correlations. Significant diagnostic group effects were observed for RBC and MBC Mg concentrations (p < 0.05). These effects r eflected lower Mg concentrations in PMS patients at each sampling time . No significant effects were observed for either plasma Mg or MBC Mg content, nor were there significant time by diagnosis effects for any of the measures. Consistent with earlier studies, we found decreased R BC Mg concentrations and additionally observed decreased MBC Mg concen trations in women. with PMS. However, neither of these relative defici ts were confined to the luteal phase.