Psychosocial stress and the menstrual cycle

The relationship between mood states, urinary stress hormone output (adrena line, noradrenaline and cortisol) and adequacy of the menstrual cycle was e xamined in 120 recorded non-conception cycles from 34 women. It was hypothe sized that women with higher stress levels would be more likely to experien ce abnormal cycles and that within women higher stress levels would positiv ely relate to follicular phase length and inversely relate to luteal phase length. There was a non-significant trend for women to report higher stress levels during oligomenorrhoeic and unclear cycles compared with normal cyc les. Analysis of covariance indicated that there was no consistent relation ship between the measures of stress used here and follicular or luteal phas e length within women. There was also no consistent pattern of relationship between reported mood states and stress hormone excretion within women. Fu rther research is warranted to understand the role of stress and subtle men strual cycle abnormalities in female fertility.