Overview

• The Karolinska Institutet study followed more than 99,000 women with clinically diagnosed PMS or PMDD for up to 22 years using both population and sister-pair comparisons to control for genetic and environmental factors.
• Women with premenstrual disorders experienced about a 10% higher overall risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared to those without these diagnoses.
• Specific analyses revealed a 31% increased risk of arrhythmias and a 27% higher likelihood of blood-clot stroke among affected women.
• Risk elevations were most pronounced in women diagnosed before age 25 and in those who had also experienced postnatal depression.
• Researchers highlighted inflammation, hormonal regulation disruptions and metabolic abnormalities as potential mechanisms and called for greater clinical awareness of reproductive risk factors.