The relationship between premenstrual syndrome and blood pressure in adolescents

The mechanisms causing premenstrual syndrome (PMS) are related to conditions such as Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone system dysfunction and micronutrient deficiencies, which also contribute to the development of hypertension. Thus, PMS may potentially be associated with future hypertension risk. We aimed to compare blood pressure values in adolescent girls with and without PMS and to compare blood pressure values in the luteal phase with PMS symptoms and the follicular phase without PMS symptoms in the same patient. This study was conducted at Hacettepe University Ihsan Dogramacı Children's Hospital, Department of Adolescent Health. The study was conducted between January 2022 and June 2023 with adolescent girls aged 12-18 years who had been menstruating regularly for at least 3 months. Premenstrual Syndrome Scale was applied to each participant. According to the scale score, 2 groups were formed as PMS (+) and PMS (-). Office blood pressure measurements (OBPM), home blood pressure measurements (HBPM), and ambulatory blood pressure measurements (ABPM) were performed during the follicular and luteal phases. Thirty-one PMS (+) and twenty-one PMS (-) female adolescents participated in our study. The mean age was 15.61±1.42 years in the PMS (+) group and 14.82±1.40 years in the PMS (-) group. When in-group phases were evaluated in the HBPM, systolic blood pressure values were higher in the luteal phase in the PMS (+) group. In ABPM, mean values of diastolic blood pressure in the PMS (+) group were significantly higher in the follicular phase than in the luteal phase. Mean values of pulse pressure and heart rate were also higher in the luteal phase. These results suggest that there may be a relationship between PMS and heart rate and blood pressure. Patients with PMS should be screened in the adolescent age group because of the risk of high blood pressure. We think that the relationship between PMS and blood pressure should be evaluated with a larger patient group because of the possibility of increasing the susceptibility to hypertension and cardiovascular disease later in life. Keywords: Premenstrual syndrome, adolescent girl, blood pressure, hypertension