The Relationship Between Menstruation-related Symptoms And Oxidative Stress In Young Women

Abstract

The symptoms associated with menstruation affect the daily lives of many premenopausal women. These symptoms are classified into two categories: premenstrual symptoms which occur during the luteal phase, and menstrual symptoms which occur during the menstrual period. Recently, oxidative stress has been shown to be associated with various gynecological diseases, but the relationship between oxidative stress and menstrual symptoms is unclear. PURPOSE: To examine the relationship between menstruation-related symptoms and oxidative stress levels in young women. METHODS: Sixteen female college students completed a menstrual distress questionnaire (MDQ)for a menstrual cycle. A blood sample was taken at four points during one menstrual cycle: menstrual period (day 2.4 ± 1.0), follicular phase (day 9.2 ± 1.0), early luteal phase (day 16.2 ± 0.9) and late luteal phase (day 22.8 ± 0.8). All participants have a regular menstrual cycle and have never taken oral contraceptives. We measured plasma reactive oxygen metabolites (Reactive Oxygen Metabolites-derived compounds: d-ROMs) and antioxidant capacity (Biological Antioxidant Potential: BAP). RESULTS: MDQ scores were highest during the menstrual period, decreased during the follicular and early luteal phases, and increased slightly during the late luteal phase (menstrual period: 31.1 ± 20.1 vs. early luteal phase: 16.4 ± 15.7, p < 0.05). The highest d-ROMs levels were observed during the menstrual period, followed by a gradual decrease during the follicular, early luteal, and late luteal phases (menstrual period: 322.2 ± 49.2 U.CARR vs. early luteal phase: 300.3 ± 32.5 U.CARR p < 0.05). The BAP level did not change during the menstrual cycle. The pain score in the MDQ was significantly higher in the menstrual period than in the early luteal phase, and its rate of change showed a weak positive association with the rate of change in d-ROMs (r = 0.30, NS). CONCLUSIONS: Pain of menstruation-related symptoms was observed to be possibly related to changes in oxidative stress in individuals. In healthy female college students, oxidative stress was the highest during the menstrual period, but the degree of oxidative stress was mild. Further studies are needed in women with severe menstruation-related symptoms, irregular menstrual cycles, and high oxidative stress status.