Health and economic impact of the premenstrual syndrome

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of the premenstrual syndrome (PMS) on heath-related quality of life, health care utilization and occupational functioning. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional cohort study of women prospectively diagnosed with PMS. RESULTS: Among women completing the survey, 28.7% were diagnosed with PMS. Women with PMS had significantly lower scores on the Mental Component Summary (MCS) and Physical Component Summary (PCS) scale scores of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 as compared to women without PMS (MCS=42.8 vs. 49.5, P $500 in visit costs over 2 years (P <.006). CONCLUSION: Findings from this study suggest that premenstrual symptoms significantly affect health-related quality of life and may result in increased health care utilization and decreased occupational productivity.