Clinical, psychovegetative and hormonal features of stress-dependent menstrual disorders

Abstract

The aim of the study. To determine the clinical, hormonal and psychological characteristics in women with stress-related menstrual disorders. Subjects and methods. 82 women of reproductive age where stress was defined as the cause of menstrual dysfunction and 20 women of the same age with a regular menstrual cycle were examined. The hormonal and psychological status (Beck depression inventory, state-trait anxiety inventory, social readjustment rating scale, sleep quality assessment, the quality of life questionnaire, questionnaire of vegetative state) was examined. Results. Oligomenorrhoea in the structure of stress-induced impairment was 79.3 %, amenorrhea - 14.6 %, abnormal uterine bleeding - 3.7 % and premenstrual syndrome - 2.4 %. The level of cortisol was significantly higher (p = 0.01) in patients of the main group, whereas the level of androstenedione was significantly lower (p = 0.03). indexes DHEA-S/ cortisol, estradiol/cortisol are significantly lower in the women with menstrual disorders. A high level of stress was associated with an increase in prolactin levels. in women with stress-related menstrual disorders was dominated anxiety. Conclusion. The reaction of the reproductive system to stress is expressed mainly in menstrual irregularities arising from the development of anxiety, prolonged activation of the pituitary-adrenal axis and increased secretion of prolactin.