Menstrual Cycle Hormones ‘Can Make Asthma Worse’, Say Researchers

The severity of asthma may be affected by a woman’s menstrual cycle according to the results of a new study.



Norwegian researches discovered respiratory symptoms become more severe around the time of ovulation.

They analysed nearly 4,000 women with regular menstrual cycles lasting 28 days or less, none of whom were taking hormonal contraceptives.

Of the participants in the study eight per cent had been diagnosed with asthma and 28.5 per cent were smokers.

Writing in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine researchers concluded: ‘We found that respiratory symptoms varied significantly during the menstrual cycle.

‘There were large changes in symptom incidence through the cycle for all symptoms.’

The study means it may be possible to adapt women’s medication around it and Asthma UK say they may be able to help women with asthma manage the condition better.

Dr Samantha Walker, of Asthma UK, told the BBC: ‘This research is really interesting, and could help women with asthma to manage their condition better.

‘Asthma can be triggered by many different things, and this varies from person to person – but we always encourage people with asthma to be aware of things that trigger their symptoms so that they can take steps to control them.

‘If women with asthma notice that their symptoms are worsening at key times of the month then they can take preventive measures such as having inhalers that are within date, working and contain enough doses of medicine to see them through the times when they are most affected.’

Results showed that wheezing symptoms in the women were worse between days 10-22 of their cycles with a minor dip tending to appear near the point of ovulation.

Although the symptoms did not just affect women diagnosed with asthma coughing was worse for those with the problem, along with those who smoked or were overweight.

During a woman’s cycle hormone level rise and fall and the study suggests this has an effect on airways and an indirect effect on inflammatory responses to infection.

The man who led the researchers, Dr Ferenc Mascali, of the Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway, said the study would prove useful.

He explained: ‘Our results point to the potential for individualising therapy for respiratory diseases according to individual symptom patterns.

‘Adjusting asthma medication, for example, according to a woman’s menstrual cycle might improve its efficacy and help reduce disability and the costs of care.’