Vitamin E levels in premenstrual syndrome

Abstract

To determine whether changes in peripheral vitamin E levels are associated with symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, 10 patients with premenstrual syndrome and 10 control subjects were studied. They gave blood at 2- or 3-day intervals throughout three menstrual cycles. The vitamin E was measured by fluorometry after hexane extraction and luteinizing hormone was measured by radioimmunoassay. In the control group, vitamin E values were 854 ± 45 μg/dl (mean ± SE) during the luteal phase and 925 ± 55 μg/dl during the follicular phase. No significant changes were noted between the two values. In the patients with premenstrual syndrome, the values were 849 ± 53 μg/dl during the luteal phase, which was not significantly different from 858 ± 48 μg/dl during the follicular phase. No significant changes were noted between the control group and the patients with premenstrual syndrome in either the luteal or the follicular phase. Vitamin E deficiency in patients with premenstrual syndrome was not shown by peripheral vitamin E levels in our study. © 1990.