Study reveals 'strong genetic link' between period pain and depression

About 90% of menstruating women and girls experience pain during their periods.

For some, the pain is severe and is also associated with symptoms of depression, which are often thought to be the result of severe menstrual cramps.

But a new study published today in the journal Briefings in Bioinformatics suggests that it may be depression that causes period pain, due to specific genes the authors identified — while other researchers said the interplay of internal mechanisms is more complicated. that's all, writes CNN.

"Depression and menstrual pain significantly affect the lives of women around the world, yet their connection remains unclear," lead author Dr. John Moraros, dean and professor at Xi'an Jiaotong University-Liverpool School of Science, said via email China.

"Our collective goal is to critically analyze these issues and improve care for women by uncovering these complex connections and finding better ways to address them."

Menstrual pain is known as dysmenorrhea, which occurs in the pelvic area or abdomen and usually lasts up to three days after the bleeding starts. Previous studies have shown a link between dysmenorrhea and depression, but have not established a causal link at the genetic level, Moraros said.

"We used a clever approach called Mendelian randomization," he said. "This method works like a natural experiment. It uses genetic data … to see if certain genes linked to depression make women more prone to menstrual cramps. This helps us understand cause and effect without having to test it directly in women."

The authors collected the genetic data of about 600,000 women and girls from European populations and 8,000 from East Asian populations from various sources, including the UK Biobank study, the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium and FinnGen, a large-scale research project in genetics and personalized medicine.

The study showed a "significant" causal link between depression and menstrual cramps, with mood disorder increasing the likelihood of menstrual cramps by 1.51 times, or 51%. The authors found several genetic pathways and proteins through which depression can affect reproductive function.

 

The research team also found that insomnia, experienced by some people with depression, may exacerbate the association between depression and menstrual cramps. No evidence was found to support a causal effect that menstrual cramps cause depression, the authors said.

The findings help expand the important, and often overlooked, discussion about mental health and period pain.

"I'm excited about some of the potential for some of these larger database-style studies, especially as more genetic testing is advancing," said Dr. Anne-Marie Amies Oelschlager, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Bar. She was not involved in the new research.

But there are also concerns about some of the study's broader claims, according to Amies Oelschlager and other experts.

"Where I think the paper is weak is that because there is a strong genetic link, you've attributed it as a causal link, and I think it's still a stretch," said Dr. Claudio Soares, president of the Menopause Society and professor in the department. of psychiatry at Queen's University School of Medicine in Kingston, Ontario. Soares was also not involved in the study.

Experts elaborate on the relationship between depression and menstrual cramps

Many people who have depression or other mood disorders experience more acute pain, said Amies Oelschlager, also chair of the Committee on Clinical-Gynecology Consensus at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

This increased intensity is due to the way the brain interprets and experiences pain signals, and depression limits one's ability to cope with pain, she added.

The disorder is also associated with early menopause, another expert said. Furthermore, the Mendelian method assumes that there are no environmental factors that can influence one's depression status, period pain, or genetics—which contradicts the fact that the relationship between these things can be multi-factorial and varied. for everyone, experts said.