Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

5. The Genetic Factor

Just as 70 percent of women with PMS have mothers who also had the condition, there may be a similar correlation for premenstrual dysphoric disorder, although research has yet to supply an exact statistic. It seems that the over-expression of a gene complex identified as ESC/E(Z) shows that there is a cellular difference in women as it relates to menstruation. This abnormality renders some women more sensitive to hormonal changes that occur during their cycles, resulting in PMDD.