Painful menstrual periods refers to a crampy lower abdominal pain experienced before and during the menstruation. According to recent research, painful menstruation is caused by acute inflammation or swelling triggered by a biomarker called C-reactive protein (CRP). The protein CPR is found in the blood plasma and is produced by the liver. Increase in the CPR level causes inflammation in the body and is also associated with the feelings of dull, painful cramping before periods. This symptom is a common occurrence known as premenstrual syndrome (PMS). This indicates that the best way to battle the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) may be by using specific anti-inflammatory medications.

A study published in the Journal of Women’s Health was aimed to investigate whether the CRP levels are associated with PMS or not. It was a cross-sectional analysis from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), cohort of midlife women (n=2939) in order to determine if a biomarker of inflammation, high-sensitivity CPR (hs-CRP) was associated with PMS. The data on reproductive health, plus demographic and lifestyle factors, through self-reported questionnaires was collected.

This study found a link between PMS severity and the presence of CRP and middle-aged women with elevated CRP levels were more likely to report the PMS symptoms. These results will have the way for future research, as well as potential therapeutic treatments for PMS symptoms.