This article is for educational and general wellness purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you are noticing changes in your body or have questions about your health, please consult a knowledgeable healthcare provider.

What they studied

Researchers followed 50 perimenopausal women (average age ~48) who were experiencing mood changes for eight weeks. Each week, they measured:

• Estradiol variability (how much estrogen levels were jumping around)
• Progesterone levels consistent with ovulation
• Frequency of vasomotor experiences (hot flashes, night sweats)

What they found

• Greater fluctuations in estradiol were associated with more significant mood changes — even when accounting for BMI, stress history, prior mood history, and other factors.
• Not having progesterone rise to ovulatory levels (suggesting anovulation) was also associated with more challenging emotional experiences during this transition. (Note: this study observes a hormonal pattern in the cycle — it does not evaluate progesterone supplementation products.)
• Notably, the frequency of hot flashes and night sweats was not linked to mood changes in this study.

Why it matters
This research suggests that hormonal variability during perimenopause — specifically, unstable estrogen levels and cycles where progesterone doesn't follow the typical ovulatory pattern — is closely associated with how women feel emotionally during this transition. Visible experiences like hot flashes may not tell the whole story.

In plain terms
When estrogen is fluctuating and progesterone isn't following the typical ovulatory pattern, women in perimenopause may notice stronger shifts in how they feel emotionally. These changes appear to be driven more by the underlying hormonal variability than by hot flashes or night sweats alone.

View the study here: https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/105/3/e642/5...