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Current Opinion in Obstetrics &... Apr 2023The purpose of this review is to summarize the evidence on the benefits of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) for the maintenance of skeletal health, prevention of... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
The purpose of this review is to summarize the evidence on the benefits of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) for the maintenance of skeletal health, prevention of osteoporosis and related fractures in peri and postmenopausal women.
RECENT FINDINGS
We will review the impact of estrogen on skeletal health as well as the physiology of bone loss during the perimenopause and postmenopause. We will then elucidate the data that include estrogen alone and combination of MHT to demonstrate that in the absence of contraindication, MHT should be considered as an option for the maintenance of skeletal health both when concomitant menopausal symptoms are present and when not.
SUMMARY
It has been well established that estrogens maintain bone mineral density (BMD) and reduce fracture risk at all sites. However, the most extensively studied form of estrogen with established fracture prevention is oral doses of synthetic estrogens. Due to the reduced risk profile, lower doses of bioidentical oral or transdermal estrogens are often preferred in clinical practice. We will highlight the current data on improvement in BMD and fracture risk reduction, including differences in formulation, dose, and route of delivery, to support a provider in the clinical decision-making process.
Topics: Female; Humans; Postmenopause; Perimenopause; Estrogens; Estradiol; Estrogen Replacement Therapy; Bone Density; Bone Diseases, Metabolic
PubMed: 36912327
DOI: 10.1097/GCO.0000000000000858 -
BMC Psychiatry Feb 2023Women in perimenopause are vulnerable to depressive symptoms, and physical activity was reported to be a potential protective factor. The trajectories of physical...
BACKGROUND
Women in perimenopause are vulnerable to depressive symptoms, and physical activity was reported to be a potential protective factor. The trajectories of physical activity and depressive symptoms over time and their longitudinal relationships in Chinese perimenopausal women have not been explored yet, leaving a research gap hindering us from better understanding and managing perimenopause depressive symptoms.
METHODS
A multi-center prospective longitudinal study was conducted in four cities in Sichuan Province, China. Depressive symptoms and physical activity in perimenopausal women were collected in March 2019, June 2019, September 2019, and December 2019, respectively. Multivariable linear regression by generalized estimation equation was used to identify the relevant factors associated with depressive symptoms and physical activity. A four-wave autoregressive and cross-lagged panel model was performed to explore their longitudinal relationships.
RESULTS
A total of 1875 women who completed the four-wave data collection were included in the data analysis. Depressive symptoms exacerbated over time and were associated with women's age, monthly income, marital status, chronic disease, and negative life events. Physical activity decreased over time and was associated with educational background and monthly income. According to the cross-lagged panel model, perimenopausal women with more severe depressive symptoms tended to be less physically active, and similarly, perimenopausal women with less physical activity were more prone to report more severe depressive symptoms.
CONCLUSION
The cross-lagged panel model disclosed longitudinal bidirectional relationships between depressive symptoms and physical activity in perimenopausal women. Appropriate physical activity should be recommended for perimenopausal women to improve their mental well-being. Tailored physical activity duration and maintenance measures should be proposed based on different sociodemographic statuses.
Topics: Female; Humans; Perimenopause; Depression; Longitudinal Studies; Prospective Studies; Independent Living; Exercise; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 36750920
DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-04591-5 -
Menopause (New York, N.Y.) Dec 2021This study investigated whether (1) cognitive functions change after the transition from the perimenopausal to the postmenopausal stage, (2) cognitive functions and...
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated whether (1) cognitive functions change after the transition from the perimenopausal to the postmenopausal stage, (2) cognitive functions and walking are associated in middle-aged women, and (3) cognitive functions assessed in perimenopause are associated with walking after reaching the postmenopause or vice versa.
METHODS
In total, 342 women, categorized as early (n = 158) or late perimenopausal (n = 184), were included in the study and followed up until postmenopausal. Psychomotor speed, executive functions related to set-shifting and updating, working memory, and visual memory were assessed. Walking was assessed with walking speed, walking distance, and dual-task cost in walking speed. Data was analyzed using the paired-samples t test, Wilcoxon signed rank test, multiple linear regression analysis, and structural equation modeling.
RESULTS
We found small but significant improvements in psychomotor speed (P = 0.01) and working memory (P < 0.001) among early perimenopausal and in psychomotor speed (P = 0.001), set-shifting (P = 0.02), visual memory (P = 0.002), and working memory (P < 0.001) among late perimenopausal women after the transition from peri- to postmenopause. Walking speed (β = 0.264, P = 0.001) and dual-task cost (β = 0.160, P = 0.03) were associated with updating, and walking distance was associated with updating and set-shifting (β = 0.198, P = 0.02, β=-0.178 P = 0.04 respectively) among the late perimenopausal women. We found no longitudinal associations between cognitive functions and walking.
CONCLUSION
Cognitive performance remained unchanged or improved after reaching postmenopause. Cognitive functions and walking were associated during the late perimenopause, but the association depended on the cognitive process and nature of the physical task. Cognitive performance was not associated with walking after reaching postmenopause or vice versa.
Topics: Cognition; Executive Function; Female; Humans; Memory, Short-Term; Middle Aged; Perimenopause; Walking
PubMed: 34930867
DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000001896 -
Climacteric : the Journal of the... Jun 2021This study aimed to evaluate dry eye disease (DED) symptoms and quality of life (QoL) in a group of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, based on the Ocular Surface... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to evaluate dry eye disease (DED) symptoms and quality of life (QoL) in a group of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, based on the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire.
METHODS
An observational study was performed in a group of 1947 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, aged between 45 and 79 years. The personal data collected were age, menopause status, age at menopause, and OSDI score.
RESULTS
The mean age of the group was 54.18 ± 6.84 years, with a mean age at menopause of 49.45 ± 4.02 years. The average OSDI score was 29.20 ± 19.4. The overall prevalence of DED symptoms was 79%, increasing significantly in postmenopausal women, 76.4% vs. 80.5% ( = 0.029). In our group, 37.7% had severe DED symptoms. Ocular symptoms, vision-related functions, and environmental trigger scores were higher in postmenopausal women, leading to a lower QoL. The severity of OSDI score increases with age ( coefficient: 0.15 [95% confidence interval: 0.02; -0.28]), while the severity of OSDI score decreases with a later onset age of menopause ( coefficient: -0.27 [95% confidence interval: -0.55; -0.01]).
CONCLUSIONS
DED symptoms are highly prevalent in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Postmenopausal women had a higher prevalence of symptoms and higher OSDI scores than perimenopausal women. The severity of DED symptoms and vision-related functions leads to poorer QoL.
Topics: Aged; Dry Eye Syndromes; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Perimenopause; Postmenopause; Prevalence; Quality of Life; Severity of Illness Index; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 33283560
DOI: 10.1080/13697137.2020.1849087 -
Menopause (New York, N.Y.) Feb 2023To investigate the utilization of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by perimenopausal women and explore factors associated with their preference.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the utilization of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by perimenopausal women and explore factors associated with their preference.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 558 perimenopausal women in Wuhan, China. Online questionnaires were available from December 2021 to April 2022. Instruments used were the International Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire and the Greene Climacteric Scale. The association between scores and participants' sociodemographic characteristics and perimenopausal symptoms was analyzed using multiple linear regression.
RESULTS
The overall utilization of CAM by perimenopausal women was 50.4% (281/558). Perimenopausal symptoms affecting the frequency of CAM usage included anxiety (adjusted β = 0.18), somatic (adjusted β = 0.07), and vasomotor symptoms (adjusted β = 0.76), P < 0.05. The most commonly used CAM were massage (37.7%), herbal therapies (19.9%), and dietary supplements (18.2%). Walking (58.6%) was the most popular self-practice therapy. Perimenopausal women consulted Western (38.4%) and Chinese medicine physicians (34.8%) and dentists (36.0%) most frequently.
CONCLUSIONS
Perimenopausal women experience discomforts during this age-related stage, and their use of CAM to manage symptoms is common. The usage and preferences of these management strategies are worthy of further exploration. There is a need to understand cost-effective and appropriate management interventions to improve the quality of life of perimenopausal women.
Topics: Humans; Female; Perimenopause; Cross-Sectional Studies; Quality of Life; Complementary Therapies; Surveys and Questionnaires; China
PubMed: 36696646
DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000002124 -
Medicine Dec 2023With the progress and rapid societal development, women are confronted with multifaceted pressures in their lives, encompassing familial and other domains. Furthermore,... (Review)
Review
With the progress and rapid societal development, women are confronted with multifaceted pressures in their lives, encompassing familial and other domains. Furthermore, during the perimenopausal phase, endocrine equilibrium is disrupted, leading to the emergence of psychological and physiological health challenges. Insomnia is a prevalent symptom among perimenopausal individuals. The brain-gut-bacteria axis assumes a pivotal role in the prevention, diagnosis, and management of perimenopausal insomnia. Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli decoction is a commonly prescribed remedy for addressing perimenopopausal insomnia. Consequently, this paper aims to investigate the interplay between the brain-gut-bacteria axis, intestinal microbiota, and the pathogenesis of perimenopausal insomnia. The study focuses on examining the regulatory effects of Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli decoction on the nervous system, intestinal microbiota, and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. Additionally, it explores the mechanisms underlying Hujia Longgu Muli decoction in mitigating perimenopausal insomnia.
Topics: Humans; Female; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Perimenopause; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Brain; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Intestines
PubMed: 38134054
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000036537 -
World Journal of Clinical Cases Nov 2023Perimenopausal is the period when women's ovarian function begins to decline before and after menopause. During this period, women experience a series of mental state...
BACKGROUND
Perimenopausal is the period when women's ovarian function begins to decline before and after menopause. During this period, women experience a series of mental state changes, such as decreased hormone levels, decreased libido, and even female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in severe cases, which reduces their quality of life. Factors affecting the occurrence of FSD include physiological and non-physiological factors, among which physiological factors are uncontrollable. Therefore, it is particularly important to ascertain the related non-physiological factors that affect the occurrence of FSD for improving the quality of sexual life of perimenopausal women.
AIM
To investigate the mediating effect of depressive mood and body image on menopausal symptoms and sexual function in perimenopausal women.
METHODS
A total of 186 perimenopausal women were enrolled between January 2019 and January 2021 and divided into the FSD (134 cases) and control (52 cases) groups based on the presence and absence of FSD. Clinical data were compared between the two groups. FSD-related factors were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Body Image Scale (BIS), and Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) scores were compared among women with different FSD scores. The correlation of the MRS score with the BIS and HAMD scores and the mediating effect of the BIS and HAMD scores on the MRS score and female sexual function index (FSFI) were analyzed.
RESULTS
The HAMD and BIS scores were higher in the FSD group than in the control group, and the difference in monthly income between the two groups was statistically significant (all < 0.05). Monthly income of < 2000 yuan [odds ratio (OR) = 26.586, = 0.000], BIS score (OR = 1.590, = 0.000), and HAMD score (OR = 1.884, = 0.000) were independent risk factors for FSD. MRS scores were positively correlated with BIS and HAMD scores ( = 0.358 and 0.244, = 0.000 and 0.001, respectively) and negatively correlated with FSFI scores ( = -0.433, = 0.000). Body image and depressive mood had partial mediating effects, accounting for 39.90% of the total effect.
CONCLUSION
Depression and body image play mediating roles between menopausal symptoms and sexual function in perimenopausal women.
PubMed: 38073680
DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i32.7761 -
Menopause (New York, N.Y.) Aug 2023Insomnia is common in midlife women. The efficacy and safety of lemborexant (LEM), a competitive dual orexin receptor antagonist, was assessed for 12 months in a... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
OBJECTIVE
Insomnia is common in midlife women. The efficacy and safety of lemborexant (LEM), a competitive dual orexin receptor antagonist, was assessed for 12 months in a subgroup of midlife women (age, 40-58 y) from Study E2006-G000-303 (Study 303; SUNRISE-2).
METHODS
This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo (PBO)-controlled (first 6 mo) study of adults with insomnia disorder ( N = 949). During treatment period 1 (TP1), participants received PBO or LEM 5 mg (LEM5) or 10 mg (LEM10). During TP2 (second 6 mo), LEM participants continued their assigned dose; PBO participants were rerandomized to LEM5 or LEM10. Assessments included patient-reported sleep- and fatigue-related measures and treatment-emergent adverse events.
RESULTS
The midlife female subgroup comprised 280 of 949 participants (TP1: PBO, n = 90 of 318 [28.3%]; LEM5, n = 82 of 316 [25.9%]; LEM10, n = 108 of 315 [34.3%]). At 6 months, median changes from baseline in subjective sleep-onset latency (in minutes) were -17.9, -20.7, and - 30.4 for PBO, LEM5, and LEM10 (vs PBO: LEM5, P = not significant; LEM10, P = 0.0310). At 6 months, mean changes from baseline in subjective wake after sleep onset (in minutes) were -37.0 (59.6), -50.1 (74.5), and -54.5 (65.4) for PBO, LEM5, and LEM10 (vs PBO: LEM5 and LEM10, P = not significant), with benefits sustained through 12 months. Greater decreases from baseline (improvement) in Insomnia Severity Index total score and Fatigue Severity Scale total score were seen with LEM versus PBO at 6 months; benefits continued through 12 months. Most treatment-emergent adverse events were mild to moderate in severity.
CONCLUSIONS
Consistent with the total population, subjective sleep parameters improved, and improvement was sustained over time in midlife women. LEM was well tolerated, suggesting that LEM may be a potential treatment option for midlife women with insomnia.
Topics: Adult; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Double-Blind Method; Pyridines; Pyrimidines; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Treatment Outcome; Menopause; Perimenopause
PubMed: 37339396
DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000002209 -
BMC Women's Health May 2022The perimenopausal period is associated with a higher risk of various mood disorders. Similarly, although resting-state electroencephalogram (rsEEG) brain oscillatory...
BACKGROUND
The perimenopausal period is associated with a higher risk of various mood disorders. Similarly, although resting-state electroencephalogram (rsEEG) brain oscillatory activity has been associated with various neuropsychological disorders and behaviours, these issues have not been assessed in perimenopausal women. This study aimed to evaluate quantitative relationships between psychometric properties and rsEEG rhythms (delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma powers) in perimenopausal women.
METHODS
A cross-sectional correlational descriptive study was conducted to quantitatively analyze the correlations between rsEEG low-to-high band activities (delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma powers) and psychometric properties in 14 perimenopausal women. Participants completed a psychological inventory comprising the State Anxiety Inventory (SAI), Depression Inventory (DI), Behavioural Inhibition Scale (BIS) and short-form UPPS Impulsive Behaviour Scale (IS) before EEG recording.
RESULTS
Results showed that impulsivity was positively related to the beta power, symmetrical at most channels (frontal, temporal, central, parietal and occipital regions; p < .05); but did not related to the delta, theta, alpha and gamma powers. The brainwave low-to-high bands, delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma power were not associated with DI, SAI or BIS scores.
CONCLUSIONS
This study's findings propose that significantly enhanced resting-state beta activity is a trait of impulsivity in perimenopausal women. Therefore, results have potential implications for the preclinical or clinical evaluation of these issues in perimenopausal women.
Topics: Anxiety; Cross-Sectional Studies; Electroencephalography; Female; Humans; Perimenopause; Psychometrics
PubMed: 35538572
DOI: 10.1186/s12905-022-01729-7 -
BMC Women's Health Mar 2021Menopausal transition exposes women to an early decline in muscle force and motor function. Changes in muscle quality and function, especially in lower limbs, are...
BACKGROUND
Menopausal transition exposes women to an early decline in muscle force and motor function. Changes in muscle quality and function, especially in lower limbs, are crucial, as they expose individuals to increased risk of falls. To elucidate some of the related neuromuscular mechanisms, we investigated cortical inhibition and peripheral muscle twitch force potentiation in women during the early and late stages of perimenopause.
METHODS
Participants were 63 women aged 48-55 years categorized as early (EP, n = 25) or late (LP, n = 38) perimenopausal according to serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels and menstrual diaries. EP women had an irregular menstrual cycle and FSH < 25 IU/L, while LP women had an irregular cycle and > 25 IU/L. We examined motor evoked potential (MEP) and silent period (SP) elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), in the tibialis anterior muscle at 20%, 40%, and 60% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) levels, and twitch force potentiation in plantar flexors.
RESULTS
EP group showed a longer SP duration in 40% MVC condition and larger motor evoked potential amplitude in 20% MVC condition compared to the LP group. No group difference was detected in twitch force potentiation; however, it correlated negatively with FSH levels. Other factors, such as age, height, body mass index, or physical activity did not explain group differences.
CONCLUSIONS
Our preliminary results indicate subtle modulation in both TMS-induced inhibitory and excitatory mechanisms and twitch force potentiation in women already in the late perimenopausal stage. This suggests that the reduction of estrogens may have an accelerating role in the aging process of neuromuscular control.
Topics: Evoked Potentials, Motor; Female; Humans; Menopause; Muscle, Skeletal; Perimenopause; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
PubMed: 33789654
DOI: 10.1186/s12905-021-01275-8