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Nutrients Mar 2021Despite extensive research on creatine, evidence for use among females is understudied. Creatine characteristics vary between males and females, with females exhibiting... (Review)
Review
Despite extensive research on creatine, evidence for use among females is understudied. Creatine characteristics vary between males and females, with females exhibiting 70-80% lower endogenous creatine stores compared to males. Understanding creatine metabolism pre- and post-menopause yields important implications for creatine supplementation for performance and health among females. Due to the hormone-related changes to creatine kinetics and phosphocreatine resynthesis, supplementation may be particularly important during menses, pregnancy, post-partum, during and post-menopause. Creatine supplementation among pre-menopausal females appears to be effective for improving strength and exercise performance. Post-menopausal females may also experience benefits in skeletal muscle size and function when consuming high doses of creatine (0.3 g·kg·d); and favorable effects on bone when combined with resistance training. Pre-clinical and clinical evidence indicates positive effects from creatine supplementation on mood and cognition, possibly by restoring brain energy levels and homeostasis. Creatine supplementation may be even more effective for females by supporting a pro-energetic environment in the brain. The purpose of this review was to highlight the use of creatine in females across the lifespan with particular emphasis on performance, body composition, mood, and dosing strategies.
Topics: Adult; Affect; Aged; Body Composition; Brain; Creatine; Dietary Supplements; Exercise; Female; Humans; Longevity; Menopause; Middle Aged; Muscle, Skeletal; Phosphocreatine; Resistance Training; Women's Health
PubMed: 33800439
DOI: 10.3390/nu13030877 -
Nutrients Jan 2020Menopause is clinically diagnosed as a condition when a woman has not menstruated for one year. During the menopausal transition period, there is an emergence of various... (Review)
Review
Menopause is clinically diagnosed as a condition when a woman has not menstruated for one year. During the menopausal transition period, there is an emergence of various lipid metabolic disorders due to hormonal changes, such as decreased levels of estrogens and increased levels of circulating androgens; these may lead to the development of metabolic syndromes including cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. Dysregulation of lipid metabolism affects the body fat mass, fat-free mass, fatty acid metabolism, and various aspects of energy metabolism, such as basal metabolic ratio, adiposity, and obesity. Moreover, menopause is also associated with alterations in the levels of various lipids circulating in the blood, such as lipoproteins, apolipoproteins, low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and triacylglycerol (TG). Alterations in lipid metabolism and excessive adipose tissue play a key role in the synthesis of excess fatty acids, adipocytokines, proinflammatory cytokines, and reactive oxygen species, which cause lipid peroxidation and result in the development of insulin resistance, abdominal adiposity, and dyslipidemia. This review discusses dietary recommendations and beneficial compounds, such as vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, phytochemicals-and their food sources-to aid the management of abnormal lipid metabolism in postmenopausal women.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Estrogens; Fatty Acids, Omega-3; Female; Humans; Lipid Metabolism; Lipid Metabolism Disorders; Menopause; Middle Aged; Obesity; Phytochemicals; Postmenopause; Probiotics; Vitamin D
PubMed: 31941004
DOI: 10.3390/nu12010202 -
Best Practice & Research. Clinical... Jun 2023The global obesity pandemic continues to rise, with figures from the World Health Organization showing that 13% of the world's adult population was obese in 2016.... (Review)
Review
The global obesity pandemic continues to rise, with figures from the World Health Organization showing that 13% of the world's adult population was obese in 2016. Obesity has significant implications, with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and several malignancies. The menopausal transition is associated with increased obesity, a transition from a gynecoid to an android body shape, and increased abdominal and visceral fat, which further worsens the associated cardiometabolic risks. Whether this increased obesity is a consequence of menopause, age, genetics, or environmental factors has long been debated. Increasing life expectancy means women spend a significant part of their lives in the menopause. As such, understanding this complex interplay of obesity and menopause is important to providing the right advice/management. We review the current evidence on obesity and menopause, focusing on the implications of increased obesity during menopause, the impact of menopause on obesity, and the effect of available treatments on associated morbidities.
Topics: Adult; Female; Humans; Menopause; Obesity; Risk Factors
PubMed: 37244787
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2023.102348 -
Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) Jan 2022Every year, 2 million women reach menopause in the United States, and they may spend 40% or more of their life in a postmenopausal state. In the years immediately... (Review)
Review
Every year, 2 million women reach menopause in the United States, and they may spend 40% or more of their life in a postmenopausal state. In the years immediately preceding menopause-known as the menopause transition (or perimenopause)-changes in hormones and body composition increase a woman's overall cardiometabolic risk. In this narrative review, we summarize the changes in weight, body composition, and body fat distribution, as well as the changes in energy intake, energy expenditure, and other cardiometabolic risk factors (lipid profile, glucose metabolism, sleep health, and vascular function), that occur during the menopause transition. We also discuss the benefits of lifestyle interventions in women in the earlier stages of menopause before these detrimental changes occur. Finally, we discuss how to include perimenopausal women in research studies so that women across the life-span are adequately represented.
Topics: Body Composition; Cardiovascular Diseases; Energy Metabolism; Female; Humans; Menopause; Perimenopause
PubMed: 34932890
DOI: 10.1002/oby.23289 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2021Herbal products are often used as an alternative to pharmacological therapy. Menopausal symptoms and gynecological disorders (such as premenstrual syndrome and... (Review)
Review
Herbal products are often used as an alternative to pharmacological therapy. Menopausal symptoms and gynecological disorders (such as premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea) are the indications where pharmacological therapy may have serious adverse events, hence many women prefer to use herbal products to help with these symptoms. Here, we reviewed plants and derived products, which are commonly used for the abovementioned indications, focusing on clinical data, safely profile and whether or not their use is justified. We noted that limited data are available on the use of some plants for alleviating the symptoms of menopause and gynecological disorders. While black cohosh () and red clover () were consistently shown to help reduce menopausal symptoms in clinical studies, currently available data do not fully support the use of fenugreek (), hops (), valerian (), and soybean ( and ) for this indication. For premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder, chaste tree () shows effectiveness, but more clinical studies are needed to confirm such effect upon the use of evening primrose ().
Topics: Dysmenorrhea; Female; Humans; Menopause; Phytotherapy; Plants, Medicinal; Premenstrual Syndrome
PubMed: 34946512
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26247421 -
Nutrients Jun 2021Among the various aspects of health promotion and lifestyle adaptation to the postmenopausal period, nutritional habits are essential because they concern all women, can... (Review)
Review
Among the various aspects of health promotion and lifestyle adaptation to the postmenopausal period, nutritional habits are essential because they concern all women, can be modified, and impact both longevity and quality of life. In this narrative review, we discuss the current evidence on the association between dietary patterns and clinical endpoints in postmenopausal women, such as body composition, bone mass, and risk markers for cardiovascular disease. Current evidence suggests that low-fat, plant-based diets are associated with beneficial effects on body composition, but further studies are needed to confirm these results in postmenopausal women. The Mediterranean diet pattern along with other healthy habits may help the primary prevention of bone, metabolic, and cardiovascular diseases in the postmenopausal period. It consists on the use of healthy foods that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and is associated with a small but significant decrease in blood pressure, reduction of fat mass, and improvement in cholesterol levels. These effects remain to be evaluated over a longer period of time, with the assessment of hard outcomes such as bone fractures, diabetes, and coronary ischemia.
Topics: Eating; Endpoint Determination; Female; Humans; Menopause; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Risk Factors
PubMed: 34201460
DOI: 10.3390/nu13072149 -
The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society Aug 2019Menopause, the permanent cessation of the menstrual cycle, marks the end of a woman's reproductive lifespan. In addition to changes in sex hormone levels associated with... (Review)
Review
Menopause, the permanent cessation of the menstrual cycle, marks the end of a woman's reproductive lifespan. In addition to changes in sex hormone levels associated with menopause, its timing is another predictor of future health outcomes such as duration of the presence of vasomotor symptoms (VMS) and the risk of hormone-related cancers. With ageing of the population, it is estimated that worldwide 1·2 billion women will be menopausal by the year 2030. Previously the effects of reproductive factors (e.g. parity, age at menarche, pregnancy) and socio-demographic factors on intermediate and long-term health outcomes of menopause have been widely documented. However, little is known about whether diet could have an impact on these. Therefore, we review current evidence on the associations of diet with menopause, presence of VMS and the risk of hormone-related cancers such as ovarian, endometrial and breast cancer. Dietary factors could influence the lifespan of the ovaries and sex-hormones levels, hence the timing of natural menopause. Few studies reported an association between diet, in particular soya consumption, and a reduced risk of VMS. Sustained oestrogen exposure has been associated with a higher risk of hormone-related cancers and thus high-fat and meat diets have been linked with an increased risk of these cancers. However, to better understand the mechanistic pathways involved and to make stronger conclusions for these relationships, further studies investigating the associations of dietary intakes and dietary patterns with menopause, presence of VMS and the risk of hormone-related cancers are required.
Topics: Breast Neoplasms; Diet; Endometrial Neoplasms; Female; Humans; Menopause; Middle Aged; Ovarian Neoplasms; Risk Factors
PubMed: 30706844
DOI: 10.1017/S0029665118002884 -
Work (Reading, Mass.) 2022Menopause is part of working women's lives. In Western countries, labour market patterns are changing rapidly: women's labour participation has increased, the percentage... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Menopause is part of working women's lives. In Western countries, labour market patterns are changing rapidly: women's labour participation has increased, the percentage of full-time working women is rising, and retirement age is increasing.
OBJECTIVE
This narrative literature study aims to provide an insight in the state of the art in the literature about the relationship between menopause, work and health and to identify knowledge gaps as input for further research.
METHODS
The search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE and ScienceDirect. The final set includes 36 academic articles, 27 additional articles related to the topic and 6 additional sources.
RESULTS
Research on menopause, work and health is scarce. Results are grouped thematically as follows: Menopause and (1) a lack of recognising; (2) sickness absence and costs; (3) work ability; (4) job characteristics; (5) psychosocial and cultural factors; (6) health; (7) mental health, and (8) coping and interventions. Work ability of women with severe menopausal complaints may be negatively affected.
CONCLUSIONS
Due to taboo, menopause remains unrecognised and unaddressed within an organisational context. New theoretical and methodological approaches towards research on menopause, work and health are required in order to match the variety of the work contexts world-wide.
Topics: Employment; Female; Humans; Menopause; Mental Health; Narration; Workplace
PubMed: 35570508
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-205214 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2021During aging and menopausal transition in women, a progressive muscle degeneration ( decrease in quality and muscle function) occurs. This muscle dysfunction, caused by... (Review)
Review
During aging and menopausal transition in women, a progressive muscle degeneration ( decrease in quality and muscle function) occurs. This muscle dysfunction, caused by decreased proliferation of muscle satellite cells, increased levels of inflammatory markers, and altered levels of sex hormones, exposes women to a raised incidence of sarcopenia. In this regard, hormonal balance and, in particular, estradiol, seems to be essential in skeletal muscle function. The role of the estradiol on satellite cells and the release of inflammatory cytokines in menopausal women are reviewed. In particular, estradiol has a beneficial effect on the skeletal muscle by stimulating satellite cell proliferation. Skeletal muscle can respond to estrogenic hormonal control due to the presence of specific receptors for estradiol at the level of muscle fibers. Additionally, estradiol can limit inflammatory stress damage on skeletal muscle. In this review, we primarily focused on the role of estradiol in sarcopenia and on the possibility of using Estradiol Replacement Therapy, which combined with nutritional and physical activity programs, can counteract this condition representing a valid tool to treat sarcopenia in women.
Topics: Estradiol; Female; Humans; Inflammation; Menopause; Muscle, Skeletal; Sarcopenia; Stem Cells
PubMed: 34093446
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.682012 -
American Journal of Physiology. Heart... Dec 2022Cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death among US adults, is more prevalent in menopausal females compared with age-matched males. Vasomotor symptoms of... (Review)
Review
Cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death among US adults, is more prevalent in menopausal females compared with age-matched males. Vasomotor symptoms of menopause (VMS; hot flashes/flushes and night sweats) are common among females undergoing menopausal transition and have been associated with elevated blood pressure (BP) and increased CVD risk. Autonomic dysregulation of BP has been posited as a contributing factor to the elevated CVD risk in menopausal females with VMS. This review includes ) a brief overview of the relationship between VMS and CVD, ) mechanisms of hot flushes and their potential impact on short- and long-term BP regulation, and ) how the disruption of autonomic function associated with VMS might provide a mechanistic pathway to CVD development. Finally, this review will highlight knowledge gaps and future directions toward better understanding of hot flush physiology and VMS contributions to CVD.
Topics: Adult; Female; Humans; Cardiovascular Diseases; Sweating; Menopause; Hot Flashes; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases; Vasomotor System
PubMed: 36367692
DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00477.2022