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Reproductive Health Jan 2022Menopause nomenclature varies in the scholarly literature making synthesis and interpretation of research findings difficult. Therefore, the present study aimed to... (Review)
Review
Menopause nomenclature varies in the scholarly literature making synthesis and interpretation of research findings difficult. Therefore, the present study aimed to review and discuss critical developments in menopause nomenclature; determine the level of heterogeneity amongst menopause definitions and compare them with the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop criteria. Definitions/criteria used to characterise premenopausal and postmenopausal status were extracted from 210 studies and 128 of these studies were included in the final analyses. The main findings were that 39.84% of included studies were consistent with STRAW classification of premenopause, whereas 70.31% were consistent with STRAW classification of postmenopause. Surprisingly, major inconsistencies relating to premenopause definition were due to a total lack of reporting of any definitions/criteria for premenopause (39.84% of studies). In contrast, only 20.31% did not report definitions/criteria for postmenopause. The present findings indicate that there is a significant amount of heterogeneity associated with the definition of premenopause, compared with postmenopause. We propose three key suggestions/recommendations, which can be distilled from these findings. Firstly, premenopause should be transparently operationalised and reported. Secondly, as a minimum requirement, regular menstruation should be defined as the number of menstrual cycles in a period of at least 3 months. Finally, the utility of introducing normative age-ranges as supplementary criterion for defining stages of reproductive ageing should be considered. The use of consistent terminology in research will enhance our capacity to compare results from different studies and more effectively investigate issues related to women's health and ageing.
Topics: Aging; Female; Humans; Menopause; Menstrual Cycle; Menstruation; Women's Health
PubMed: 35101087
DOI: 10.1186/s12978-022-01336-7 -
CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association... Oct 2021
Topics: Adult; Female; Humans; Menstruation
PubMed: 34697103
DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.210169-f -
American Journal of Obstetrics and... Nov 2020
Topics: Depression; Female; Menstruation; Societies
PubMed: 32709301
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2020.06.007 -
PloS One 2023Eumenorrheic women experience cyclic variations in sex hormones attributed to the menstrual cycle (MC) which can impact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) properties, knee...
Effects of the menstrual cycle phase on anterior cruciate ligament neuromuscular and biomechanical injury risk surrogates in eumenorrheic and naturally menstruating women: A systematic review.
BACKGROUND
Eumenorrheic women experience cyclic variations in sex hormones attributed to the menstrual cycle (MC) which can impact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) properties, knee laxity, and neuromuscular function. This systematic review aimed to examine the effects of the MC on ACL neuromuscular and biomechanical injury risk surrogates during dynamic tasks, to establish whether a particular MC phase predisposes women to greater ACL injury risk.
METHODS
PubMed, Medline, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science were searched (May-July 2021) for studies that investigated the effects of the MC on ACL neuromuscular and biomechanical injury risk surrogates. Inclusion criteria were: 1) injury-free women (18-40 years); 2) verified MC phases via biochemical analysis and/or ovulation kits; 3) examined neuromuscular and/or biomechanical injury risk surrogates during dynamic tasks; 4) compared ≥1 outcome measure across ≥2 defined MC phases.
RESULTS
Seven of 418 articles were included. Four studies reported no significant differences in ACL injury risk surrogates between MC phases. Two studies showed evidence the mid-luteal phase may predispose women to greater risk of non-contact ACL injury. Three studies reported knee laxity fluctuated across the MC; two of which demonstrated MC attributed changes in knee laxity were associated with changes in knee joint loading (KJL). Study quality (Modified Downs and Black Checklist score: 7-9) and quality of evidence were low to very low (Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation: very low).
CONCLUSION
It is inconclusive whether a particular MC phase predisposes women to greater non-contact ACL injury risk based on neuromuscular and biomechanical surrogates. Practitioners should be cautious manipulating their physical preparation, injury mitigation, and screening practises based on current evidence. Although variable (i.e., magnitude and direction), MC attributed changes in knee laxity were associated with changes in potentially hazardous KJLs. Monitoring knee laxity could therefore be a viable strategy to infer possible ACL injury risk.
Topics: Humans; Female; Anterior Cruciate Ligament; Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; Menstruation; Joint Instability; Knee Joint; Menstrual Cycle; Biomechanical Phenomena
PubMed: 36701354
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280800 -
Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of... Sep 2011This paper characterizes changes in menstrual bleeding during perimenopause,including bleeding changes that represent markers of the menopausal transition. Recent... (Review)
Review
This paper characterizes changes in menstrual bleeding during perimenopause,including bleeding changes that represent markers of the menopausal transition. Recent results from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation and other cohort studies are reviewed. Emerging data describing subpopulation differences in the transition experience are highlighted. When treating women in the midlife, clinicians should pay careful attention to medical factors, including both conditions and treatments, that may increase menstrual blood loss or alter menstrual cycle characteristics sufficiently to obscure the onset of the menopausal transition or the final menstrual period.
Topics: Amenorrhea; Biomarkers; Body Mass Index; Female; Health Status; Health Surveys; Humans; Menstrual Cycle; Menstruation; Perimenopause; Smoking; Time Factors
PubMed: 21961722
DOI: 10.1016/j.ogc.2011.05.010 -
BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health Apr 2021There has been a phenomenal worldwide increase in the development and use of mobile health applications (mHealth apps) that monitor menstruation and fertility. Critics... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
There has been a phenomenal worldwide increase in the development and use of mobile health applications (mHealth apps) that monitor menstruation and fertility. Critics argue that many of the apps are inaccurate and lack evidence from either clinical trials or user experience. The aim of this scoping review is to provide an overview of the research literature on mHealth apps that track menstruation and fertility.
METHODS
This project followed the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews. The ACM, CINAHL, Google Scholar, PubMed and Scopus databases were searched for material published between 1 January 2010 and 30 April 2019. Data summary and synthesis were used to chart and analyse the data.
RESULTS
In total 654 records were reviewed. Subsequently, 135 duplicate records and 501 records that did not meet the inclusion criteria were removed. Eighteen records from 13 countries form the basis of this review. The papers reviewed cover a variety of disciplinary and methodological frameworks. Three main themes were identified: fertility and reproductive health tracking, pregnancy planning, and pregnancy prevention.
CONCLUSIONS
Motivations for fertility app use are varied, overlap and change over time, although women want apps that are accurate and evidence-based regardless of whether they are tracking their fertility, planning a pregnancy or using the app as a form of contraception. There is a lack of critical debate and engagement in the development, evaluation, usage and regulation of fertility and menstruation apps. The paucity of evidence-based research and absence of fertility, health professionals and users in studies is raised.
Topics: Female; Fertility; Humans; Menstruation; Mobile Applications; Pregnancy
PubMed: 32253280
DOI: 10.1136/bmjsrh-2019-200488 -
BMC Women's Health Apr 2023There is growing recognition of the important role menstrual health plays in achieving health, education, and gender equity. Yet, stigmatisation and taboo remain present...
There is growing recognition of the important role menstrual health plays in achieving health, education, and gender equity. Yet, stigmatisation and taboo remain present and negative emotions like fear and shame dominate the narrative when speaking about periods. This paper analyses how formal and informal menstrual education is received in Spain, to understand the role of menstrual health literacy in the way menstruation is experienced, and to identify what information would be useful to integrate into formal menstrual education. An online survey with more than 4000 participants (aged between 14 and 80, both people who will/do/have previously menstruate/d and those who do not menstruate) was conducted. Data was gathered using the digital platform Typeform, descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed with SPSS software and qualitative data was thematically analysed using Nvivo. Many participants declared not having received sufficient information on menstruation prior to menarche, particularly about how to physically manage it. Furthermore, negative emotions like shame, worry, and fear were recurrently reported to describe menarche; this has not changed between generations. Interestingly, we saw an increase in stress and sadness with an increase in perceived knowledge of the reproductive role of menstruation. We did observe a reduction in negative emotions when people who menstruate perceived they had sufficient information on how to manage their first bleeding. It is recommended that menstrual education beyond reproductive biology, particularly including how to physically manage periods, is integrated into school curricula. Menstrual education of everyone - including those who do not menstruate-can improve how periods are experienced in Spain.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Young Adult; Educational Status; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Menarche; Menstruation; Schools; Surveys and Questionnaires; Social Stigma; Taboo; Spain
PubMed: 37016318
DOI: 10.1186/s12905-023-02293-4 -
ELife Dec 2022The human endometrium experiences repetitive cycles of tissue wounding characterised by piecemeal shedding of the surface epithelium and rapid restoration of tissue...
The human endometrium experiences repetitive cycles of tissue wounding characterised by piecemeal shedding of the surface epithelium and rapid restoration of tissue homeostasis. In this study, we used a mouse model of endometrial repair and three transgenic lines of mice to investigate whether epithelial cells that become incorporated into the newly formed luminal epithelium have their origins in one or more of the mesenchymal cell types present in the stromal compartment of the endometrium. Using scRNAseq, we identified a novel population of PDGFRb + mesenchymal stromal cells that developed a unique transcriptomic signature in response to endometrial breakdown/repair. These cells expressed genes usually considered specific to epithelial cells and in silico trajectory analysis suggested they were stromal fibroblasts in transition to becoming epithelial cells. To confirm our hypothesis we used a lineage tracing strategy to compare the fate of stromal fibroblasts (PDGFRa+) and stromal perivascular cells (NG2/CSPG4+). We demonstrated that stromal fibroblasts can undergo a mesenchyme to epithelial transformation and become incorporated into the re-epithelialised luminal surface of the repaired tissue. This study is the first to discover a novel population of wound-responsive, plastic endometrial stromal fibroblasts that contribute to the rapid restoration of an intact luminal epithelium during endometrial repair. These findings form a platform for comparisons both to endometrial pathologies which involve a fibrotic response (Asherman's syndrome, endometriosis) as well as other mucosal tissues which have a variable response to wounding.
Topics: Female; Mice; Humans; Animals; Menstruation; Endometrium; Endometriosis; Mesenchymal Stem Cells; Epithelial Cells; Sequence Analysis, RNA
PubMed: 36524724
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.77663 -
Tidsskrift For Den Norske Laegeforening... Mar 2019
Topics: Female; Global Health; Humans; Menstruation; Shame; Women's Health
PubMed: 30872823
DOI: 10.4045/tidsskr.19.0158 -
Fertility and Sterility Aug 2022
Topics: Female; Humans; Menstruation
PubMed: 35786307
DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2022.06.004