Are job characteristics related to fibrinogen levels in middle-aged women?

This study examined whether employment status or job characteristics thought to be stressful were related to fibrinogen level in a sample of 161 healthy middle-aged women. Employed women had higher fibrinogen levels than did nonemployed women. Moreover, among employed women, those who perceived high levels of job stress or low support from their bosses had elevated fibrinogen, independent of menopausal status. Perception of low support from one's boss was related to higher fibrinogen levels only among premenopausal women or postmenopausal women who were not using hormone replacement therapy. These results are consistent with the notion that stress associated with some job characteristics influences levels of fibrinogen in women.

Stress-induced hemoconcentration of blood cells and lipids in healthy women during acute psychological stress

This study examined the effects of psychological stress on hemoconcentration in women. Hematologic and hemodynamic variables were assessed in 17 women before and after a 3-min speech task. Significant changes in hematocrit, hemoglobin levels, red and white blood cell (WBC) count, and calculated plasma volume occurred during psychological stress (all ps < .05). Significant increases were also observed for total cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and free fatty acid (FFA; all ps < .05) during stress. After statistically correcting for the hemoconcentration effects of decreased plasma volume during stress, only WBC count and FFA concentration remained significantly elevated during the stress task (p < .006 and p < .05, respectively). In sum, acute stress alters hemoconcentration in women, which in turn can account for most stress-induced changes in lipids.

Psychological stress and immunological responsiveness in normally cycling, follicular-stage women

Nineteen women in the follicular stage of their menstrual cycles were assessed for immunological responsiveness to a 50-min series of three psychological tasks which reliably elicit cardiovascular and neuroendocrine stress responses. Ten follicular-stage women not subjected to stress served as controls. Stress decreased lymphocyte responsiveness to PHA and PWM, percent of CD4+ cells and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ cells. Conversely, stress increased natural killer cell number and cytolytic activity, white blood cell, lymphocyte, T and B cell count. Except for natural killer cell number, none of these changes was exhibited by controls. Most of these stress responses are similar to those reported for men and form the basis for a continuing study of the effects of reproductive hormones and stress on cardiovascular and immunological function in women.

Influence of the perimenopause on cardiovascular risk factors and symptoms of middle-aged healthy women

OBJECTIVE

To determine the changes in cardiovascular risk factors and psychological and physical symptoms that occur during the perimenopause.

DESIGN

Cohort study of 541 healthy middle-aged premenopausal women followed up through the menopause.

SETTING

General community.

PARTICIPANTS

After a baseline evaluation taken at study entry, 152 women ceased menstruating for 3 months (not due to surgery) and were not using hormone replacement therapy, and were reevaluated in a similar protocol (perimenopausal examination); 105 of the 152 were evaluated a third time when they had ceased menstruating for 12 months and were not using hormone replacement therapy (postmenopausal examination). One hundred nine premenopausal women who were repeatedly tested constituted a comparison group.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Levels of lipids and lipoproteins, triglycerides, fasting glucose and insulin, blood pressure, weight, height, and standardized measures of psychological symptoms.

RESULTS

Women who became perimenopausal showed increased levels of cardiovascular risk factors, which were similar in magnitude to those experienced by the comparison group of premenopausal women. Perimenopausal women reported a greater number of symptoms, especially hot flashes, cold sweats, joint pain, aches in the skull and/or neck, and being forgetful; reports of hot flashes at the perimenopausal examination were associated with low concentrations of serum estrogens. Menopausal status was not associated with depressive symptoms. Perimenopausal women who became postmenopausal showed a decline in the level of high-density lipoprotein-2-cholesterol (means, 0.53 to 0.43 mmol/L [20.6 to 16.7 mg/dL]) and a gradual increase in the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (means, 3.14 to 3.33 mmol/L [121.3 to 128.8 mg/dL]), whereas symptom reporting declined.

CONCLUSIONS

During mid-life, women experience adverse changes in cardiovascular risk factors and a temporary increase in total number of reported symptoms, with no change in depression. Preventive efforts to reduce the menopause-induced increase in cardiovascular risk factors should begin early in the menopausal transition.

Effects of vitamin A deficiency and repletion on rat glucagon secretion

To determine whether vitamin A is involved in pancreatic alpha cell function, we tested for (a) effects of vitamin A deficiency on glucagon release from perifused islets and perfused pancreases, and (b) the presence of cytosolic retinol-binding proteins (CRBP) and retinoic acid-binding proteins (CRABP), in the glucagon-secreting alpha cell line, ln-R1-G9. Arginine 19 mM plus glucose 2.8 mM-stimulated glucagon secretion was markedly impaired in islets and pancreases of vitamin A-deficient rats or rats that had at some time been cycled through vitamin A deficiency (ever A-def) despite repletion with retinoids for 2-4 weeks. Insulin secretion was impaired likewise. Repletion starting early in the development of vitamin A deficiency and for a longer period of time (18 or 60 days) did not restore glucagon secretion, but did normalize insulin secretion. CRBP and CRABP were present in ln-R1-G9 cells. We conclude that (a) vitamin A deficiency is associated with a defect in glucagon secretion; (b) The defect in secretion occurs early in the course of vitamin A deficiency; (c) The defect persists despite repletion; and (d) The requirement of vitamin A for secretion and the presence of CRBP and CRABP in glucagon-secreting cells support a physiologic role for vitamin A at the alpha cell level.

Coffee consumption: relationship to blood lipids in middle-aged women

BACKGROUND

There is controversy about the relationship between coffee intake and blood lipids in women and many studies fail to control for potential confounding factors.

METHODS

In 1983 and 1984, 541 randomly selected premenopausal women were recruited from a list of licenced drivers, aged 42-50, within selected areas in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. They were invited to participate in a 5-year study of biological and behavioural changes associated with menopause. At baseline and the first follow-up visit, lipoprotein, lipid and apoprotein levels, physical activity, dietary intake and coffee consumption were measured. Pearson correlations between coffee consumption and the various lipid values were calculated. Multivariate analyses, which controlled for the potential confounding effects of body mass index, alcohol intake, percent of calories from carbohydrate and fat, number of cigarettes smoked per day, physical activity level, and age in months, were also employed to investigate the relationships.

RESULTS

Mean coffee consumption for the group was 3.35 cups of coffee per day at baseline and 3.02 cups per day at follow-up. Results of analyses of correlation between coffee consumption and blood lipids as well as multiple regressions to control for menopausal status at follow-up were non-significant (P > 0.05) for all blood lipid values with the exception of triglycerides, which were inversely related to coffee consumption at follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

These results do not support a relationship between coffee consumption and lipoprotein, lipid or apoprotein levels with the exception of an inverse relationship between coffee consumption and triglyceride level at follow-up.

Biobehavioral aspects of menopause: lessons from the Healthy Women Study

The Healthy Women Study is an ongoing natural history study of the menopause in a sample of relatively healthy women. We report data from this paper on the behavioral and biological changes that occur during the transition from pre- to postmenopausal status and argue for the importance of behavioral change interventions to prevent or attenuate some of the adverse changes due to the menopause.

Epidemiologic studies of menopause: changes in risk factors and disease

There have been important studies of changes in risk factors and psychosocial variables during peri- and postmenopause. Most of the studies have been done in whites. Studies have clearly documented changes in behavior and biological variables related to menopause. The most critical questions bear on the interrelationships between sex steroid hormone levels, life-styles, including diet, exercise, alcohol consumption, obesity, and changes in key risk factors that are associated with the major causes of morbidity and mortality among postmenopausal women. The best study designs should be longitudinal and include frequent, accurate, and reproducible measurements of biological and psychosocial variables. Importantly, studies should be done in heterogeneous populations. The most critical variables may be measures of the degree of obesity and fatness, diet, and exercise and their relationship to hormonal changes occurring during the peri- and postmenopausal period.

Are cardiovascular reactors to asocial stress also reactors to social stress?

The authors tested the generalizability of measures of cardiovascular reactivity to asocial and social stress among fathers, mothers, and their adolescent sons. Results showed significant associations between reactivity to individual psychomotor tasks and to conflict resolution only for mothers, suggesting that laboratory measures of reactivity obtained during asocial tasks are of limited value in predicting reactivity during social tasks. Given that interpersonal constructs are important to risk for cardiovascular diseases, these findings point to the importance of measuring cardiovascular reactivity during social stress, not only during asocial achievement stress.

Employment status and depressive symptoms in middle-aged women: a longitudinal investigation

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated the psychological effects of paid employment and nonemployment, cross-sectionally and longitudinally, in 541 middle-aged women.

METHODS

Women were seen for an extensive baseline evaluation and were reevaluated in an identical manner 3 years later. They were divided into four "synthetic" cohorts, based upon employment status at these two assessments.

RESULTS

At baseline, nonemployed women reported higher levels of depressive symptoms than employed women, with nonemployed women with less education, low support from family and friends, or low marital satisfaction the most symptomatic. Symptoms decreased in women who were nonemployed initially but employed at the later exam; in all other groups, symptoms increased. Unlike the cross-sectional findings, however, the longitudinal findings showed that women who were nonemployed at baseline and had low levels of education, social support, or marital satisfaction did not benefit more from subsequent employment than did their counterparts who had high levels of these factors.

CONCLUSIONS

New paid work may have a positive effect on mood for middle-aged women. However, given the contradictions between our cross-sectional and longitudinal results, caution should be exercised in drawing conclusions from cross-sectional studies that likely confound employment status, symptoms, and moderating variables.

Care and feeding of Drosophila melanogaster

The information provided here should allow you to begin working with Drosophila. Mine your colleagues for alternative approaches, improvements, and refinements and develop your own. If you find a new and better way to do any aspect of fly work, take the time to share it with your colleagues through bionet.drosophila or DIN.

Are cardiovascular reactors to asocial stress also reactors to social stress?

The authors tested the generalizability of measures of cardiovascular reactivity to asocial and social stress among fathers, mothers, and their adolescent sons. Results showed significant associations between reactivity to individual psychomotor tasks and to conflict resolution only for mothers, suggesting that laboratory measures of reactivity obtained during asocial tasks are of limited value in predicting reactivity during social tasks. Given that interpersonal constructs are important to risk for cardiovascular diseases, these findings point to the importance of measuring cardiovascular reactivity during social stress, not only during asocial achievement stress.

Diet, alcohol, and physical activity as a function of smoking status in middle-aged women

Diet, alcohol intake, and leisure-time physical activity were compared cross-sectionally in middle-aged female smokers, ex-smokers, and never smokers and were reassessed approximately 3 years later. At initial contact, there were no group differences in total caloric intake and very few differences in nutrient intake, but alcohol intake of current smokers and ex-smokers was at least 50% greater than that of never smokers, and current smokers reported less physical activity than did ex-smokers and never smokers. Prospective findings were similar: Compared with continuing smokers, ex-smokers did not change their dietary and alcohol intake but significantly increased physical activity. Thus, some adverse behaviors associated with smoking (e.g., alcohol intake) may be due to self-selection to history of smoking, whereas other behaviors (e.g., reduced physical activity) may be more directly related to smoking itself.

Menopausal status influences ambulatory blood pressure levels and blood pressure changes during mental stress

BACKGROUND

Frequent and large cardiovascular and neuroendocrine responses to psychological stress are thought to enhance an individual's risk for cardiovascular diseases. Preliminary data suggest that levels of reproductive hormones affect the magnitude of stress responses, perhaps contributing to the protective effect of ovarian hormones on premenopausal women's rates of coronary heart disease.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Healthy middle-aged men and premenopausal and postmenopausal women performed a series of standardized mental and physical challenges while blood pressure, heart rate, plasma catecholamines, lipids, and lipoproteins were measured. Subjects then wore an ambulatory blood pressure monitor during two consecutive workdays. Results showed that postmenopausal women had larger mean +/- SEM stress-induced increases in systolic blood pressure (24.7 +/- 2.2 mm Hg) and diastolic blood pressure (14.3 +/- 1.0 mm Hg) compared with either premenopausal women (16.9 +/- 1.3 and 10.2 +/- 0.9 mm Hg) or men (17.7 +/- 1.5 and 10.9 +/- 1.1 mm Hg, respectively). Postmenopausal women and men had higher mean +/- SEM ambulatory diastolic blood pressure levels (75.5 +/- 3.2 and 76.4 +/- 1.8 mm Hg) than did premenopausal women (69.9 +/- 2.2 mm Hg). Large blood pressure responses during public speaking were associated with high cholesterol levels and low educational attainment.

CONCLUSIONS

Menopause is associated with enhanced stress-induced cardiovascular responses and elevated ambulatory blood pressure during the workday. These effects may contribute to the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality after the menopause.

Hemodynamic adjustments to laboratory stress: the influence of gender and personality

Exaggerated cardiovascular reactivity to psychological stress is a potential pathophysiological mechanism linking behavior and cardiovascular disease. Because of the recognized gender differences in incidence of cardiovascular disease, potential gender differences in cardiovascular reactivity to laboratory stressors have been evaluated. The current study examined the cardiovascular responses of a total of 42 young women (N = 22) and men (N = 20) undergoing a laboratory protocol including the following: a nonverbal math task, a mirror tracing task, the Stroop Color-Word interference task, and an isometric handgrip task. In addition to the assessment of heart rate and blood pressure, cardiac output, stroke volume, total peripheral resistance and preejection period were assessed by impedance cardiography. A number of personality characteristics that vary in prevalence by gender were also measured to evaluate their ability to explain potential gender differences in cardiovascular responses. Results indicated that men responded with greater total peripheral resistance and systolic and diastolic blood pressure responses than did women on a subset of tasks, whereas women exhibited larger increases in heart rate on a subset of tasks. Thus, men were more likely to be "vascular" reactors, with women being more likely to be "cardiac" reactors. Personality characteristics did differ between men and women, but did not explain significant variance in the gender differences in cardiovascular responses. We conclude that additional studies should focus on experimental manipulations of potential physiological mechanisms responsible for these differences, such as reproductive hormones.

Cardiovascular reactivity to stress predicts future blood pressure status

Cardiovascular reactivity to stress may have a pathophysiological role in neurogenic hypertension. We studied the value of measuring blood pressure change during standardized mental and physical challenges to prediction of resting blood pressure status 6.5 years later among 206 middle-aged adults and their 164 children, with the latter group originally being tested while enrolled in elementary through high school. After adjustment for age, resting blood pressure, and body mass index at study entry, as well as length of follow-up, larger systolic and diastolic blood pressure responses to a combination of mental and physical challenges were associated with higher subsequent resting diastolic blood pressure 6.5 years later among adults. Among boys, but not among girls, larger systolic and diastolic blood pressure responses to challenge were associated with higher subsequent resting blood pressure. These data suggest that people who are at high risk for elevated blood pressure might have an exaggerated stress-induced cardiovascular response at a younger age.

Diet, alcohol, and physical activity as a function of smoking status in middle-aged women

Diet, alcohol intake, and leisure-time physical activity were compared cross-sectionally in middle-aged female smokers, ex-smokers, and never smokers and were reassessed approximately 3 years later. At initial contact, there were no group differences in total caloric intake and very few differences in nutrient intake, but alcohol intake of current smokers and ex-smokers was at least 50% greater than that of never smokers, and current smokers reported less physical activity than did ex-smokers and never smokers. Prospective findings were similar: Compared with continuing smokers, ex-smokers did not change their dietary and alcohol intake but significantly increased physical activity. Thus, some adverse behaviors associated with smoking (e.g., alcohol intake) may be due to self-selection to history of smoking, whereas other behaviors (e.g., reduced physical activity) may be more directly related to smoking itself.

Changes in and stability of hostile characteristics: results from a 4-year longitudinal study of children

Changes in and stability of hostility characteristics and their relationship to age, sex, and family support were examined among 108 10-18-year-olds in a 4-year longitudinal study. Clinical ratings of Structured Interview potential for hostility, self-reported Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-derived hostile attitudes, and perceptions of family support were obtained at study entry and at follow-up when subjects were ages 15-21. Results showed relative stability of hostility rankings across 4 years, with males being more hostile than females. Both sexes increased in hostility over time, with the greatest increase in Ss who perceived low family support at follow-up and whose parents perceived high family support at study entry. Results are consistent with notions that early signs of hostility are risk factors for later development of coronary disease and that family environment influences development of hostility.

A functionally specialized alpha-tubulin is required for oocyte meiosis and cleavage mitoses in Drosophila

Three alpha-tubulin proteins contribute to microtubules during oogenesis and early embryogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster: alpha TUB84B, alpha TUB84D, and alpha TUB67C. alpha TUB67C is unique in two respects. It is a structurally divergent alpha-tubulin, sharing only 67% amino acid identity with the generic isotypes alpha TUB84B and alpha TUB84D, and its expression is exclusively maternal. The genetic analysis of the alpha Tub67C gene described here demonstrates that alpha TUB67C is required for nuclear division in the oocyte and early embryo. Both meiosis and cleavage-stage mitoses are severely affected by mutations that result in a substantial decrease in the ratio of alpha TUB67C/alpha TUB84B+alpha TUB84D. A large increase in this ratio, achieved by increasing the gene dosage of alpha Tub67C, has little or no effect on meiosis, but severely disrupts mitotic spindle function. Thus, both classes of alpha-tubulin isotype present in the mature oocyte, alpha TUB67C and alpha TUB84B/84D, are essential for normal spindle function in early Drosophila development. These alpha-tubulins provide the first example of tubulin isotypes known to be coexpressed in wild-type animals whose encoded variation is required for the normal function of a microtubule array.

Changes in and stability of hostile characteristics: results from a 4-year longitudinal study of children

Changes in and stability of hostility characteristics and their relationship to age, sex, and family support were examined among 108 10-18-year-olds in a 4-year longitudinal study. Clinical ratings of Structured Interview potential for hostility, self-reported Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-derived hostile attitudes, and perceptions of family support were obtained at study entry and at follow-up when subjects were ages 15-21. Results showed relative stability of hostility rankings across 4 years, with males being more hostile than females. Both sexes increased in hostility over time, with the greatest increase in Ss who perceived low family support at follow-up and whose parents perceived high family support at study entry. Results are consistent with notions that early signs of hostility are risk factors for later development of coronary disease and that family environment influences development of hostility.

Do cardiovascular responses to laboratory stress relate to ambulatory blood pressure levels?: Yes, in some of the people, some of the time

Because the correspondence between laboratory measures of blood pressure and heart rate responses to stress and ambulatory measures is less than optimal, this study tested two hypotheses: Are ambulatory measures of blood pressure elevated during periods of perceived stress, relative to no stress? Are ambulatory blood pressures elevated during perceived stress among those individuals who exhibit elevated blood pressure and heart rate responses to laboratory stress? These questions were addressed in a sample of employed, middle-aged men and premenopausal and postmenopausal women, who vary in reproductive hormone status, and in risk for coronary heart disease. All participants performed a series of laboratory studies while their physiological parameters were monitored and then wore an ambulatory blood pressure monitor for a day and a half. This monitor recorded blood pressure every half hour during the waking hours and at the same time the participants assessed their mood states. After excluding participants who reported no variability in stress levels, those who were cardiovascular reactors to a laboratory speech task exhibited elevated ambulatory blood pressure levels during periods of perceived stress. Furthermore, in general, periods of perceived stress were associated on a within subject basis with elevated ambulatory blood pressure. These results suggest that the correspondence between laboratory and field measures of blood pressure would be improved by taking into account the environmental circumstances during the ambulatory assessments and the person characteristics of reactor-nonreactor to laboratory stress.

Environmental and familial contributions to insulin levels and change in insulin levels in middle-aged women

OBJECTIVE

To examine familial and environmental variables associated with elevated insulin levels and changes in insulin levels in healthy, premenopausal women.

METHODS

A population-based sample of 518 women (aged 42 to 50 years) completed baseline assessments of weight, cardiovascular risk factors, exercise behaviors, and glucose and insulin levels (fasting and 2 hours after a glucose load); 495 of the women were reevaluated after 3 years.

RESULTS

Plasma insulin levels were related to weight, activity level, race, body fat distribution, and weight gain since age 20 years. Parental history of either diabetes or hypertension was also related to elevated insulin levels, independent of body mass index, with the highest insulin levels occurring in those women with a parental history of both diseases. Increases in plasma insulin levels over the years of follow-up were related to weight gain.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that importance of using family history to identify women who may have elevated insulin levels and of intervening to prevent weight gain during middle age.