Does Mediterranean diet could have a role on age at menopause and in the management of vasomotor menopausal symptoms? The viewpoint of the endocrinological nutritionist

Association Between Protein-Rich Foods, Nutritional Supplements, and Age of Natural Menopause and Its Symptoms

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between protein-rich foods, various nutritional supplements, and age of natural menopause and its symptoms.

METHODS

This study was a large-scale cross-sectional survey. A multi-stage stratified random sampling method was used to select a sample of 52,347 residents aged 35-60 years from 26 districts/counties across 13 cities in 12 provinces in China. The mean natural menopause age was represented by the average and median, and logistic regression models were employed to examine the relationship between the intake of protein-rich foods, use of nutritional supplements, and natural menopause age as well as menopausal symptoms.

RESULTS

The average natural menopause age of the study population was 49.46 (±3.22) years, with a median age of 50 years. Logistic regression analysis revealed that with increasing frequency of fish consumption, the natural menopause age was delayed and the severity of menopausal symptoms gradually decreased, especially in relation to physical symptoms, psychological symptoms, and urogenital symptoms, which showed significant negative correlations. Milk and soy products were significantly negatively correlated with various dimensions of menopausal symptoms. Calcium and iron supplements were significantly positively correlated with the severity of menopause symptoms. Subgroup analysis by different age groups and premenopausal versus postmenopausal status showed minimal impact on the study results. In the population with BMI ≥ 18.5, fish consumption was significantly negatively correlated with menopausal symptoms. In the population with BMI between 18.5 and 27.9, milk consumption was significantly negatively correlated with menopausal symptoms. In all the populations, soy product consumption was significantly negatively correlated with menopausal symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

The intake of fish, milk, and soy products plays a role in alleviating the severity of menopausal symptoms, particularly in delaying natural menopause, with the effect of fish intake being especially significant. Calcium and iron supplements may play a role in exacerbating the severity of menopausal symptoms.

Hormone replacement therapy, menopausal age and lifestyle variables are associated with better cognitive performance at follow-up but not cognition over time in older-adult women irrespective of APOE4 carrier status and co-morbidities

Introduction

The impact of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) on cognitive function in postmenopausal women remains a topic of considerable debate. Although estrogen's neuroprotective effects suggest potential cognitive benefits, empirical findings are mixed.

Methods

This study uses data from the Cognitive Function and Ageing Study Wales (CFAS Wales) cohort to explore the relationships between HRT use, age at menopause, APOE4 carrier status, lifestyle factors, comorbidities, and cognitive outcomes in older adult women. Two regression models were employed: one analyzing cognitive performance at follow-up and another examining changes in cognitive scores over time.

Results

Results indicate that while age, education, HRT use, age at menopause, alcohol consumption, and diet were associated with cognitive function at a single later time point, only age remained a significant predictor when modeling cognition over time.

Discussion

These findings suggest that while HRT, menopausal age and lifestyle factors may support cognitive stability, they do not necessarily predict cognitive decline in post-menopausal older women. A major limitation of the current work is the lack of detail regarding HRT use, such as formulation, timing and duration; caveats that future studies should address. The study underscores the need for longer follow-up periods, consideration of other female-specific risk factors, and more comprehensive lifestyle and health assessments to clarify the complex interplay between HRT use, reproductive history, lifestyle, comorbidities and cognitive aging in women.

Adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet and severity of menopausal symptoms in perimenopausal and menopausal women from Australia: a cross-sectional analysis

PURPOSE

To explore the independent associations between adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet and severity of menopausal symptoms in perimenopausal and menopausal women living in Australia.

METHODS

Dietary adherence was assessed using the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS), the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) was used to assess the severity of menopausal symptoms, and the 36-item short form survey instrument (SF-36) was used to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

RESULTS

A total of n = 207 participants (50.7 ± 4.3 years; BMI: 28.0 ± 7.4 kg/m2) were included in the final analyses. Participants reported low-moderate adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet (5.2 ± 1.8; range: 1-11). Adherence was not associated with severity of menopausal symptoms. However, low consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages was inversely associated with joint and muscle complaints, independent of all covariates (β = -0.149; CI: -0.118, -0.022; P = 0.042). Adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet was positively associated with the physical function subscale of HRQoL (β = 0.173, CI: 0.001, 0.029; P = 0.031) and a low intake of red and processed meat was positively associated with the general health subscale (β = 0.296, CI: 0.005, 0.014; P = < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Diet quality may be related to severity of menopausal symptoms and HRQoL in perimenopausal and menopausal women. However, exploration of these findings using longitudinal analyses and robust clinical trials are needed to better elucidate these findings.

"They see me as mentally ill": the stigmatization experiences of Chinese menopausal women in the family

BACKGROUND

Menopausal women are regarded as "abnormal people" in China and are often discriminated against and ostracized, especially in the privacy of their homes. However, research on the stigmatization of menopausal women in China is limited. The aim of this study is to explore and describe the stigmatization experiences of Chinese menopausal women in the family and their feelings about these experiences.

METHODS

A phenomenological qualitative research design involving in-depth semi-structured interviews was selected. Our data analysis adopted Colaizzi's methodology.

RESULTS

Fourteen menopausal women participated in this study. Four themes and 12 subthemes emerged: (1) violent treatment (verbal and physical violence); (2) lack of attention and companionship (lack of understanding of physical and psychological suffering, neglect of the value of labour and difficulty finding someone to talk to and accompany them); (3) coping struggles (keeping quiet, fighting back, changing inappropriate perceptions and developing a menopausal transition management plan); and (4) despair (deep-rooted perceptions, restrictions on travel and consumption, and unknown "healing" times).

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that Chinese menopausal women suffer physically and mentally within their families. The stigma of menopause is both a symptom of the broad societal lack of knowledge regarding menopause and a reflection of the patriarchal oppression of women in a specific cultural context. Accordingly, this study can help menopausal women and society in general better understand the former's stigmatization experiences and amplify their inner voices. Moreover, it can serve as a reference for the formulation of menopause-related health policies in China and for advocating and promoting humanistic care for menopausal women.

Association of Healthy Diet and Physical Activity With Breast Cancer: Lifestyle Interventions and Oncology Education

Global cancer statistics suggest that breast cancer (BC) is the most diagnosed cancer in women, with an estimated 2. 3 million new cases reported in 2020. Observational evidence shows a clear link between prevention and development of invasive BC and lifestyle-based interventions such as a healthy diet and physical activity. The recent findings reveal that even minimal amounts of daily exercise and a healthy diet reduced the risk of BC, mitigated the side effects of cancer treatment, and stopped the recurrence of cancer in the survivors. Despite the myriad benefits, the implementation of these lifestyle interventions in at-risk and survivor populations has been limited to date. Given the need to disseminate information about the role of physical activity and nutrition in BC reduction, the review aimed to present the recent scientific outreach and update on associations between the lifestyle interventions and BC outcomes to narrow the gap and strengthen the understanding more clearly. This review covers more direct, detailed, and updated scientific literature to respond to frequently asked questions related to the daily lifestyle-based interventions and their impact on BC risk and survivors. This review also highlights the importance of the oncology provider's job and how oncology education can reduce the BC burden.

Aging and changes in adiposity indices: the impact of menopause

PURPOSE

Aging is associated with significant changes in fat distribution and menopause may alter this process. This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal effect of menopause on changes in adiposity indices (AI).

METHODS

A total number of 3876 non-menopausal women, aged > 20 years, who participated in the Tehran Lipid and Glucose study, were selected for the present study. They were followed from 1998 to 2018 at a 3-year interval and their adiposity indices were measured. Throughout the study, participants were categorized into two groups according to their menopausal status as group 1): women who reached menopause and group 2): women who did not reach menopause. The generalized estimation equation (GEE) models were used to compare the trend of changes in AIs between these two groups.

RESULTS

At the end of the study, a total number of 1479 (38.2%) participants reached menopause. The odds of general obesity decreased by 5% (OR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.90-0.99), and the odds of central obesity increased by 6% in group1 compared to group2 (OR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.01-1.12).

CONCLUSIONS

Menopause alters the impact of aging on central fat distribution. Increasing awareness of the related risk in menopausal women and their healthcare professional may prevent adverse related outcomes.