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Kracht CL, St Romain J, Hardee JC, Santoro N, Redman LM, Marlatt KL. "Weight loss is my goal and being healthy is my goal… I can get over the hot flashes": a qualitative exploration of menopausal transition experiences and preferences for weight management among White women. Menopause 2023; 30:1022-1032. [PMID: 37699233 PMCID: PMC10528173 DOI: 10.1097/gme.0000000000002248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES A qualitative research study design was used to (1) describe experiences of White women during the menopausal transition, and (2) identify barriers and facilitators for participating in a lifestyle program targeting weight management. METHODS Perimenopausal and postmenopausal White women who self-reported a desire to lose or maintain weight participated in focus groups. Women were queried about their past diet, exercise, and weight management practices; menopausal transition; and specific components and considerations for developing a lifestyle program for weight management. Thematic analysis was conducted on coded transcripts and four main themes emerged, each containing three to six subthemes. RESULTS Twenty-eight White women (age 54 ± 3 y, body mass index 31.4 ± 9.5 kg/m 2 ) were enrolled. Overall, women felt menopause was a major life event that coincided with weight gain and frustrating body changes. Women already engaged in many different types of exercises and diets to lose weight. Women also talked to healthcare professionals about menopause but were disappointed in the support they received. Women were interested in a lifestyle program that included menopause-specific education, which focused on results beyond weight, which was flexible to their busy lifestyle, and which provided opportunities to build camaraderie among other women experiencing menopause. CONCLUSIONS This cohort of White women were interested in receiving menopause information and improving their overall health as part of a lifestyle program targeting weight management during this transition. Building camaraderie with other women affected by menopause is important to women, as is creating a lifestyle program that is flexible with daily life.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Julie C Hardee
- From the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA
| | - Nanette Santoro
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
| | - Leanne M Redman
- From the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA
| | - Kara L Marlatt
- From the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA
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Williams M, Richard-Davis G, Williams PL, Christensen L, Ward E, Schrager S. A review of African American women's experiences in menopause. Menopause 2022; 29:1331-1337. [PMID: 36126249 DOI: 10.1097/gme.0000000000002060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE AND OBJECTIVE Little is known and reported about the experiences of African American women as they transition to and experience menopause. Accepted norms are based on the experience of a predominantly White population. The aim of this study is to review available data about the distinct experiences of African American women during the menopause transition and menopause. METHODS A literature search was developed and executed by the review team in collaboration with a health sciences librarian. The search combined controlled vocabulary and title/abstract terms related to the health status disparities of African Americans in the menopause transition and menopause. The following databases were searched from inception through April 28, 2022: PubMed, Scopus (Elsevier), and Web of Science Core Collection (Clarivate). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION African American women experience distinct differences in physical, psychological, social, and quality of life measures during menopause. Increasing awareness about the unique menopause experiences of African American women is critically important to improve the health of this underserved population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makeba Williams
- From the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
| | - Gloria Richard-Davis
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR
| | | | - Leslie Christensen
- Department of Library Science, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
| | - Earlise Ward
- Department of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI
| | - Sarina Schrager
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
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Kracht CL, Romain JS, Hardee JC, Santoro N, Redman LM, Marlatt KL. “It just seems like people are talking about menopause, but nobody has a solution”: A qualitative exploration of menopause experiences and preferences for weight management among Black women. Maturitas 2022; 157:16-26. [DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2021.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Dehara M, Sachs MC, Kullberg S, Grunewald J, Blomberg A, Arkema EV. Reproductive and hormonal risk factors for sarcoidosis: a nested case–control study. BMC Pulm Med 2022; 22:43. [PMID: 35073900 PMCID: PMC8787880 DOI: 10.1186/s12890-022-01834-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Sarcoidosis incidence peaks in females around the fifth decade of life, which coincides with menopause, suggesting hormonal factors play a role in disease development. We investigated whether longer exposure to reproductive and hormonal factors is associated with reduced sarcoidosis risk.
Methods
We conducted a matched case–control study nested within the Mammography Screening Project. Incident sarcoidosis cases were identified via medical records and matched to controls on birth and questionnaire date (1:4). Information on hormonal factors was obtained through questionnaires prior to sarcoidosis diagnosis. Multilevel modelling was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios with 95% credible intervals (OR; 95% CI).
Results
In total, 32 sarcoidosis cases and 124 controls were included. Higher sarcoidosis odds were associated with older age at menarche (OR 1.19: 95% CI 0.92–1.55), natural menopause versus non-natural (OR 1.53: 95% CI 0.80–2.93), later age at first pregnancy (OR 1.11: 95% CI 0.76–1.63) and ever hormone replacement therapy (HRT) use (OR 1.40: 95% CI 0.76–2.59). Lower odds were associated with older age at menopause (OR 0.90: 95% CI 0.52–1.55), longer duration of oral contraceptive use (OR 0.70: 95% CI 0.45–1.07), longer duration of HRT use (OR 0.61: 95% CI 0.22–1.70), ever local estrogen therapy (LET) use (OR 0.83: 95% CI 0.34–2.04) and longer duration of LET use (OR 0.78: 95% CI 0.21–2.81). However, the CIs could not rule out null associations.
Conclusion
Given the inconsistency and modest magnitude in our estimates, and that the 95% credible intervals included one, it still remains unclear whether longer estrogen exposure is associated with reduced sarcoidosis risk.
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Chiang C, Pacyga DC, Strakovsky RS, Smith RL, James-Todd T, Williams PL, Hauser R, Meling DD, Li Z, Flaws JA. Urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and serum hormone levels in pre- and perimenopausal women from the Midlife Women's Health Study. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 156:106633. [PMID: 34004451 PMCID: PMC8380691 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phthalate exposure is associated with altered reproductive function, but little is known about associations between phthalate and hormone levels in midlife women. METHODS This cross-sectional analysis includes 45-54-year-old pre- and perimenopausal women from Baltimore, MD and its surrounding counties enrolled in the Midlife Women's Health Study (n = 718). Serum and urine samples were collected from participants once a week for four consecutive weeks to span the menstrual cycle. Serum samples were assayed for estradiol, testosterone, progesterone, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), and geometric means were calculated for each hormone across all four weeks. Urine samples were analyzed for nine phthalate metabolites from pools of one-to-four urine samples. Phthalate metabolite concentrations were specific gravity-adjusted and assessed as individual metabolites or as molar sums of metabolites from common parents (di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate metabolites, ∑DEHP), exposure sources (plastic, ∑Plastics; personal care products, ∑PCP), biological activity (anti-androgenic, ∑AA), and sum of all metabolites (∑Phthalates). We used linear regression models to assess overall associations of phthalate metabolites with hormones, controlling for important demographic, lifestyle, and health factors. We also explored whether associations differed by menopause status, body mass index (BMI), and race/ethnicity. RESULTS Most participants were non-Hispanic white (67%) or black (29%), college-educated (65%), employed (80%), and had somewhat higher mean urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations than other U.S. women. Overall, the following positive associations were observed between phthalate metabolites and hormones: ∑DEHP (%Δ: 4.9; 95%CI: 0.5, 9.6), ∑Plastics (%Δ: 5.1; 95%CI: 0.3, 10.0), and ∑AA (%Δ: 7.8; 95%CI: 2.3, 13.6) with estradiol; MiBP (%Δ: 6.6; 95%CI: 1.5, 12.1) with testosterone; ∑DEHP (%Δ: 8.3; 95%CI: 1.5, 15.6), ∑Plastics (%Δ: 9.8; 95%CI: 2.4, 17.7), MEP (%Δ: 4.6; 95%CI: 0.1, 9.2), ∑PCP (%Δ: 6.0; 95%CI: 0.2, 12.2), ∑Phthalates (%Δ: 9.0; 95%CI: 2.1, 16.5), and ∑AA (%Δ: 12.9; 95%CI: 4.4, 22.1) with progesterone; and MBP (%Δ: 8.5; 95%CI: 1.2, 16.3) and ∑AA (%Δ: 9.0; 95%CI: 1.3, 17.4) with AMH. Associations of phthalate metabolites with hormones differed by menopause status (strongest in premenopausal women for estradiol, progesterone, and FSH), BMI (strongest in obese women for progesterone), and race/ethnicity (strongest in non-Hispanic white women for estradiol and AMH). CONCLUSIONS We found that phthalate metabolites were positively associated with several hormones in midlife women, and that some demographic and lifestyle characteristics modified these associations. Future longitudinal studies are needed to corroborate these findings in more diverse midlife populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catheryne Chiang
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61802, United States
| | - Diana C Pacyga
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, United States; Institute for Integrative Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, United States; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, United States
| | - Rita S Strakovsky
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, United States; Institute for Integrative Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, United States
| | - Rebecca L Smith
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, United States; Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61802, United States
| | - Tamarra James-Todd
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, United States; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Paige L Williams
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, United States; Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Russ Hauser
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, United States; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Daryl D Meling
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61802, United States
| | - Zhong Li
- Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| | - Jodi A Flaws
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61802, United States; Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, United States.
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Transitioning to the menopausal transition: a scoping review of research on the late reproductive stage in reproductive aging. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 28:447-466. [PMID: 33470754 DOI: 10.1097/gme.0000000000001707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE AND OBJECTIVE In 2001 Staging Reproductive Aging Workshop conferees described the late reproductive stage (LRS) of reproductive aging as preceding the onset of the menopausal transition, yet there has been little attention to this aspect of reproductive aging. The aim of this scoping review was to examine scientific publications characterizing the LRS to map what is known about this stage with particular focus on reproductive endocrine patterns, menstrual cycle changes, and symptoms. METHODS The initial search strategy included PubMed and CINAHL searches for the phrase LRS and "human." Given a low yield of research articles, a second stage used "late reproductive age" (LRA) as a search term. These strategies yielded 9 and 26 research articles, respectively. Publications meeting inclusion criteria (data-based research studies, focus on LRS or LRA and hormonal patterns, menstrual characteristics, and symptoms) published in English were reviewed by coinvestigators. Excluded studies were related to specific diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, and treatment studies. Data were summarized using qualitative methods. To ensure adequate coverage of published research we expanded our review to a third phase in which we identified longitudinal studies of the menopausal transition. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Studies of the LRS focused on: symptoms (anxiety and mood symptoms, bladder symptoms, urinary incontinence, urinary frequency, and nocturia) and associated factors, such as endocrine levels and gene polymorphisms; symptom clusters women experienced during the LRS; cognitive function testing results; changing patterns of physiology such as cytokines and chemokines, lipids, hormone patterns/levels; and association of lifestyle factors such as smoking with hormone levels and symptoms. The LRA search yielded a preponderance of studies of reproductive hormones (such as anti-Mullerian hormone) and menstrual cycle patterns. Remaining studies focused on symptoms, gene variants, health-related behaviors and approaches to classifying menstrual cycles. Longitudinal studies revealed reports of symptoms as well as attempts to classify the progression from the reproductive years to the menopausal transition. Study of the LRS has not been systematic and the limited number and scope of completed studies have yet to contribute a clear and complete picture of the LRS. In some, LRS provided a comparison stage against which to evaluate menopausal transition hormonal and cycle patterns and symptoms. Harmonizing the results of studies of the LRS and LRA is essential to understand more completely women's experiences of the LRS and to allow clinicians to provide better support for women during this time. The LRS also represents an ideal inflection point to promote lifestyle choices that could alter the trajectories of chronic diseases that arise in the fifth, sixth, and seventh decades of women's lives.
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Marlatt KL, Redman LM, Beyl RA, Smith SR, Champagne CM, Yi F, Lovejoy JC. Racial differences in body composition and cardiometabolic risk during the menopause transition: a prospective, observational cohort study. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2020; 222:365.e1-365.e18. [PMID: 31610152 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2019.09.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obesity disproportionately affects more women than men. The loss of ovarian function during the menopause transition coincides with weight gain, increases in abdominal adiposity, and impaired metabolic health. Racial differences in obesity prevalence that results from the menopause transition are not well understood. OBJECTIVE The purpose of the study was to assess longitudinal changes in body composition and cardiometabolic risk among black and white women during the menopausal transition. STUDY DESIGN In a secondary analysis of a prospective, observational cohort study (the Healthy Transitions study), 161 women ≥43 years old with a body mass index of 20-40 kg/m2 and who had not yet transitioned through menopause were enrolled at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Women were seen annually for body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, for abdominal adipose tissue distribution by computed tomography, for sex steroid hormones, and for cardiometabolic risk factors that include fasting glucose, insulin, and lipids. Surrogate measures of insulin sensitivity were also calculated. RESULTS Ninety-four women (25 black, 69 white) transitioned through menopause and were included within the analyses. At menopause onset, black women weighed more (77.8±3.0 vs 70.8±1.8 kg) and had a higher systolic (125±16 vs 118±14 mm Hg) and diastolic (80±8 vs 74±7 mm Hg) blood pressure compared with white women (all P≤.05). No other differences in body composition, sex steroid hormones, or cardiometabolic risk factors were observed at menopause onset. Before menopause, white women gained significant weight (3 kg), total body adiposity (6% percent body fat, 9% fat mass, 12% trunk fat mass) and abdominal adipose tissue (19% subcutaneous fat, 15% visceral fat, 19% total adipose tissue), which coincided with significant decreases in estradiol, sex hormone-binding globulin, and estrone sulfate and increases in follicle-stimulating hormone, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Conversely, black women had more abdominal adipose tissue before menopause, which was maintained across the menopause transition. Black women also had significant decreases in estrone sulfate and total testosterone and increases in follicle-stimulating hormone before menopause. In the postmenopausal years, abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue, total adipose tissue, follicle-stimulating hormone, total cholesterol, and low-density and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased only in white women. CONCLUSION White women gained more abdominal adiposity during the menopause transition compared with black women, which, in part, may be due to differences in the pattern of sex steroid hormone changes between women of different racial backgrounds. The gains in abdominal adiposity in white women were observed in tandem with increased cardiometabolic risk factors. Future studies should consider comprehensive lifestyle approaches to target these increased gains in abdominal adiposity (ie, nutrition and physical activity coaching), while taking into account the potential interactions of race, body adiposity, sex steroid hormones, and their influence on cardiometabolic risk.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Robbie A Beyl
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA
| | - Steve R Smith
- Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes, Advent Health, Orlando, FL
| | | | - Fanchao Yi
- Center for Collaborative Research, Advent Health, Orlando, FL
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Carrer P, Trevisan C, Franchin A, Volpe ED, Rancan A, Zanforlini BM, Maggi S, Noale M, Corti MC, Perissinotto E, Manzato E, Sergi G. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and fall risk in older people: Sex differences in the Pro.V.A. longitudinal study. Maturitas 2019; 128:43-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2019.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Barrett ES, Mbowe O, Thurston SW, Butts S, Wang C, Nguyen R, Bush N, Redmon JB, Sheshu S, Swan SH, Sathyanarayana S. Predictors of Steroid Hormone Concentrations in Early Pregnancy: Results from a Multi-Center Cohort. Matern Child Health J 2019; 23:397-407. [PMID: 30659461 PMCID: PMC6397082 DOI: 10.1007/s10995-018-02705-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Objectives To identify factors predicting maternal sex steroid hormone concentrations in early pregnancy. Methods The Infant Development and the Environment Study recruited healthy pregnant women from academic medical centers in four US cities. Gold standard liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to measure maternal sex steroids concentrations (total testosterone [TT], free testosterone [FT], estrone [E1], estradiol [E2], and estriol [E3] concentrations) in serum samples from 548 women carrying singletons (median = 11.7 weeks gestation). Women completed questionnaires on demographic and lifestyle characteristics. Results In multivariable linear regression analyses, hormone concentrations varied in relation to maternal age, body mass index (BMI), race, and parity. Older mothers had significantly lower levels of most hormones; for every year increase in maternal age, there was a 1-2% decrease in E1, E2, TT, and FT. By contrast, each unit increase in maternal BMI was associated 1-2% lower estrogen (E1, E2, E3) levels, but 1-2% higher androgen (TT, FT) concentrations. Hormone concentrations were 4-18% lower among parous women, and for each year elapsed since last birth, TT and FT were 1-2% higher (no difference in estrogens). Androgen concentrations were 18-30% higher among Black women compared to women of other races. Fetal sex, maternal stress, and lifestyle factors (including alcohol and tobacco use) were not related to maternal steroid concentrations. Conclusions for Practice Maternal demographic factors predict sex steroid hormone concentrations during pregnancy, which is important given increasing evidence that the prenatal endocrine environment shapes future risk of chronic disease for both mother and offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily S Barrett
- Department of Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health, 170 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.
| | - Omar Mbowe
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Sally W Thurston
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Samantha Butts
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Christina Wang
- Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ruby Nguyen
- Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Nicole Bush
- Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - J Bruce Redmon
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Sukrita Sheshu
- Department of Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health, 170 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Shanna H Swan
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sheela Sathyanarayana
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
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Wineland RJ, Bloom MS, Cruze L, Butts CD, Wenzel AG, Unal ER, Kohno S, Willan KB, Brock JW, Newman RB. In utero effects of maternal phthalate exposure on male genital development. Prenat Diagn 2019; 39:209-218. [PMID: 30476355 DOI: 10.1002/pd.5398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phthalates are used extensively in commercial and personal care products and maternal exposure is ubiquitous. Phthalates are anti-androgenic, but the potential effects of phthalates on male penile development have not been assessed in utero. OBJECTIVE The study aims to investigate the association between early pregnancy phthalate exposure and fetal penile development, overall and by race. METHODS Prospective cohort study of women with singleton pregnancies presenting for prenatal ultrasound between 18 and 22 weeks' gestation. Maternal urine samples were assayed for eight phthalate monoester metabolites. We used maternal phthalate levels at 18 to 22 weeks' gestation as predictors of fetal size using multiple linear regression models, adjusted for fetal gestational age, maternal age, race, smoking, and education. We incorporated a phthalate by race interaction into a second set of regression models. RESULTS We detected statistically significant race interactions for continuous phthalates with penile width. Race interactions were also suggested for penile length and volume using tertiles of phthalates with point estimates generally positive for whites and negative for African Americans. CONCLUSION Penile development is significantly influenced by race, and the impact of maternal phthalates on penile measurements also varies by race. Maternal phthalate exposure can adversely affect in utero penile growth and development, especially among African Americans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J Wineland
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Michael S Bloom
- Departments of Environmental Health Sciences and Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, New York
| | - Lori Cruze
- Wofford College, Spartanburg, South Carolina
| | - Celeste D Butts
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, New York
| | - Abby G Wenzel
- Marine Biomedicine and Environmental Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - E Ramsey Unal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Southern Illinois University, Springfield, Illinois
| | - Satomi Kohno
- Department of Biology, St. Cloud State University, Saint Cloud, Minnesota
| | - Keith B Willan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - John W Brock
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina Asheville, Asheville, North Carolina
| | - Roger B Newman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
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The Role of Energy Intake on Fitness-Adjusted Racial/Ethnic Differences in Central Adiposity Using Quantile Regression. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2019; 6:292-300. [PMID: 30656610 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-018-0523-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Revised: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Energy intake (EI) is suggested to be associated with adiposity and may explain previously observed fitness-adjusted racial disparities in waist circumference (WC). OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the role of EI on the fitness-adjusted racial/ethnic disparities in WC in a nationally representative sample of females using quantile regression. METHODS Our sample consisted of 3874 female participants (aged 12 to 49 years) from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The role of EI was assessed in separate analyses via estimation using a 24-hour dietary recall (DR) and the Institute of Medicine total daily energy expenditure equations. Age-stratified quantile regression models were used to estimate the differences in WC between minority groups and non-Hispanic (NH) white, adjusting for EI, CRF, age, and height. RESULTS Results from the quantile regression analyses adjusting for EI via DR showed significant differences in WC between NH black and NH white at the 25th-90th WC percentiles (5.9-11.1 cm) for females 20-49 and at the 90th WC percentile (10.1 cm) for females 16-19. For females 12-15, no significant differences were observed between NH black and NH white. Analyses adjusting for EI via IOM showed significant differences in WC between NH black and NH white only for females aged 20-49 years, at the 50th and 75th percentile (1.7-3.6 cm). Compared to NH White, Mexican American females, in all age groups, tended to have significantly greater WC. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight the importance of rigor in energy intake assessments, suggesting that EI, if adequately assessed, may explain a substantial part of the racial/ethnic differences in WC between NH black and NH white females. Additionally, the observed persistence of estimated differences in WC with advancing age suggests other factors (e.g., hormones) may play a role.
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Jiménez MC, Tucker KL, Rodriguez F, Porneala BC, Meigs JB, López L. Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate Among Latinos in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study. J Endocr Soc 2018; 3:291-303. [PMID: 30623167 PMCID: PMC6320241 DOI: 10.1210/js.2018-00205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Low blood dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) levels have strong positive associations with stroke and coronary heart disease. However, it is unclear whether DHEAS is independently associated with cardiovascular risk factors. Therefore, we examined the association between cardiovascular risk factors and DHEAS concentration among a high-risk population of Latinos (Puerto Ricans aged 45 to 75 years at baseline) in a cross-sectional analysis of the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study. Of eligible participants, 72% completed baseline interviews and provided blood samples. Complete data were available for 1355 participants. Associations between cardiovascular risk factors (age, sex, total cholesterol, high-density lipid cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose) and log-transformed DHEAS (μg/dL) were assessed. In robust multivariable regression analyses, DHEAS was significantly inversely associated with age (β = -12.4; 95% CI: -15.2, -9.7; per 5 years), being female (vs. male) (β = -46; 95% CI: -55.3, -36.6), and plasma triglyceride concentration (β = -0.2; 95% CI: -0.3, -0.1; per 10 mg/dL) and was positively associated with total cholesterol and plasma glucose levels (β = 1.8; 95% CI: 0.6, 3 and β = 0.2; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.3, respectively, per 10 mg/dL) after adjustment for smoking, alcohol, and physical activity and for postmenopausal hormone use in women. Estimates were unchanged after adjustment for measures of chronic disease and inflammation. Women exhibited a stronger age-related decline in DHEAS and a positive association with glucose in contrast to findings among men (P interaction < 0.05). In conclusion, in this large study of Latinos with a heavy cardiovascular risk factor burden, we observed significant associations between cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and DHEAS, with variations by sex. These findings improve our understanding of the role DHEAS may play in CVD etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monik C Jiménez
- Division of Women's Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Katherine L Tucker
- Clinical Laboratory and Nutritional Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts
| | - Fátima Rodriguez
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
| | - Bianca C Porneala
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - James B Meigs
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Division of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lenny López
- Division of Hospital Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To identify risk factors for decreased libido among women in the late reproductive years. DESIGN Prospective cohort. Women aged 35 to 47 years identified through random digit dialing were prospectively followed for 4 years with serial hormone assays and standardized questionnaires. Mean hormone values, hormone trends over 4 years, and fluctuation in hormone levels were compared among women with and without a decrease in libido at the last assessment period. Total testosterone, dihydroepiandrosterone sulfate, estradiol, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, body mass index, psychosocial, and socioeconomic variables were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS Of 326 women, 87 (27%) reported a decreased libido, whereas 239 (73%) did not. Participant-specific means for all hormone levels over the study period were similar among both groups. However, total testosterone fluctuation over the study was significantly different between groups. Women whose testosterone levels fluctuated from 3.8 to 21.5 ng/dL around a mean value of 9 ng/dL were four times more likely to report decreased libido compared with women with little fluctuation in testosterone [odds ratio (OR) 4.0; 95% CI, 1.6-10.0]. Depression (OR 3.4; 95%CI, 1.9-6.1), vaginal dryness (OR 3.5; 95%CI, 1.8-6.6), and children living at home (OR 1.4; 95%CI, 1.1-1.7) were also independently associated with decreased libido. CONCLUSIONS Decreased libido in the late reproductive years is associated with a pronounced fluctuation in total testosterone over time. Other independent risk factors for decreased libido include vaginal dryness, depression, and living with children. Sexual dysfunction is a complex disorder, related to physiological and psychosocial factors, requiring further investigation.
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Santoro N, Crawford SL, El Khoudary SR, Allshouse AA, Burnett-Bowie SA, Finkelstein J, Derby C, Matthews K, Kravitz HM, Harlow SD, Greendale GA, Gold EB, Kazlauskaite R, McConnell D, Neal-Perry G, Pavlovic J, Randolph J, Weiss G, Chen HY, Lasley B. Menstrual Cycle Hormone Changes in Women Traversing Menopause: Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2017; 102:2218-2229. [PMID: 28368525 PMCID: PMC5505186 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2016-4017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Menstrual cycle hormone patterns in women approaching menopause are inadequately studied. OBJECTIVE To describe day-to-day menstrual cycle hormones in women as they approach menopause from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation Daily Hormone Study (DHS). DESIGN DHS enrollees collected daily urine for one entire menstrual cycle or up to 50 days, whichever came first, annually, up to the final menstrual period (FMP) or for up to 10 years. SETTING Seven sites across the United States. PARTICIPANTS A total of 511 premenopausal or early perimenopausal women at enrollment, within 10 years before menopause. INTERVENTION Time-to-FMP measurement. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Evidence of luteal activity (ELA), determined using objective algorithms. Menstrual cycle/segment length; whole cycle, and segment integrated urinary luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, estrone conjugates, and pregnanediol glucuronide (Pdg) for each year, organized around the FMP. RESULTS Mean menstrual cycle length was remarkably preserved at 26 to 27 days in ELA cycles; non-ELA cycles had greater variability. The percentage of cycles that were ELA remained high until 5 years before the FMP (87.9%); only 22.8% of cycles within 1 year of the FMP were ELA. Whole cycle hormones remained relatively stable up to 3 years before the FMP, when gonadotropins began to increase. Pdg excretion declined slowly with progress to the FMP, but Pdg patterns of ELA cycles remained distinguishable from non-ELA. CONCLUSIONS Menstrual cycle hormone patterns in perimenopausal women resemble those of midreproductive-aged women until 5 years before menopause, and presumably ovulatory cycles retain a potentially fertile pattern up to the end of reproductive life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanette Santoro
- Department of Ob/Gyn, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045
| | - Sybil L. Crawford
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01655
| | - Samar R. El Khoudary
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
| | - Amanda A. Allshouse
- Department of Ob/Gyn, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado 80045
| | | | - Joel Finkelstein
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
| | - Carol Derby
- Departments of Neurology and Epidemiology & Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York 10461
| | - Karen Matthews
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
| | - Howard M. Kravitz
- Departments of Psychiatry and Preventive Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 60612
| | - Sioban D. Harlow
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-5624
| | - Gail A. Greendale
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Ellen B. Gold
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis Health, Davis, California 95817
| | - Rasa Kazlauskaite
- Departments of Psychiatry and Preventive Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 60612
| | - Dan McConnell
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-5624
| | | | - Jelena Pavlovic
- Departments of Neurology and Epidemiology & Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York 10461
| | - John Randolph
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-5624
| | - Gerson Weiss
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey 07103
| | - Hsiang-Yu Chen
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
| | - Bill Lasley
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis Health, Davis, California 95817
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Cigarettes, genetic background, and menopausal timing: the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms in cytochrome P450 genes is associated with increased risk of natural menopause in European-American smokers. Menopause 2015; 21:694-701. [PMID: 24448104 DOI: 10.1097/gme.0000000000000140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aims to evaluate associations between variations in genes involved in the metabolism of environmental chemicals and steroid hormones and risk of menopause in smokers. METHODS Survival analysis was performed on 410 eligible participants from the Penn Ovarian Aging study (ongoing for 14 years), a cohort study of late-reproductive-age women. Single nucleotide polymorphisms at the following loci were studied: COMT Val158Met, CYP1B1*4 Asn452Ser, CYP1B1*3 Leu432Val, and CYP3A4*1B. RESULTS Significant interactions between smoking and single nucleotide polymorphisms were observed in European-American carriers of CYP3A4*1B and CYP1B1*3, supporting a greater risk of menopause entry compared with those not carrying these alleles. Among CYP1B1*3 carriers, smokers had a greater risk of menopause entry than nonsmokers (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 2.26; 95% CI, 1.4-3.67; median time to menopause, 10.42 and 11.07 y, respectively). No association between smoking and menopause was identified in CYP1B1 wild types. Among CYP3A4*1B carriers, smokers were at greater risk for menopause entry than nonsmokers (adjusted HR, 15.1; 95% CI, 3.31-69.2; median time to menopause, 11.36 and 13.91 y, respectively). Risk of menopause entry in CYP3A4 wild types who smoked was far lower (adjusted HR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.03-2.44). Heavily smoking CYP1B1*3 carriers (adjusted HR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.54-5.84; median time to menopause, 10.41 y) and heavily smoking CYP3A4*1B carriers (adjusted HR, 17.79; 95% CI, 3.21-98.65; median time to menopause, 5.09 y) had the greatest risk of menopause entry. CONCLUSIONS Our finding that the risk of menopause entry in European-American smokers varies depending on genetic background represents a novel gene-environment interaction in reproductive aging.
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Davis GR, Gallien GJ, Moody KM, LeBlanc NR, Smoak PR, Bellar D. Cognitive Function and Salivary DHEA Levels in Physically Active Elderly African American Women. Int J Endocrinol 2015; 2015:219046. [PMID: 26064106 PMCID: PMC4443930 DOI: 10.1155/2015/219046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2014] [Revised: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Serum and plasma dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) concentration has been associated with several health parameters associated with aging including cognitive function, bone mineral density, and muscular strength. However, the effectiveness of salivary DHEA for the prediction of cognitive function, bone mineral density, and muscular strength in older adults is currently unknown. Thirty elderly African American females provided early morning salivary samples and DHEA levels were determined using a commercially available immunoassay. Participants completed testing for psychomotor and executive function via Trail Making Tests (TMT) A and B, respectively. Bone ultrasound attenuation (BUA) was used to bone density and an isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) was used to determine isometric strength. Age significantly correlated with time on TMT A (r=0.328) and B (r=0.615) but was not related to DHEA, BUA, or IMTP outcomes. Elevated DHEA was associated with longer time to completion for TMT A (χ (2) = 5.14) but not to TMT B. DHEA levels were not associated with BUA or IMTP outcomes. While elevated levels of DHEA were correlated with impaired psychomotor function, salivary DHEA is not associated with executive function, bone mineral density, or isometric strength in elderly African American women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greggory R. Davis
- School of Kinesiology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504, USA
| | - Gabrielle J. Gallien
- School of Kinesiology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504, USA
| | - Kaitlyn M. Moody
- School of Kinesiology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504, USA
| | - Nina R. LeBlanc
- School of Kinesiology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504, USA
| | - Peter R. Smoak
- School of Kinesiology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504, USA
| | - David Bellar
- School of Kinesiology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504, USA
- *David Bellar:
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17
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Roth LW, Allshouse AA, Bradshaw-Pierce EL, Lesh J, Chosich J, Kohrt W, Bradford AP, Polotsky AJ, Santoro N. Luteal phase dynamics of follicle-stimulating and luteinizing hormones in obese and normal weight women. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 2014; 81:418-25. [PMID: 24576183 PMCID: PMC4115008 DOI: 10.1111/cen.12441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2013] [Revised: 12/10/2013] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Female obesity is a state of relative hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. The aim of this study is to examine gonadotrophin secretion and response to gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and to investigate the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of endogenous and exogenous luteinizing hormone (LH) in obese women. DESIGN Participants underwent a luteal phase frequent blood sampling study. Endogenous LH pulsatility was observed, gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) was given in two weight-based doses, and GnRH antagonist was administered followed by recombinant LH. PATIENTS Regularly menstruating obese (n = 10) and normal weight (n = 10) women. MEASUREMENTS Endogenous hypothalamic-pituitary function (as measured by LH pulsatility), pituitary sensitivity (GnRH-induced LH secretion), pharmacodynamics of endogenous LH and pharmacokinetics of exogenous LH were compared between the obese and normal weight groups. RESULTS There were no statistically significant differences in endogenous LH pulsatility or pituitary responses to two weight-based doses of GnRH between the obese and normal weight women. There were no differences in the pharmacodynamics of endogenous LH or the pharmacokinetics of exogenous LH between the groups. FSH dynamics did not differ between the groups throughout the study. CONCLUSIONS The relative hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism of obesity cannot be explained by differences in LH and FSH luteal phase dynamics or differences in endogenous LH pharmacodynamics or exogenous LH pharmacokinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren W Roth
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, USA
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18
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Wieder-Huszla S, Szkup M, Jurczak A, Samochowiec A, Samochowiec J, Stanisławska M, Rotter I, Karakiewicz B, Grochans E. Effects of socio-demographic, personality and medical factors on quality of life of postmenopausal women. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2014; 11:6692-708. [PMID: 24972032 PMCID: PMC4113838 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph110706692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Revised: 05/22/2014] [Accepted: 06/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Numerous studies show that changes occurring in a woman's organism during menopause may lower her quality of life. This study involved 630 healthy postmenopausal women from Poland. Its purpose was to assess their quality of life in relation to socio-demographic variables, medical data and personality profiles. The authors used the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) to assess quality of life, the NEO-Five Factor Inventory to measure personality traits, and the Blatt-Kupperman Menopausal Index to estimate severity of climacteric symptoms. The study demonstrated significant relationships between quality of life and variables such as: age, education, employment status, and the use of menopausal hormone therapy. An analysis of personality traits revealed correlations between the openness to experience scores and the quality of life within physical functioning, vitality, and mental health. Neuroticism, agreeableness and extroversion significantly correlated with all quality of life domains. CONCLUSIONS (1) Age, education and employment status have significant effects on the selected quality of life domains after menopause. (2) Quality of life within the general health domain was assessed lower by MHT-users (Menopausal hormone theraphy (MHT)). (3) Health-related quality of life is also influenced by personality traits, which are relatively stable throughout life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylwia Wieder-Huszla
- Department of Nursing, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 48 Żołnierska St., 71-210 Szczecin, Poland.
| | - Małgorzata Szkup
- Department of Nursing, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 48 Żołnierska St., 71-210 Szczecin, Poland.
| | - Anna Jurczak
- Department of Nursing, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 48 Żołnierska St., 71-210 Szczecin, Poland.
| | - Agnieszka Samochowiec
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Szczecin, 18 Szwoleżerów St., 71-79 Krakowska, Poland.
| | - Jerzy Samochowiec
- Department of Psychiatry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 26 Broniewskiego St., 71-460 Szczecin, Poland.
| | - Marzanna Stanisławska
- Department of Nursing, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 48 Żołnierska St., 71-210 Szczecin, Poland.
| | - Iwona Rotter
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Szczecin University in Szczecin, 31 Grudziądzka St., 70-103 Szczecin, Poland.
| | - Beata Karakiewicz
- Public Health Department, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 48 Żołnierska St., 71-210 Szczecin, Poland.
| | - Elżbieta Grochans
- Department of Nursing, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 48 Żołnierska St., 71-210 Szczecin, Poland.
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Iglesias C, Banker M, Mahajan N, Herrero L, Meseguer M, Garcia-Velasco JA. Ethnicity as a determinant of ovarian reserve: differences in ovarian aging between Spanish and Indian women. Fertil Steril 2014; 102:244-9. [PMID: 24794314 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2014.03.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2014] [Revised: 03/21/2014] [Accepted: 03/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate differences in ovarian reserve markers (antimüllerian hormone [AMH] and antral follicle count [AFC]) in Indian and Spanish women. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING In vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics. PATIENT(S) Infertile Spanish (n=229) and Indian (n=236) women who underwent controlled ovarian stimulation for IVF from January to October 2012. INTERVENTION(S) None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Data on ovarian reserve markers and results after ovarian stimulation were collected. RESULT(S) The mean age of women undergoing their first or second IVF cycle was significantly higher in Spanish than in Indian women (37.5±3.3 years vs. 31.5±3.8 years). Despite this 6-year age gap, AFCs were similar (9.5±4.7 vs. 9.9±4.6), as were day 3 FSH levels (7.5±4.5 IU/L vs. 6.9±2.3 IU/L). AMH levels were slightly lower in Spanish women (1.6±1.7 ng/mL vs. 2.5±1.6 ng/mL). Multivariate regression analysis showed that being Indian decreased AFC by 2.3, such that AFC in Indian women was similar to that in Spanish women 6.3 years older (95% confidence interval 3.39-1.10). CONCLUSION(S) Similar ovarian reserve markers and ovarian response were observed in women with a 6-year age difference in favor of the Spanish, suggesting ethnic differences in ovarian aging. Further research is needed to understand whether these differences are genetically induced or are caused by other variables, such as nutrition. Our results may help clinicians to counsel infertile women when discussing assisted reproductive technology outcomes according to age and ethnic background.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Leyre Herrero
- IVI-Madrid, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain
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Casiglia E, Tikhonoff V, Boschetti G, Giordano N, Mazza A, Caffi S, Palatini P. Arterial stiffness and related variables across menopausal status: an epidemiologic study. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2013; 22:75-84. [PMID: 23305219 DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2012.3666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To determine if postmenopausal women have different arterial stiffness, blood pressure (BP) values, or metabolic patterns in comparison to fertile women and to men at a population level. METHODS This is a population-based epidemiologic study of 1853 representative men and women aged 18-95 years. Clinostatic humeral BP was measured using Omron 705CP. Aortic BP, augmentation index (AI), and pulse wave velocity (PWV) were determined using applanation tonometry. Body mass index (BMI) and subscapular skinfold thickness were used as measures of adiposity. Fasting and postload blood glucose, homeostasis model assessment (HOMA), low-density and high-density lipoprotein serum cholesterol (LDL-C and HDL-C) and triglycerides were assessed. RESULTS Age was higher in postmenopausal women than in fertile women (68.8 ± 9.5 vs. 35.7 ± 10.2 years, p<0.001), and BMI was 16% higher (p<0.01) in the postmenopausal women after age adjustment. Humeral and aortic BP, carotid and radial AI, carotid-femoral PWV, BMI, LDL-C, LDL-C/HDL ratio, triglycerides, glucose tolerance, HOMA, and skinfold thickness were apparently higher in postmenopausal than in fertile women. Using multivariate analysis, however, all these differences were abolished after adjusting for confounders (age and, when appropriate, BMI), except for LDL-C, which remained 19% higher (p<0.01) in postmenopausal women than in fertile women after adjusting for many confounders (age, BMI, cholesterol, ethanol intake, caloric intake, and triiodothyronine). CONCLUSIONS Only LDL-C increases in postmenopausal women, whereas other differences attributed to menopause, including BP and arterial stiffness, seem to be confounding effects of age and BMI.
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Executive summary of the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop + 10: addressing the unfinished agenda of staging reproductive aging. Menopause 2012; 19:387-95. [PMID: 22343510 DOI: 10.1097/gme.0b013e31824d8f40] [Citation(s) in RCA: 459] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this article is to summarize the recommended updates to the 2001 Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop (STRAW) criteria. The 2011 STRAW + 10 reviewed advances in understanding of the critical changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian function that occur before and after the final menstrual period. METHODS Scientists from five countries and multiple disciplines evaluated data from cohort studies of midlife women and in the context of chronic illness and endocrine disorders on change in menstrual, endocrine, and ovarian markers of reproductive aging including antimüllerian hormone, inhibin-B, follicle-stimulating hormone, and antral follicle count. Modifications were adopted by consensus. RESULTS STRAW + 10 simplified bleeding criteria for the early and late menopausal transition, recommended modifications to criteria for the late reproductive stage (Stage -3) and the early postmenopause stage (Stage +1), provided information on the duration of the late transition (Stage -1) and early postmenopause (Stage +1), and recommended application regardless of women's age, ethnicity, body size, or lifestyle characteristics. CONCLUSIONS STRAW + 10 provides a more comprehensive basis for assessing reproductive aging in research and clinical contexts. Application of the STRAW + 10 staging system should improve comparability of studies of midlife women and facilitate clinical decision making. Nonetheless, important knowledge gaps persist, and seven research priorities are identified.
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Butts SF, Freeman EW, Sammel MD, Queen K, Lin H, Rebbeck TR. Joint effects of smoking and gene variants involved in sex steroid metabolism on hot flashes in late reproductive-age women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2012; 97:E1032-42. [PMID: 22466345 PMCID: PMC3387409 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2011-2216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2011] [Accepted: 03/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although smoking has a known association with hot flashes, the factors distinguishing smokers at greatest risk for menopausal symptoms have not been well delineated. Recent evidence supports a relationship between menopausal symptoms and variants in several genes encoding enzymes that metabolize substrates such as sex steriods, xenobiotics, and catechols. It is currently not known whether the impact of smoking on hot flashes is modified by the presence of such variants. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between smoking and hot flash occurrence as a function of genetic variation in sex steroid-metabolizing enzymes. METHODS A cross-sectional analysis of data from the Penn Ovarian Aging study, an ongoing population-based cohort of late reproductive-aged women, was performed. Smoking behavior was characterized. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in five genes were investigated: COMT Val158Met (rs4680), CYP1A2*1F (rs762551), CYP1B1*4 (Asn452Ser, rs1800440), CYP1B1*3 (Leu432Val, rs1056836), and CYP3A4*1B (rs2740574). RESULTS Compared with nonsmokers, European-American COMT Val158Met double-variant carriers who smoked had increased odds of hot flashes [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 6.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.32-28.78)]; European-American COMT Val158Met double-variant carriers who smoked heavily had more frequent moderate or severe hot flashes than nonsmokers (AOR 13.7, 95% CI 1.2-154.9). European-American CYP 1B1*3 double-variant carriers who smoked described more frequent moderate or severe hot flashes than nonsmoking (AOR 20.6, 95% CI 1.64-257.93) and never-smoking (AOR 20.59, 95% CI 1.39-304.68) carriers, respectively. African-American single-variant CYP 1A2 carriers who smoked were more likely to report hot flashes than the nonsmoking carriers (AOR 6.16, 95% CI 1.11-33.91). CONCLUSION This is the first report demonstrating the effects of smoking within the strata of gene variants involved in sex steroid metabolism on hot flashes in late reproductive-age women. The identification of individuals with a genetic susceptibility to smoking-related menopausal symptoms could contribute to interventions targeted at reducing reproductive morbidity both in the menopause and across the reproductive life course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha F Butts
- Division of Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3701 Market Street, Suite 800, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
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Brodowski J, Brodowska A, Laszczyńska M, Chlubek D, Starczewski A. Hormone concentrations in the homogenates of ovarian tissue and blood serum in postmenopausal women not using hormone therapy. Gynecol Endocrinol 2012; 28:396-9. [PMID: 22420607 DOI: 10.3109/09513590.2012.664189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovaries in postmenopausal women synthesize steroids, mostly androgens. Removal of the ovaries after menopause may be reflected by menopausal symptoms and arterial hypertension observed during postoperative period, along with a significantly increased risk of death due to cardiovascular complications. It is not understood if the clinical consequences of gonad removal at different time points after menopause are similar. The aim of this study was to evaluate ovarian steroidogenesis and consequently to define the role of the ovaries in postmenopausal women depending on the time after menopause. Concentrations of hormones were determined in ovarian homogenates and serum of postmenopausal women. This study included 207 postmenopausal women. They were divided into groups depending on the time after menopause. All participants had laparotomic removal of the ovaries. Concentrations of estradiol, testosterone and androstenedione were measured in ovarian homogenate and serum. The study revealed that ovarian homogenate and serum concentrations of estradiol, testosterone and androstenedione were the highest in women up to 5 years after menopause and since then significantly decreased. This study showed that testosterone, androstenedione and estradiol are synthesized in the postmenopausal ovaries. The peak synthesis of these hormones occurs up to 5 years after menopause and significantly decreases thereafter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacek Brodowski
- Laboratory of General Practice, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
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Harlow SD, Gass M, Hall JE, Lobo R, Maki P, Rebar RW, Sherman S, Sluss PM, de Villiers TJ. Executive summary of the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop + 10: addressing the unfinished agenda of staging reproductive aging. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2012; 97:1159-68. [PMID: 22344196 PMCID: PMC3319184 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2011-3362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 723] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this article is to summarize the recommended updates to the 2001 Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop (STRAW) criteria. The 2011 STRAW + 10 reviewed advances in understanding of the critical changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian function that occur before and after the final menstrual period. METHODS Scientists from five countries and multiple disciplines evaluated data from cohort studies of midlife women and in the context of chronic illness and endocrine disorders on change in menstrual, endocrine, and ovarian markers of reproductive aging including antimüllerian hormone, inhibin-B, follicle-stimulating hormone, and antral follicle count. Modifications were adopted by consensus. RESULTS STRAW + 10 simplified bleeding criteria for the early and late menopausal transition, recommended modifications to criteria for the late reproductive stage (Stage -3) and the early postmenopause stage (Stage +1), provided information on the duration of the late transition (Stage -1) and early postmenopause (Stage +1), and recommended application regardless of women's age, ethnicity, body size, or lifestyle characteristics. CONCLUSIONS STRAW + 10 provides a more comprehensive basis for assessing reproductive aging in research and clinical contexts. Application of the STRAW + 10 staging system should improve comparability of studies of midlife women and facilitate clinical decision making. Nonetheless, important knowledge gaps persist, and seven research priorities are identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siobán D Harlow
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor MI 48109, USA.
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Executive summary of the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop + 10: addressing the unfinished agenda of staging reproductive aging. Fertil Steril 2012; 97:843-51. [PMID: 22341880 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2012.01.128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2011] [Revised: 01/19/2012] [Accepted: 01/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this article is to summarize the recommended updates to the 2001 Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop (STRAW) criteria. The 2011 STRAW + 10 reviewed advances in understanding of the critical changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian function that occur before and after the final menstrual period. METHOD(S) Scientists from five countries and multiple disciplines evaluated data from cohort studies of midlife women and in the context of chronic illness and endocrine disorders on change in menstrual, endocrine, and ovarian markers of reproductive aging including antimüllerian hormone, inhibin-B, follicle-stimulating hormone, and antral follicle count. Modifications were adopted by consensus. RESULT(S) STRAW + 10 simplified bleeding criteria for the early and late menopausal transition, recommended modifications to criteria for the late reproductive stage (Stage -3) and the early postmenopause stage (Stage +1), provided information on the duration of the late transition (Stage -1) and early postmenopause (Stage +1), and recommended application regardless of women's age, ethnicity, body size, or lifestyle characteristics. CONCLUSION(S) STRAW + 10 provides a more comprehensive basis for assessing reproductive aging in research and clinical contexts. Application of the STRAW + 10 staging system should improve comparability of studies of midlife women and facilitate clinical decision making. Nonetheless, important knowledge gaps persist, and seven research priorities are identified.
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Harlow SD, Gass M, Hall JE, Lobo R, Maki P, Rebar RW, Sherman S, Sluss PM, de Villiers TJ. Executive summary of the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop +10: addressing the unfinished agenda of staging reproductive aging. Climacteric 2012; 15:105-14. [PMID: 22338612 DOI: 10.3109/13697137.2011.650656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 311] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this article is to summarize the recommended updates to the 2001 Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop (STRAW) criteria. The 2011 STRAW +10 reviewed advances in understanding of the critical changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian function that occur before and after the final menstrual period. METHODS Scientists from five countries and multiple disciplines evaluated data from cohort studies of midlife women and in the context of chronic illness and endocrine disorders on change in menstrual, endocrine, and ovarian markers of reproductive aging including antimüllerian hormone, inhibin-B, follicle-stimulating hormone, and antral follicle count. Modifications were adopted by consensus. RESULTS STRAW +10 simplified bleeding criteria for the early and late menopausal transition, recommended modifications to criteria for the late reproductive stage (Stage -3) and the early postmenopause stage (Stage +1), provided information on the duration of the late transition (Stage -1) and early postmenopause (Stage +1), and recommended application regardless of women's age, ethnicity, body size, or lifestyle characteristics. CONCLUSIONS STRAW +10 provides a more comprehensive basis for assessing reproductive aging in research and clinical contexts. Application of the STRAW +10 staging system should improve comparability of studies of midlife women and facilitate clinical decision making. Nonetheless, important knowledge gaps persist, and seven research priorities are identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siobán D Harlow
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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Menopausal symptoms among healthy, middle-aged Omani women as assessed with the Menopause Rating Scale. Menopause 2012; 18:1113-9. [PMID: 21844827 DOI: 10.1097/gme.0b013e31821b82ee] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence and severity of climacteric symptoms and associated risk factors among a cohort of healthy, middle-aged Omani women. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, 472 healthy Omani women between 40 and 60 years old from the representative regions of Omani society were surveyed using the Menopause Rating Scale. The scores obtained were plotted against their demographic data and menopausal stage. RESULTS Overall, 39.6% of the participants were premenopausal, 15.2% were perimenopausal, and 43.6% were postmenopausal. The Menopause Rating Scale scoring showed that somatic and psychological symptoms occurred more frequently than did urogenital symptoms in all three stages. Muscle and joint pain was the most common symptom (73.3%), followed by mental and physical exhaustion (47.2%) and anxiety (46.6%). An increase in the mean scores for both somatic and psychological symptoms and their severity was observed when the following factors were present: progression of menopausal stage (mean ± SD, 22.5 ± 2.6, 3.6 ± 2.9, 4.5 ± 3.2), old age (4.2 ± 3.2) versus young age (2.9 ± 2.6), single (4.3 ± 3.3) versus married (3.3 ± 2.9), illiterate (3.9 ± 3.1) versus educated (2.7 ± 2.6), and sexually inactive (4.4 ± 3.4) versus sexually active (3.1 ± 2.7). CONCLUSIONS Omani women were found to exhibit highly atypical symptoms of menopause. Increased severity of symptoms was found to be related to age, advanced stage of menopause, and lower educational level.
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Morrison MF, Freeman EW, Lin H, Sammel MD. Higher DHEA-S (dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate) levels are associated with depressive symptoms during the menopausal transition: results from the PENN Ovarian Aging Study. Arch Womens Ment Health 2011; 14:375-82. [PMID: 21773816 PMCID: PMC3690802 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-011-0231-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2011] [Accepted: 07/10/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The influence of sex hormones on mood during the menopausal transition has been the subject of ongoing investigation. Because dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) has been associated with several indicators of healthy aging, we conducted a population-based study of midlife women to determine the relationship between DHEA-S levels and depressive symptoms and major depression during the transition through menopause. Unexpectedly, the original report revealed a positive correlation between DHEA-S levels and depressive symptoms at baseline. The cohort was studied over 11 years to determine whether the positive association between DHEA-S levels and depression persists through the menopausal transition. We conducted a longitudinal cohort study with 11 assessments during an 11-year interval in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, using a randomly identified, population-based sample of 436 African American and Caucasian premenopausal women aged 35 to 47 years at enrollment. For outcome measures, we used the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and standardized diagnosis of major depression. In a multivariable model, DHEA-S levels were positively associated with depressive symptoms when adjusted for age, menopausal stage, race, smoking status, and body mass index. There was no association between DHEA-S levels and a diagnosis of major depression. DHEA-S levels were positively associated with depressive symptoms through the menopausal transition. No association with major depression was apparent during the menopausal transition, but results may have limited power due to low prevalence of major depression in this cohort. These findings suggest that taking DHEA supplements may increase depressive symptoms for some women, and women and their physicians should be cautious about instituting DHEA replacement therapy during the menopausal transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Frances Morrison
- Department of Psychiatry, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA.
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Marsh EE, Shaw ND, Klingman KM, Tiamfook-Morgan TO, Yialamas MA, Sluss PM, Hall JE. Estrogen levels are higher across the menstrual cycle in African-American women compared with Caucasian women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2011; 96:3199-206. [PMID: 21849524 PMCID: PMC3200247 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2011-1314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2011] [Accepted: 07/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Previous studies have suggested that estrogen levels may be higher in African-American women (AAW) compared with Caucasian women (CW), but none have systematically examined estrogen secretion across the menstrual cycle or in relation to other reproductive hormones. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to compare estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), gonadotropins, androstenedione (a'dione), inhibins, and SHBG levels between AAW and CW across the menstrual cycle. DESIGN, SETTING, AND SUBJECTS Daily blood samples were collected from regularly cycling AAW (n = 27) and CW (n = 27) for a full menstrual cycle, and serial ultrasounds were performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Comparison of E2, P, LH, FSH, SHBG, inhibin A, inhibin B, and a'dione levels. RESULTS AAW and CW were of similar age (27.2 ± 0.6 yr, mean ± sem) and body mass index (22.7 ± 0.4 kg/m(2)). All subjects grew a single dominant follicle and had comparable cycle (25-35 d) and follicular phase (11-24 d) lengths. E2 levels were significantly higher in AAW compared with CW (P = 0.02) with the most pronounced differences in the late follicular phase (225.2 ± 14.4 vs. 191.5 ± 10.2 pg/ml; P = 0.02), midluteal phase (211.9 ± 22.2 vs.150.8 ± 9.9, P < 0.001), and late luteal phase (144.4 ± 13.2 vs. 103.5 ± 8.5, P = 0.01). Although LH, FSH, inhibins A and B, P, a'dione, and SHBG were not different between the two groups, the a'dione to E2 ratio was lower in AAW (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Estradiol is higher in AAW compared with CW across the menstrual cycle. Higher estradiol in the face of similar androstenedione and FSH levels suggests enhanced aromatase activity in AAW. Such differences may contribute to racial disparities in bone mineral density, breast cancer, and uterine leiomyomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- E E Marsh
- Reproductive Endocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
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Mickens L, Ameringer K, Brightman M, Leventhal AM. Epidemiology, determinants, and consequences of cigarette smoking in African American women: an integrative review. Addict Behav 2010; 35:383-91. [PMID: 20061090 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2009.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2009] [Accepted: 12/11/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Tobacco smoking is a national public health problem that has been associated with numerous adverse health effects, including increased disease and cancer rates. Previous review articles on smoking in specific demographic populations have focused on smoking in women and on smoking in African Americans, but have not considered the dual roles of ethnicity and gender in smoking behavior. African American women (AAW) are an important subgroup to study because they are distinct from non-AAW and their male African American counterparts on biopsychosocial factors that are relevant to smoking behavior. The purpose of the present review paper is to integrate and summarize the current literature on the epidemiology, determinants, and consequences of cigarette smoking among AAW, by contrasting them to relevant comparison groups (non-AAW and African American men). Evidence suggests that AAW are generally more likely to be light smokers and initiate smoking later. The prevalence rates of AAW smokers have decreased over the past 25years, yet AAW are disproportionately affected by several smoking-related illnesses when compared to their ethnic and gender comparison groups. AAW smokers are distinct from relevant comparison groups in metabolic sensitivity to nicotine, aspects of smoking topography, and several psychosocial factors that influence smoking. Although a small literature on smoking in AAW is emerging, further empirical research of AAW smokers could inform the development of tailored interventions for AAW.
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Butts SF, Seifer DB. Racial and ethnic differences in reproductive potential across the life cycle. Fertil Steril 2009; 93:681-90. [PMID: 19939362 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.10.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2009] [Accepted: 10/27/2009] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To review variations in specific reproductive health outcomes by race and ethnicity. A growing number of reports have explored potential gaps in the quality of reproductive health and healthcare across racial and ethnic groups. Diverse results from numerous investigations have made it challenging for practitioners to confirm the significance of these disparities. METHOD(S) Three specific areas of the reproductive life cycle were examined: pubertal onset, outcomes from treatment with assisted reproductive technologies (ART), and the menopausal transition. These areas were selected as they encompass a continuum of events across the reproductive life span of women. Outcomes were compared in black, white, Asian, and Hispanic women. Medline searches querying on keywords puberty, IVF, ART, menopause, menopausal symptoms, racial disparity, race, Asian, Japanese, Chinese, African American, black, Hispanic, and Latino were performed to isolate relevant publications for review. RESULT(S) Differences across race and ethnicity were noted in each clinical endpoint. The most notable findings included earlier puberty in blacks and Hispanics compared with whites, significantly lower live birth rates after ART in all racial and ethnic groups compared with whites, and differences in perimenopausal symptomatology and possibly timing in various racial/ethnic groups compared with whites. Additional research is needed to completely unravel the full significance and basic underpinnings of these disparities. Some of the limitations of the current state of the literature in drawing conclusions about the independent effect of race/ethnicity on reproductive disparities include small samples sizes in some studies, inconsistencies in the characterization of racial/ethnic groups, and incomplete control of potential confounding. CONCLUSION(S) Race and ethnicity appear to be important correlates of outcomes from the initiation of reproduction functioning through to its conclusion. The ultimate goal of identifying racial disparities in reproduction is to isolate the basic determinants of disparities and formulate strategies to improve outcomes for women at risk. The differences demonstrated in this review of the literature could represent environmental, sociocultural, and/or genetic correlates of race that influence these important milestones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha F Butts
- Division of Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology, University of Pennsylvania Medical School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
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Gangula PRR, Chauhan M, Reed L, Yallampalli C. Age-related changes in dorsal root ganglia, circulating and vascular calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) concentrations in female rats: effect of female sex steroid hormones. Neurosci Lett 2009; 454:118-23. [PMID: 19429067 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2009.02.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2009] [Revised: 02/20/2009] [Accepted: 02/28/2009] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the present study is to investigate whether immunoreactive (I) calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) content is decreased in plasma and mesenteric arteries (resistance arteries) in middle-aged rats and if so, whether sex steroid hormones enhance I-CGRP in middle-aged female rats. We also examined whether vascular CGRP receptor components, calcitonin receptor like receptor (CRLR) and receptor activity modifying protein 1 (RAMP1) are elevated by sex steroid hormones treatment in middle-aged female rats. Young adult (3 months old) and middle-aged (10-12 months old) ovariectomized rats were treated subcutaneously with estradiol-17beta (E2; 2 mg), progesterone (P4; 5 mg), E2+P4 (2 mg+20 mg) or placebo (control). Radioimmunoassay and Western blot analysis were performed to measure I-CGRP content and CGRP receptor components in dorsal root ganglia (DRG), in resistance arteries and in plasma. Immunofluorescent staining methods were employed to determine cellular localization of CRLR, RAMP1 in resistance arteries. Our data demonstrated that I-CGRP content was significantly (p<0.05) lower in the plasma and resistance arteries of middle-aged female rats compared to young controls. Both RAMP1 and CRLR were concentrated in vascular endothelium and the underlying smooth muscle cells. RAMP1 but not CRLR appeared to be decreased in middle-aged rat vasculature. Chronic perfusion of sex steroid hormones to ovariectomized rats: 1 significantly (p<0.05) elevated I-CGRP in the DRG and in the plasma, and (2) significantly elevated RAMP1 (p<0.05) but did not alter CRLR in resistance arteries. These data suggest that female sex steroid treatment enhances I-CGRP and its receptors, and thus regulate the blood pressure in aged female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pandu R R Gangula
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Meharry Medical College, 1005 Dr. D.B. Todd Jr. Boulevard, Nashville, TN 37208, United States.
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Menopause does not affect blood pressure and risk profile, and menopausal women do not become similar to men. J Hypertens 2008; 26:1983-92. [PMID: 18806622 DOI: 10.1097/hjh.0b013e32830bfdd9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Menopause is considered to be a cardiovascular risk factor, but this belief is based on opinions rather than on evidence. Confounding effects of age are often neglected. DESIGN Population-based study with further subanalysis of case-to-case age-matched cohorts of men and fertile and menopausal women. SETTING Epidemiology in primary, public, institutional frame. PARTICIPANTS Nine thousand three hundred and sixty-four men and women aged 18-70 years representative of Italian general population followed-up for 18.8 +/- 7.7 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Blood pressure (BP), prevalence and incidence of hypertension, serum total, high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose tolerance, body adiposity, vascular reactivity, target organ damage, overall and cardiovascular mortality and morbidity, by gender and by menopausal status. RESULTS Cross-sectional: crude BP, pressor response to cold, orthostatic BP decrease, BMI, skinfold thickness, fasting and postload blood glucose and insulin, serum lipids, left ventricular mass, serum creatinine, microalbuminuria and augmetantion index were higher in menopausal than in fertile women, and comparable in menopausal women and men, a difference that was no longer present when adjusting for age or considering age-matched cohorts. Longitudinal: BP increase during follow-up, cardiovascular mortality and morbidity were greater in menopausal than in fertile women, and comparable in menopausal women and men, a difference no longer present in age-matched cohorts. Menopausal status was rejected from multivariate Cox analysis also including age. CONCLUSION The cardiovascular effects usually attributed to menopause seem to be a mere consequence of the older age of menopausal women.
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Monterrosa A, Blumel JE, Chedraui P. Increased menopausal symptoms among Afro-Colombian women as assessed with the Menopause Rating Scale. Maturitas 2008; 59:182-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2007.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2007] [Revised: 12/11/2007] [Accepted: 12/11/2007] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Henrich JB, Hughes JP, Kaufman SC, Brody DJ, Curtin LR. Limitations of follicle-stimulating hormone in assessing menopause status: findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1999-2000)*. Menopause 2008; 13:171-7. [PMID: 16645530 DOI: 10.1097/01.gme.0000198489.49618.96] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1999-2000) to: establish new population-based estimates for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH); identify factors associated with FSH; and assess its efficacy in distinguishing among women in the reproductive, menopause transition, and postmenopausal stages. DESIGN Nationally representative sample of 576 women aged 35 to 60 years examined during NHANES 1999-2000. RESULTS Levels of FSH and LH increased significantly with reproductive stage. (Geometric mean FSH levels for successive stages: reproductive, 7.0 mIU/mL, SE 0.4; menopause transition, 21.9 mIU/mL, SE 3.7; and postmenopause, 45.7 mIU/mL, SE 4.3). There was considerable overlap, however, among distributions of FSH by stage. Only age and reproductive stage were significantly associated with FSH in multivariable analysis. FSH cutoff points between the reproductive and menopause transition stages [FSH = 13 mIU/mL, sensitivity 67.4% (95% CI 50.0-81.1), specificity 88.1% (95% CI 81.1-92.8)] and between the menopause transition and postmenopause stages [FSH = 45 mIU/mL, sensitivity 73.6% (95% CI 60.1-83.7), specificity 70.6% (95% CI 52.4-84.0)] were neither sensitive nor very specific. CONCLUSIONS Age and reproductive stage are the most important determinants of FSH levels in US women; however, FSH by itself has limited utility in distinguishing among women in different reproductive stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet B Henrich
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8025, USA.
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Ausmanas MK, Tan DA, Jaisamrarn U, Tian XW, Holinka CF. Estradiol, FSH and LH profiles in nine ethnic groups of postmenopausal Asian women: the Pan-Asia Menopause (PAM) study. Climacteric 2008; 10:427-37. [PMID: 17852146 DOI: 10.1080/13697130701610780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Significant differences in the prevalence of menopausal symptoms and in lipid profiles have previously been reported for nine ethnic groups of postmenopausal Asian women participating in the Pan-Asia Menopause (PAM) study. Based on these findings, we tested the hypothesis that reproductive hormone profiles differ among the nine ethnic groups under investigation in the PAM study. METHODS Baseline serum samples from postmenopausal women (n=1020) representing nine ethnic groups were analyzed at a central laboratory by electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay methods. Hormone concentrations were measured for estradiol (E2), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). RESULTS The hormone levels for the overall study population (mean+/-SD) were: E2=74.1+/-125.1 pmol/l (n=1015); FSH=81.2+/-31.4 IU/l (n=1013); LH=36.8+/-15.6 IU/l (n=1015). Estradiol levels ranged from 50.0 pmol/l in Chinese women to 106.8 pmol/l in Vietnamese women; FSH ranged from 68.2 IU/l in Korean women to 90.8 IU/l in Malay women; and LH ranged from 30.7 IU/l in Korean women to 44.1 IU/l in Malay women. There was an inverse correlation between log E2 and FSH levels and a positive correlation between FSH and LH levels. The concentrations of E2, FSH and LH were significantly associated with ethnicity after adjustment for age and body mass index. Additionally, the concentrations of all three hormones were significantly associated with body mass index, whereas E2 and LH levels were associated with age, but FSH levels were not. CONCLUSION The levels of FSH, LH and particularly of E2 differ substantially among ethnic groups of postmenopausal Asian women. The clinical significance, if any, of these differences remains to be investigated. The inverse correlation of E2 and FSH levels suggests that E2 at the postmenopausal state still affects pituitary FSH output.
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Affiliation(s)
- M K Ausmanas
- Wyeth Research, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, USA
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NELSON DEBORAHB, SAMMEL MARYD, FREEMAN ELLENW, LIN HUI, GRACIA CLARISAR, SCHMITZ KATHRYNH. Effect of Physical Activity on Menopausal Symptoms among Urban Women. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2008; 40:50-8. [DOI: 10.1249/mss.0b013e318159d1e4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Demicheli R, Retsky MW, Hrushesky WJM, Baum M, Gukas ID, Jatoi I. Racial disparities in breast cancer outcome: insights into host-tumor interactions. Cancer 2007; 110:1880-8. [PMID: 17876835 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.22998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Since the 1970s, overall age-adjusted breast cancer mortality rates in the U.S. have been higher among African American (AA) women than among Caucasian American (CA) women. The racial disparity is not fully explainable based on socioeconomic factors. Suspected biologic factors underlying this trend may be interpreted by both epidemiologic and clinical perspectives. Descriptive epidemiologic studies suggest that breast cancer may be a mixture of at least 2 main diseases and/or causal pathways. The first breast cancer is early-onset, with peak incidence near age 50 years and generally more aggressive outcome. The second breast cancer is late-onset, with peak incidence near age 70 years and more indolent course. The early-onset type of breast cancer is overrepresented among AA women compared with CA women. Clinical studies suggest that the course of breast cancer may be characterized by a common pathway through sequential dormant and active states eventually resulting in clustered appearance of clinical metastases. A balance between tumor and host traits influences the pace of the common pathway. Therefore, the recurrence risk profile of a single patient is seemingly determined by a specific mix of hierarchical prognostic factors, resulting from the unique genetic, environmental, or behavioral traits of that individual, which may be affected by race-related factors. We suggest that the components of the AA versus CA disparity not attributable to socioeconomic factors are a particular case of the more general issue of host-tumor interaction and that epidemiologic and clinical views are complementary; each is observing biologic parameters, which are not completely captured by the other. A 'unifying hypothesis' incorporating findings from genetics, epidemiology, and clinical studies should be aggressively pursued.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romano Demicheli
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Milan, Italy.
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Schmitz KH, Lin H, Sammel MD, Gracia CR, Nelson DB, Kapoor S, DeBlasis TL, Freeman EW. Association of Physical Activity with Reproductive Hormones: The Penn Ovarian Aging Study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007; 16:2042-7. [PMID: 17905944 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-07-0061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Physical activity is associated with reduced risk for breast cancer, perhaps through reductions in circulating reproductive hormones (estrogens and androgens). There may also be a role for physical activity in regulating menopausal symptoms. Few studies have examined associations of physical activity on hormone levels. None have examined the potential effect of the menopausal transition on the associations between physical activity and reproductive hormone levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data from the Penn Ovarian Aging Study were used for this analysis. Self-reported physical activity was assessed in 391 women up to four times over 10 years and extending across the menopausal transition. Other assessments included reproductive hormones via RIA (estradiol, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, testosterone, DHEA sulfate), body weight, and height. Multivariate repeated measures regression models were developed to compare reproductive hormone levels within physical activity tertiles, adjusting for age, follow-up time, smoking, and ethnicity. RESULTS Activity level was inversely associated with estradiol in the subgroup in the late transition stage. Adjusted means for estradiol were 24.6 and 37.9, a relative difference of 54% in estradiol when comparing highest to lowest activity tertile (P = 0.02). Similarly, in this subgroup, there was an inverse association between physical activity and testosterone levels (means of 11.1 and 15.94 in the highest and lowest tertile, a 47% relative difference; P = 0.01). There were no significant associations of activity with any other reproductive hormone. CONCLUSIONS These results identify a particular window of the menopausal transition during which physical activity is associated with reduced estradiol and/or testosterone levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn H Schmitz
- Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, 423 Guardian Drive, 921 Blockley Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Crawford SL. The roles of biologic and nonbiologic factors in cultural differences in vasomotor symptoms measured by surveys. Menopause 2007; 14:725-33. [PMID: 17279061 DOI: 10.1097/gme.0b013e31802efbb2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To review evidence of cultural differences in both biologic and nonbiologic factors as possible explanations for variation across cultures in self-reported vasomotor symptoms from surveys. DESIGN Literature review and cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons of ethnic groups with respect to patterns of symptom reporting from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN). RESULTS The evidence to date indicates that cultural differences in vasomotor symptom reporting on surveys reflect both differences in the underlying biology, which ar likely to influence vasomotor symptom occurrence, and differences in nonbiologic sociocultural factors such as attitudes toward menopause, which are likely to be related to vasomotor symptom perception and reporting, CONCLUSIONS It is important to consider interactions of culture and biology in studies of vasomotor symptoms. Recommendations for future studies include using both open- and closed-ended questions, including measurements of objective indicators such as reproductive hormone concentrations, measuring both culturally related biologic and nonbiologic factors related to vasomotor symptom occurrence or reporting, and using the same general study protocol for multiple cultural groups being compared.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sybil L Crawford
- University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
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Abstract
AbstractTo explain bimodal relapse patterns, we have previously suggested that metastatic breast cancer growth commonly includes periods of temporary dormancy at both the single cell and avascular micrometastasis phases (with 1 year and 2 year half-lives respectively). We further suggested that primary surgery sometimes initiates growth of distant dormant disease accelerating relapse. These iatrogenic events are common in that they occur in over half of all relapses. Surgery induced angiogenesis is mostly confined to premenopausal node positive patients in which case 20% of patients are so affected. We review here how this hypothesis explains a vairety of previously unrelated breast cancer phenomenon including 1) the mammography paradox for women age 40–49 untreated with adjuvant therapy, 2) the particularly high benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy for premenopausal node positive patients, 3) the heterogeneity of breast cancer, 4) the aggressiveness of cancer in young women, 5) the outcome differences with timing of surgery within the menstrual cycle, 6) the common myths regarding cancer spreading “when the air hits it” and treatment “provoking” the tumor, 7) the excess mortality of blacks over whites, and 8) reports from physicians 2000 years ago. In parallel to physicists who have long sought to explain all of physics with a unified field theory, we now suggest temporary dormancy together with surgery induced tumor growth provides a unifying theory for much of breat cancer.
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Retsky MW, Demicheli R, Gukas ID, Hrushesky WJM. Enhanced surgery-induced angiogenesis among premenopausal women might partially explain excess breast cancer mortality of blacks compared to whites: an hypothesis. Int J Surg 2007; 5:300-4. [PMID: 17933694 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2006.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2006] [Revised: 12/14/2006] [Accepted: 12/21/2006] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
There is excess breast cancer mortality for African-Americans (AA) compared to European-Americans (EA) of 1.5-2.2 fold that first appeared in 1970s and has been worsening since. This disparity may not be explained solely by reduced access to medical care. We proposed that surgery to remove a primary tumor induces angiogenesis of distant dormant micrometastases in 20% of premenopausal node-positive patients. This hypothesis helps explain the reduced benefit of mammography for women aged 40-49. Interestingly, for AA the average age at diagnosis is 46 while for EA it is 57. The resultant increased proportion of AA premenopausal breast cancer suggests a possible explanation for the AA/EA excess mortality. Early detection, which began in the 1970s, is more effective in postmenopausal women than in premenopausal women. Since AA breast cancer is mostly premenopausal and EA breast cancer is mostly postmenopausal, it might be anticipated that starting in the 1970s because of surgery-induced early mortality, outcome would be superior for EA compared to AA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Retsky
- Department of Vascular Biology, Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Jeon YT, Park IA, Kim YB, Kim JW, Park NH, Kang SB, Lee HP, Song YS. Steroid receptor expressions in endometrial cancer: Clinical significance and epidemiological implication. Cancer Lett 2006; 239:198-204. [PMID: 16168561 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2005.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2005] [Accepted: 08/01/2005] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The evaluation of expression levels of the estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) in endometrial cancer is a very common procedure in modern practice. However, the significance of such tests remains controversial, and the evaluation of the status of steroid receptors seems to be a more thoroughly justified practice. The present study was carried out with 145 endometrial cancer patients, all of whom had undergone operations at the Seoul National University Hospital, from 1993 to 2002. Paraffin-embedded tissue blocks were sectioned and immunostained with monoclonal anti-ER and anti-PR antibodies. Clinicopathological variables were also analyzed, with 10% cutoff values for ER and PR positivity. A multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed in order to estimate the influences of several clinicopathological and immunohistochemical covariates on patient survival. Forty seven specimens (32.4%) stained as ER positive, and 110 (75.9%) stained as PR-positive. Patients with PR-positive tumor tended to be both younger and more obese than patients with PR-negative tumors (P=0.020, 0.016). Well-differentiated tumors were found to be positive for ER or PR more frequently (P=0.015, <0.001). ER or PR-positive tumors exhibited significantly less myometrial invasion (P=0.042, 0.002). However, multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed that the expressions of ER and PR were not significantly associated with patient survival, and only advanced FIGO stage constituted an independent prognostic factor. Our results suggested that the evaluation of steroid receptors might prove helpful prior to surgery. Low ER and high PR values suggest that racial differences and/or sequential loss of receptors during carcinogenesis might be involved in the expression of steroid receptors in cases of endometrial cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Tark Jeon
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, 28 Yungun-Dong, Jongno-Gu, 110-744 Seoul, South Korea
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Kanaley JA, Giannopoulou I, Collier S, Ploutz-Snyder R, Carhart R. Hormone-replacement therapy use, but not race, impacts the resting and exercise-induced GH response in postmenopausal women. Eur J Endocrinol 2005; 153:527-33. [PMID: 16189174 DOI: 10.1530/eje.1.02006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study examined the effect of hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) use on the incremental GH response to aerobic exercise in postmenopausal women and established whether racial differences in the GH response were seen at rest and in response to exercise. METHODS 13 white (n = 6, HRT; n = 7, no HRT) and seven black women (no HRT) were studied on two occasions, a control day and an exercise day (30 min at 70% VO(2)max on a cycle ergometer). Blood was sampled every 10 min for a 4-h period and analyzed for GH using an ultrasensitive chemiluminescent assay. RESULTS The mean 4-h GH concentration was higher on both study days in the HRT women than the non-HRT users. The integrated GH concentrations were greater in the HRT women both at rest and in response to exercise (rest, 352 +/- 53 min microg l(-1); exercise, 711 +/- 57 min microg l(-1); P < 0.01) than in the non-HRT women (rest, 157 +/- 87 min microg l(-1); exercise, 248 +/- 94 min microg l(-1)). The incremental GH response was greater in the HRT users than in the non-HRT women (358 +/- 130 versus 90.8 +/- 94 min microg l(-1), respectively; P < 0.05). GH-production rate during the 4-h period was greater in the HRT women than in the non-HRT women (P < 0.01), due to an increase in the GH mass secreted/pulse (P < 0.05), with no change in GH pulse number or GH half-life. No racial differences in the mean 4-h GH concentrations or integrated GH concentrations were found at rest or in response to exercise. CONCLUSION HRT use resulted in a greater incremental exercise response compared with non-HRT users, due to changes in the secretory pulse characteristics in the HRT users. This study also demonstrated that no racial differences exist at rest and in response to exercise in the morning hours.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Kanaley
- Department of Exercise Science, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA.
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Gracia CR, Freeman EW, Sammel MD, Lin H, Nelson DB. The relationship between obesity and race on inhibin B during the menopause transition. Menopause 2005; 12:559-66. [PMID: 16145310 DOI: 10.1097/01.gme.0000172268.24949.94] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Data are lacking on the effects of obesity and race on inhibin B levels during the menopause transition. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship among inhibin B levels, body mass index (BMI), and race during the menopause transition. DESIGN In the Penn Ovarian Aging Study, a prospective cohort study of reproductive aging, 436 women aged 35 to 47 years were followed up with serial hormones, anthropometric measures, and questionnaires for 6 years. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed comparing mean log transformed inhibin B levels among menopause stages, age groups, BMI categories, races, and smoking groups. RESULTS In the univariate analyses, mean inhibin B levels were negatively associated with menopause stage, age, and BMI, but not significantly with race or smoking. Interactions of menopause status and BMI were significant (P < 0.001). Premenopausal women with a BMI of 25 or higher had significantly lower inhibin B levels compared with women with a BMI of less than 25 (41.8 pg/mL vs 58.4 pg/mL, P < 0.001), whereas postmenopausal women with a BMI of 30 or higher had significantly higher inhibin B levels compared with the postmenopausal women with a BMI of less than 25 (29.1 pg/mL vs 26.7 pg/mL, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Although BMI is a significant independent predictor of inhibin B levels, the relationship between BMI and inhibin B changes with advancing menopause stage. These data provide additional evidence that obesity influences hormones during the menopause transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarisa R Gracia
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology , University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Gracia CR, Sammel MD, Freeman EW, Lin H, Langan E, Kapoor S, Nelson DB. Defining menopause status: creation of a new definition to identify the early changes of the menopausal transition. Menopause 2005; 12:128-35. [PMID: 15772558 DOI: 10.1097/00042192-200512020-00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Several menopausal staging definitions are currently being used in ongoing studies designed to identify changes occurring during menopause. The objective of this study was to determine which definition captures the earliest hormonal changes in the menopausal transition. DESIGN In this prospective cohort study, women aged 35 to 47 years were followed for 5 years. Women were classified as premenopausal, early transition, late transition, and postmenopausal by 2 different menopausal staging systems defined by bleeding patterns. Definitions from the Study of Women Health Across the Nation (SWAN) and Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop (STRAW) were compared. A new menopausal staging system (PENN-5) was also developed with five groups rather than four to distinguish among women with more subtle changes in cycle length. For each staging system, a linear regression model was created comparing mean hormone values (inhibin B, FSH, LH, E2) and menopausal stages at each assessment. Race, body mass index, cycle day, smoking, and follow-up time were included in the model. RESULTS Statistically significant differences in mean inhibin B and FSH levels, but not estradiol levels, were detected between the earliest menopausal stages of each definition. Significant differences in LH values were detected among the earliest stages of the SWAN and STRAW definitions, but not the PENN-5 definition. CONCLUSIONS Subtle changes in menstrual cycle length reflect significant changes in inhibin B and FSH levels during the menopausal transition. Therefore, it appears that subtle changes in bleeding pattern may be helpful in identifying the earliest hormonal changes during menopausal transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarisa R Gracia
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Small CM, Marcus M, Sherman SL, Sullivan AK, Manatunga AK, Feigelson HS. CYP17 genotype predicts serum hormone levels among pre-menopausal women. Hum Reprod 2005; 20:2162-7. [PMID: 15878919 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dei054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND CYP17, which encodes cytochrome P450c17alpha, mediates both steroid 17alpha-hydroxylase and 17,20-lyase activities, and is essential for the production of glucocorticoids and sex steroids. There is evidence that a common polymorphism in CYP17 (T27C) is associated with estrogen levels, making it a potential marker of disease risk. METHODS This is the first study to examine the relationship between CYP17 and estradiol (E2) using serum sampled exclusively from the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. We assessed the relationship between CYP17 and serum hormone levels, menstrual cycle length, bleed length, and age at menarche in 164 pre-menopausal women. RESULTS Among women with body mass index (BMI) < or =25 kg/m2, those with the TC and CC genotypes had 19 and 42% higher E2 (P for trend 0.007) and 14 and 30% higher dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate respectively (P for trend 0.10) than women with the TT genotype. Androstenedione levels did not differ between genotypes. Among women with BMI >25 kg/m2, hormone levels did not differ by genotype. Women with the C allele were also more likely to have menstrual cycle lengths <27 days [odds ratio (OR) for TC=2.36, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.24-4.52; OR for CC=5.59, 95% CI=1.53-20.43 compared to TT]. CYP17 genotype was not associated with menstrual bleed length or age at menarche. CONCLUSION The CYP17 T27C polymorphism may be a marker of endocrine function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanley M Small
- Department of Epidemiology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia and American Cancer Society, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
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Wise LA, Palmer JR, Spiegelman D, Harlow BL, Stewart EA, Adams-Campbell LL, Rosenberg L. Influence of body size and body fat distribution on risk of uterine leiomyomata in U.S. black women. Epidemiology 2005; 16:346-54. [PMID: 15824551 PMCID: PMC1847589 DOI: 10.1097/01.ede.0000158742.11877.99] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Uterine leiomyomata are a major source of morbidity in black women. We prospectively investigated the risk of self-reported uterine leiomyomata in relation to body mass index (BMI), weight change, height, waist and hip circumferences, and waist-to-hip ratio in a large cohort of U.S black women. METHODS Data were derived from the Black Women's Health Study, a U.S. prospective cohort study of black women who complete biannual mailed health questionnaires. From 1997 through 2001, we followed 21,506 premenopausal women with intact uteri and no prior diagnosis of uterine leiomyomata. Cox regression models were used to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS After 70,345 person-years of follow up, 2146 new cases of uterine leiomyomata confirmed by ultrasound (n = 1885) or hysterectomy (n = 261) were self-reported. Compared with the thinnest women (BMI <20.0 kg/m), the multivariate IRRs for women with BMIs of 20.0-22.4, 22.5-24.9, 25.0-27.4, 27.5-29.9, 30.0-32.4, and 32.5+ kg/m were 1.34 (95% CI = 1.02-1.75), 1.39 (1.07-1.81), 1.45 (1.12-1.89), 1.47 (1.11-1.93), 1.36 (1.02-1.80), and 1.21 (0.93-1.58), respectively. IRRs were larger among parous women. Weight gain since age 18 was positively associated with risk, but only among parous women. No other anthropometric measures were associated with risk. CONCLUSIONS BMI and weight gain exhibited a complex relation with risk of uterine leiomyomata in the Black Women's Health Study. The BMI association was inverse J-shaped and findings were stronger in parous women. Weight gain was positively associated with risk among parous women only.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A Wise
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, 1010 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
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Freeman EW, Sammel MD, Gracia CR, Kapoor S, Lin H, Liu L, Nelson DB. Follicular phase hormone levels and menstrual bleeding status in the approach to menopause. Fertil Steril 2005; 83:383-92. [PMID: 15705379 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2004.06.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2004] [Revised: 06/29/2004] [Accepted: 06/29/2004] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE (1) Characterize the relationship between follicular phase hormone levels and menstrual bleeding patterns in the approach to menopause; (2) identify racial differences in hormone levels; (3) determine independent contributions of menstrual status, race, age, BMI, and smoking to hormone levels. DESIGN Randomly identified, population-based cohort, stratified to obtain equal numbers of African American and Caucasian women, prospectively followed for 5 years. SETTING Women in Philadelphia County, PA, identified by random-digit telephone dialing. PARTICIPANT(S) Women aged 35 to 47 years with regular menstrual cycles at enrollment (N = 436). DATA COLLECTION Blood sampling twice in each of 7 assessment periods during days 1-6 of the cycle, menstrual dates identified through structured interview and daily symptom reports, anthropometric measures and standardized questionnaires at each assessment period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Serum levels of follicular E(2), FSH, inhibin B, and LH. RESULT(S) The mean levels of E(2), FSH, inhibin B, and LH were differentially associated with the 5 menstrual status groups defined by changes in bleeding patterns. Significant changes in hormone levels occurred prior to missed menstrual cycles for inhibin B, FSH, and LH. All hormones had a highly significant interaction between menstrual status and BMI. African American women had significantly lower levels of E(2) and LH compared to Caucasian women in univariate analyses. The interaction of race, menstrual status, and BMI was highly significant (P<.001) for E(2), with African American women having lower E(2) levels until postmenopause, when E(2) levels were higher in AA women with BMI > or =25 and BMI > or =30. CONCLUSION(S) Levels of E(2), FSH, LH, and inhibin B are significantly associated with menstrual bleeding patterns in late reproductive age women and differentiate the earliest stages of the menopausal transition. Racial differences in mean levels of E(2) appear strongly mediated by BMI.
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Affiliation(s)
- E W Freeman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Barrett-Connor E, Siris ES, Wehren LE, Miller PD, Abbott TA, Berger ML, Santora AC, Sherwood LM. Osteoporosis and fracture risk in women of different ethnic groups. J Bone Miner Res 2005; 20:185-94. [PMID: 15647811 DOI: 10.1359/jbmr.041007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 390] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2004] [Revised: 09/02/2004] [Accepted: 09/14/2004] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Osteoporosis and 1-year fracture risk were studied in 197,848 postmenopausal American women from five ethnic groups. Weight explained differences in BMD, except among blacks, who had the highest BMD. One SD decrease in BMD predicted a 50% increased fracture risk in each group. Despite similar relative risks, absolute fracture rates differed. INTRODUCTION Most information about osteoporosis comes from studies of white women. This study describes the frequency of osteoporosis and the association between BMD and fracture in women from five ethnic groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study was made up of a cohort of 197,848 community-dwelling postmenopausal women (7784 blacks, 1912 Asians, 6973 Hispanics, and 1708 Native Americans) from the United States, without known osteoporosis or a recent BMD test. Heel, forearm, or finger BMD was measured, and risk factor information was obtained; 82% were followed for 1 year for new fractures. BMD and fracture rates were compared, adjusting for differences in covariates. RESULTS By age 80, more than one-fifth of women in each ethnic group had peripheral BMD T scores <-2.5. Black women had the highest BMD; Asian women had the lowest. Only the BMD differences for blacks were not explained by differences in weight. After 1 year, 2414 new fractures of the spine, hip, forearm, wrist, or rib were reported. BMD at each site predicted fractures equally well within each ethnic group. After adjusting for BMD, weight, and other covariates, white and Hispanic women had the highest risk for fracture (relative risk [RR] 1.0 [referent group] and 0.95, 95% CI, 0.76, 1.20, respectively), followed by Native Americans (RR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.57, 1.32), blacks (RR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.38, 0.70), and Asian Americans (RR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.15, 0.66). In age- and weight-adjusted models, each SD decrease in peripheral BMD predicted a 1.54 times increased risk of fracture in each ethnic group (95% CI, 1.48-1.61). Excluding wrist fractures, the most common fracture, did not materially change associations. CONCLUSIONS Ethnic differences in BMD are strongly influenced by body weight; fracture risk is strongly influenced by BMD in each group. Ethnic differences in absolute fracture risk remain, which may warrant ethnic-specific clinical recommendations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Barrett-Connor
- Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0607, USA.
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