BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The objectives of this study were to describe the changes in cardiovascular risk factors during the perimenopausal and early postmenopausal years and correlate those changes in risk factors with carotid intimal-medial thickness (IMT) and plaque index measured 5 to 8 years after menopause. METHODS Participants were women (n=372) from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, enrol...

This study investigated whether Korean red ginseng (KRG) extracts could improve sexual function in premenopausal women. Forty-one premenopausal women participated in this placebo-controlled, double-blind, and crossover clinical study with administration of either three ginseng capsules (1 g per capsule) or placebo daily. After 8 weeks of medication of KRG or placebo, medication was changed for ...

Consumption of isoflavone-rich soyabean protein is reported to reduce total and LDL-cholesterol, but the specific components responsible are undetermined. In a previous crossover trial we showed that purified isoflavones, derived from red clover (Trifolium pratense), raised HDL3-cholesterol in premenopausal women; however, these findings were inconclusive due to period and carryover effects. In...

BACKGROUND Climacteric increases the risk of thrombotic events by alteration of plasmatic coagulation. Up to now, less is known about changes in platelet- (PMP) and endothelial cell-derived microparticles (EMP). METHODS In this prospective study, plasma levels of microparticles (MP) were compared in 21 premenopausal and 19 postmenopausal women. RESULTS No altered numbers of total MP or EMP ...

OBJECTIVE African-American women represent an understudied population in menopause research yet face greater postmenopausal challenges associated with mortality than their white peers. We investigated the effects of a mild-intensity aerobic exercise training program on markers of mortality risk in both premenopausal and postmenopausal African-American women. METHODS Sixteen premenopausal wome...

Insulin and insulin resistance have been hypothesized to increase the risk of breast cancer as insulin increases breast cell proliferation and inhibits sex hormone binding globulin. Although insulin is directly related to body weight, adiposity is inversely associated with breast cancer risk in premenopausal women but directly related to risk in postmenopausal women. To explore the association ...

BACKGROUND Several studies have focused on the effects of calcium intake on serum lipid concentrations in postmenopausal women. However, many premenopausal women are taking calcium supplements in China. To our knowledge, no studies have assessed whether the effects of calcium supplementation on blood lipids are similar between premenopausal and postmenopausal women. OBJECTIVE We assessed the ...

OBJECTIVE Adipose tissue is an important extragonadal site for steroid hormone biosynthesis. After menopause, estrogens are synthesized exclusively in peripheral tissues from circulating steroid precursors, of which the most abundant is dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS). Our aim was to study activity of steroid sulfatase, an enzyme hydrolyzing DHEAS, and expression of steroid-converting en...

BACKGROUND Several studies have shown a positive association between body mass index (BMI) and the development of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women; however, the associations between BMI groups and molecular subtypes have yet to be well defined in premenopausal breast cancer patients. METHODS A total of 2465 female breast cancer patients diagnosed at our institut...

PURPOSE To evaluate the sparing of fertility and ovaries in women submitted to surgical treatment for benign adnexal tumors. METHODS Between February 2010 and January 2014, 206 patients were included in this observational study as they were submitted to surgical treatment for benign ovarian tumors at CAISM, a tertiary hospital. Fertility sparing surgery was defined as tumorectomy or unilatera...