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 ...

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...

Deficiency of endogenous estrogens has been associated with a higher incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) in women. We investigated whether natural menopause is associated with reduced protection from postprandial lipemia, which represents a risk indicator of CHD. Twenty-three postmenopausal women (mean age, 50+/-1 [SD] years; body mass index, 24.6+/-2.8 kg/m(2)) and 21 premenopausal women...

BACKGROUND Earlier data support the hypothesis that the relation between circulating insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) levels and breast cancer risk differs by menopausal status. The strong association of IGF-I with height in childhood and weak or no association between adult levels and adult height also suggest that IGF levels in young women may better reflect an exposure time period of imp...

Background. The incidence of premenopausal breast cancer is rising throughout South Asia. Our objective was to determine the role of risk factors associated with Westernization for premenopausal breast cancer in Bangladesh. Methods. We conducted a matched case-control study between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2010, at four hospitals in Bangladesh. Cases were premenopausal women diagnosed ...

It has been generally accepted that high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level decreases with menopause in women. However, recent reports show different results. There is very little data concerning perimenopausal women. To verify these findings, lipids and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels were compared among pre-, peri- and postmenopausal women of similar mean ages. Postmenopausal women h...

BACKGROUND Choline is obtained from the diet and from the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine. Phosphatidylcholine is catalyzed by the enzyme phosphatidylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PEMT), which is induced by estrogen. Because they have lower estrogen concentrations, postmenopausal women are more susceptible to the risk of organ dysfunction in response to a low-choline diet. A common gene...

BACKGROUND Metabolic syndrome (defined as at least three among abdominal obesity, high blood triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high blood glucose, and high blood pressure) is emerging as a risk factor for breast cancer; however few studies - most confined to postmenopausal women - have investigated associations between breast cancer risk and metabolic syndrome. The purpos...

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