BACKGROUND Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women and men. Psyllium, a soluble fiber has been known to reduce serum lipids. In this pilot study, we evaluated whether menopausal status would affect the serum lipid responses to psyllium fiber in women. METHODS Eleven post-menopausal and eight pre-menopausal women with serum total cholesterol >200 mg/dL were included in th...

Increasing numbers of women are requesting non-hormonal treatments for menopausal symptoms. Estrogen-containing HRT is the most effective treatment for menopausal symptoms in healthy women but is contraindicated for some women and avoided by many others. This review will assess the evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of non-hormonal treatments for menopausal symptoms. Relatively few high...

In 15 women with PR (primary Raynaud's) disease and in 15 matched control women, ACh (acetylcholine) was delivered by iontophoresis to the dorsum of the finger (seven 20 s pulses of 0.1 mA, followed by one 20 s pulse of 0.2 mA, applied at 60 s intervals). Cutaneous RCF (red cell flux) was recorded from the same site by the laser Doppler technique. ACh evoked progressive increases in RCF that we...

Eighteen hot flushes experimenced by eight menopausal women were studied and compared with the effects of warming in six premenopausal women. The hot flushes were associated with an acute rise in skin temperature, peripheral vasodilatation, a transient increase in heart rate, fluctuations in the electrocardiographic (ECG) baseline, and a pronounced decrease in skin resistence. Although premenop...

PURPOSE To determine the immediate and long-term effects of true acupuncture versus sham acupuncture on hot flash frequency in women with breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Seventy-two women with breast cancer experiencing three or more hot flashes per day were randomly assigned to receive either true or sham acupuncture. Interventions were given twice weekly for 4 consecutive weeks. Hot fla...

Thirty post-menopausal women with breast abscess were treated at Port of Spain General Hospital, Trinidad, between 1976 and 1980. In this age group, breast abscess can be confused with cancer due to a lack of inflammatory features. History and physical examination are often not helpful in differentiating an abscess from carcinoma. Although the usual treatment of an abscess is incision and drain...