Potential Benefits of Soymilk-Burkina (Agbenu) Consumption on Gut Health of Women of Reproductive Age

Clinical Pharmacology in Women's Health: Current Status and Opportunities.

The comparative biology of reproduction and development in mammalian species is remarkable. Hence, because of similarities in environmental and neuroendocrine control of the reproductive axis, the cyclic function of the ovary and reproductive tract, establishment and control of the maternal-fetal-placental unit during pregnancy, and reproductive aging from puberty through menopause, nonhuman primates (NHPs) are valuable models for research related to women's reproductive health and its disorders. This chapter provides examples of research over the past 10+ years using Old World monkeys (notably macaque species), baboons, and to a lesser extent New World monkeys (especially marmosets) that contributed to our understanding of the etiology and therapies or prevention of: (1) ovarian disorders, e.g., polycystic ovary syndrome, mitochondrial DNA-based diseases from the oocyte; (2) uterine disorders, for example, endometriosis and uterine transplantation; and (3) pregnancy disorders, for example, preterm labor and delivery, environmental factors. Also, emerging opportunities such as viral (e.g., Zika) induced fetal defects and germline genomic editing to generate valuable primate models of human diseases (e.g., Huntington and muscular dystrophy) are addressed. Although the high costs, specialized resources, and ethical debate challenge the use of primates in biomedical research, their inclusion in fertility and infertility research is vital for continued improvements in women's reproductive health.

Although investigators have devoted significant effort to understanding women's experiences of depressed mood and clinical depression during the menopausal transition and early postmenopause, they have focused less on women's perimenopausal experiences of emotional arousal, including anger. The purpose of these analyses was to examine the influence of aging and reproductive aging stages on women's reports of anger. Participants aged 35-55 years from the Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study population-based cohort (N=501 at baseline) completed an annual health report. Participants completed the State-Trait Anger Inventory (STAXI) (State Anger, Trait Anger, Anger Temperament, Anger Reaction, Anger-in, and Anger Control subscales) and the SCL90 Hostility scale on up to five occasions during the course of the study. Reproductive aging stages were assessed using menstrual calendars and questionnaire data. Menstrual calendars were used to identify menopausal transition stages using the Mitchell (2000) criteria for stages of reproductive aging: late reproductive stages (LRS1 and LRS2), early menopausal transition stage (EMT), late menopausal transition stage (LMT), and postmenopause (PM). Multilevel modeling with Mixed Models Analysis of Linear Models (SPSS 28) was used to examine the effects of age and reproductive aging stages on the repeated measures of anger and hostility using the STAXI Scales and SCL-90 Hostility Subscale. Age was significantly related to most anger measures, with State and Trait Anger and Anger Control increasing with age. Anger Temperament, Anger Reaction, Anger Expressed Aggressively, and Hostility each decreased significantly with age. Only Anger Suppressed was not related to age. When accounting for age effects, Reproductive Aging Stages significantly affected State and Trait Anger and Anger Temperament: each decreased after the late reproductive stages with women's progression through further reproductive aging stages. Aging was significantly related to anger, with anger expression indicators decreasing with age, suggesting emotion regulation may occur during midlife. When aging was taken into account, reproductive aging was associated with decreasing levels of State and Trait Anger and Anger Temperament Scale scores. Both chronological aging and reproductive aging had important effects on dimensions of anger, warranting further attention during midlife and the menopausal transition and early postmenopause.

Improving women's health locally and globally.

The impact of disease on women's health-related quality of life has become increasingly important in patients with rheumatic diseases (RDs). Systemic sclerosis (SSc) mostly affects women with a broad spectrum of clinical presentations and severity, and a variable impact on daily living. The objective of the present study was to specifically address "women's health" in systemic sclerosis patients through a dedicated questionnaire. An anonymous self-reported questionnaire (only in Italian) was developed in collaboration with obstetricians and gynecologists and subsequently revised and approved by five patient representatives. The questionnaire was administered to SSc patients during scheduled visits in an outpatient Rheumatology SSc Clinic. Between April 2021 and March 2023, 168 patients accepted to participate; among them, 44.1% had received their SSc diagnosis during reproductive age (<45 years). The questionnaire was composed of 44 questions and included 5 sections encompassing different topics. A high rate of adherence to female cancer screening programs was recorded (86.9% for cervix and 93.6% for breast cancer), while a non-regular gynecological follow-up was observed in 36.4%, mostly in patients with more severe disease phenotype. Only 42.3% accepted to compile the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), which indicated a sexual dysfunction (score ⩽ 26.55) in 66.2% of patients. A worse sexual function was shown to be associated with different disease manifestations, including digital ulcers. More than 90% of patients who expressed a desire for pregnancy after diagnosis received medical pre-conception counseling and were satisfied with the information provided. In contrast, discussion about contraception occurred in 37.8% of patients who had been diagnosed during fertile age. Family planning still represents an unmet need, as 43.6% of patients did not achieve their desired family size, mainly due to concerns about their capacity to care for their children. The newly developed questionnaire provides a unique opportunity to comprehensively assess the experience of women with SSc. Disease burden was shown to negatively impact sexual function and adherence to regular gynecological visits. Furthermore, receiving a diagnosis during reproductive age may increase the likelihood of a reduced family size. Clinicians who take care of women with SSc should implement these domains into routine management, thus improving the health literacy of their patients.

Background: Certain dietary fibers have been reported to improve gut health and cellular immunity. Ambrotose is a glyconutrient supplement that contains mannose-rich polysaccharides (acemannan), reported to improve immune function. A more nutrient-dense version of this dietary supplement has been developed recently, with added aloe leaf gel powder (acemannan). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the traditional and newly developed Ambrotose products on immunity, gut health, and psychological well-being in healthy men and women. Methods: Seventy-five men and women were randomly assigned in double-blind manner to one of five treatments, as follows: Ambrotose Advanced (AA) at 2 or 4 g daily, Ambrotose LIFE (AL) at 2 or 4 g daily, or placebo. Subjects ingested their assigned treatment daily for eight weeks. Resting heart rate, blood pressure, and measures of psychological well-being were analyzed before and after four and eight weeks of supplementation. Blood samples were collected at the same times and analyzed for zonulin, hematology measures, and cytokines—IL-6, IL-10, IL-1β, and TNF-α (analyzed both with and without stimulation via lipopolysaccharide [LPS]). Results: All Ambrotose treatments were well-tolerated. There were no differences among treatments in heart rate or blood pressure across time. Self-reported well-being scores were generally higher for the Ambrotose treatments but there were no changes of statistical significance across time (p > 0.05). Differences of statistical significance were noted for select biochemical variables, the most notable being a dramatic decrease in monocytes in the Ambrotose groups. No change was noted in the cytokine response to LPS stimulation in all groups, indicating a maintenance of a healthy immune response. Conclusion:Regular supplementation with Ambrotose is safe and can improve subclinical cellular adversity (as evidenced by a decrease in monocytes), without unnecessary activation of an immune response.

Menopause prediction and potential implications

Background The impact of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) on women's health, particularly in relation to reproductive health, remains an underexplored area in Latin American populations. This study aims to assess the effects of IBD on women's reproductive health, including pregnancy outcomes, fertility, and related complications, within a cohort of Colombian women. Methods Observational, multicenter and descriptive study involving adult and pediatric patients from two IBD Centers in different cities in Colombia. The study focused on evaluating aspects of sexual and reproductive health in women with IBD, with detailed data collection on pregnancy, fertility, childbirth, and cancer screening. Results Out of a total of 121 women with IBD, 63.6% (77/121 patients) were in reproductive age (15–44 years according to World Health Organization) (Table 1), the mean age was 33.2 years (range: 17.2–44.8 years, SD: 8), with a mean age at diagnosis of 28 years (range: 9.3–45.1 years, SD: 8.8) and a disease duration of 5.2 years (range: 0.3–21.9 years, SD: 4.7). UC was more prevalent in this group (71.4%). Most women had low rates of smoking, hospitalization, and surgical interventions for IBD, and pregnancy-related complications were generally rare. The majority of births were vaginal deliveries, and breastfeeding beyond 6 months was common, suggesting protective effects against IBD risk in offspring. Notably, while HPV vaccination rates were low, the prevalence of cervical cancer was also low. Family planning was reported by 48% of participants, and 1% required assisted reproductive technologies. Statistical analysis showed no significant association between age and pregnancy complications across age groups. However, UC was significantly associated with a higher risk of pregnancy complications (OR 5.5; 95% CI: 1.9–14.9; p=0.0001), and Crohn's disease (CD) also showed a trend toward increased risk (OR 4.6; 95% CI : 0.2–20.4; p=0.00002). Previous history of hospitalization due to disease activity, surgery, and the use of biological therapy was associated with an increased risk of pregnancy complications when it occurred (OR 1.97; 95% CI: 1.6–2.5; p= 0.07 for hospitalization, OR 12.12; 95% CI: 4.2–27.8; p=0.03 for surgery, OR 5.2; 95% CI: 1.64-13.1 ;p=0.00001). Conclusion This study underscores the significant impact of IBD on reproductive health in Colombian women, similar to trends in other populations. It emphasizes the importance of effective disease management before conception, given that the use of biological therapies that usually are associated with more severe disease, ongoing disease activity, and prior surgical interventions are risk factors for increased pregnancy complications.

Exposure to violence can harm women's overall health and well-being. Data suggest that one in three women in the United States experience some form of violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. In this commentary, we describe the implications of intimate partner violence (IPV) on women's health, specifically for women of reproductive age. We use a life-course perspective to describe the compounded impact of IPV on preconception health. Preconception health generally refers to the overall health and well-being of women (and men) before pregnancy. This report also discusses primary prevention of IPV and healthcare recommendations, and highlights surveillance systems that capture IPV indicators among women of reproductive age. Ongoing collection of state-level surveillance data may inform the implementation of intervention programs tailored to reproductive age women at risk for IPV.

This study aimed to determine the factors relating to climate change anxiety in women at reproductive age. This study is descriptive and cross-sectional. This study included 351 women aged 18-45 years. Data were collected via face to face interviews using the 'Women's Descriptive Characteristics and Climate Change Perception Assessment Form' and 'Climate Change Anxiety Scale for Women's Health' between June and October 2024 at a family health center in Mersin province of Türkiye. Data analysis included descriptive statistical methods and chi-squared automatic ınteraction detector analysis. The average age of the women was 27.91 ± 8.30 years (n = 351). The Climate Change Anxiety Scale for Women's Health mean score was 52.46 ± 17.19. Women's experience of anxiety regarding the negative consequences of climate change affected the scale and all sub-dimensions (physiological health, behavior, and gender) (p < 0.05). Health professionals should provide information and assessments including the effects of climate change on health in care services. They should plan interventions to reduce women's anxiety levels towards climate change.

Attention to women's perimenopausal experiences of anxiety has been limited. The purpose of these analyses was to examine the influence of chronological aging and reproductive aging stages on midlife women's reports of anxiety. Participants aged 35-55 years from the Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study population-based study (N = 508 at baseline) completed an annual health questionnaire and menstrual calendars. In addition, they completed the Symptom Checklist-90 Revised Scales, including anxiety, phobic anxiety, and interpersonal sensitivity, on up to four occasions during the course of the study. Reproductive aging stages were assessed using menstrual calendars and questionnaire data applying Mitchell's (2000) criteria for stages of reproductive aging: late reproductive stages (late reproductive stage 1 [LRS1] and late reproductive stage 2), early menopausal transition stage, late menopausal transition (LMT) stage, and postmenopause (PM). Multilevel modeling using mixed models analysis of linear models (SPSS 28) was employed to examine the effects of age and reproductive aging stages on repeated measures of anxiety, phobic anxiety, and interpersonal sensitivity. Age was significantly and negatively related to each of the measures: anxiety (beta = -0.015), phobic anxiety (beta = -0.008), and interpersonal sensitivity (beta = -0.016), each decreased significantly with age (P < 0.001). When accounting for age effects, anxiety scale scores increased as women progressed through reproductive aging stages from LRS1 to the LMT, then decreased from late stage to PM, but changes were not significant. When accounting for age effects, phobic anxiety increased significantly from LRS1 to PM stages (LRS1 vs PM betas -0.139, -0.057, -0.052, -0.010 for LRS1 to LMT, P = 0.018). Interpersonal sensitivity increased from LRS1 to LMT, but changes were not significant. Aging was significantly and negatively related to anxiety, phobic anxiety, and interpersonal sensitivity, suggesting emotion regulation effects during midlife. When chronological aging was taken into account, reproductive aging was associated significantly with increasing levels of phobic anxiety from the late reproductive stages to PM. Anxiety and interpersonal sensitivity both increased with progression from LRS1 through LMT before decreasing PM, but the changes were not significant.

Women Deliver post–2015

AB1099 Counselling on family planning and contraception, and pregnancy outcome in women with rheumatic diseases: a national survey of 398 patient-reported questionnaires from 24 rheumatology centers

For more than 30 years, the focus for women's health in low- and middle-income countries has been on reductions in maternal mortality. This perception was reinforced by the choice of the maternal mortality ratio as the primary indicator for women's health in the Millennium Development Goals. This analysis provides a more objective view by comparing the relative magnitudes of mortality among reproductive age women during pregnancy and the 6-week postpartum period versus other periods during this age range. Data were aggregated from 38 countries in three regions with Demographic and Health Surveys that contained a maternal mortality module and were conducted in the prior 10 years to derive the proportion of total mortality ascribed to maternal mortality (proportion maternal [PM]) among women 15-49 years of age in 5-year age groups by country, region, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence. Estimates of maternal and nonmaternal deaths were based on the sisterhood method. Age-adjusted PM ranged from 5.7% in Swaziland to 41.7% in Timor-Leste. Regional averages were 14.3% in Latin America and the Caribbean, 24.2% in Asia, and 19.8% in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The age-specific pattern of PM showed an increasing trend into the mid-30s followed by a decline. The age-adjusted PM for each country in SSA stratified by HIV prevalence showed an inverse relationship between HIV prevalence and PM with countries with high and low HIV at the lower and upper ends of the PM distribution, respectively. Maternal deaths account for only 6%-40% of all deaths occurring among reproductive age women in a selection of low- and middle-income countries. Although a continued focus and push to reduce maternal mortality is warranted, attention to other causes of death and health issues for women of reproductive age is clearly needed. Research on the causes of death among women and prevention and treatment policies that provide health, education, and nutrition services to women need to be a priority.

As the prevalence of chronic conditions among women of reproductive age continues to rise, studies assessing the intersection of chronic disease and women's reproductive health status are increasingly needed. However, many data systems collect only limited information on women's reproductive health, thereby hampering the appraisal of risk and protective factors across the life span. One way to expand the study of women's health with minimal investment in time and resources is to integrate questions on reproductive health into existing surveillance systems. In 2013, previously validated questions on women's self-reported reproductive history, use of contraception, and infertility were added to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) by seven states (Connecticut, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Ohio, Texas, and Utah); all female respondents aged 18-50 years were included in the pool of respondents for these state-added questions. Of 8691 women who completed the questions, 13.2% reported ever experiencing infertility and 59.8% of those at risk for unintended pregnancy reported using contraception at last intercourse. The information garnered from the state-added reproductive health questions can be augmented with the BRFSS core questions on health-related risk behaviors, chronic conditions, and use of preventive services. Expanding existing data collection systems with supplemental questions on women's reproductive health can provide important information on risk factors and outcomes that may not be available from other sources.