Activity In Postmenopausal Women Research Articles

Effect of a Culturally Adapted Exercise Program on the Anthropometrics and Body Composition of Postmenopausal Women With Excess Weight Gain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Physical activity (PA) is recommended as a component of weight management for the prevention of weight gain and weight regain after weight loss. Yet, no study has adapted culturally appropriate PA for postmenopausal women's health. The study aimed to investigate the effect of a developed culturally appropriate exercise program for Ghanaian postmenopausal women with excess weight gain on the anthropometrics and body composition. A single-blind randomized controlled trial in which participants randomly received a culturally-induced exercise program. A total of 226 Ghanaian postmenopausal women were randomized into exercise and control groups for 12 weeks. Anthropometrics (body mass index [BMI], waist-to-hip ratio [WHR], waist-to-height ratio [WHtR] waist circumference [WC], hip circumference [HC], and weight) and body composition (body fat, visceral fat, muscle mass) were determined pre-and post-intervention. Average of 58.70±6.38 years (p>0.05) with more than half (52.1%) above 58 years. Except for WHR, there were statistically significant differences in weight, BMI, WHtR, visceral fat, and total body fat in the exercise and control groups. Muscle mass increased significantly (+0.21kg), whereas HC (-2.46cm) and WC (-1.39cm) decreased significantly compared with the control group. Within the exercise group, when stratified by BMI, there were higher reductions in BMI (1.01kg/m2 vs. 0.46kg/m2), WC (2.18cm vs. 0.22cm), body weight (2.12kg vs. 1.17kg) and body fat (1.84% vs. 1.6%) in women with obesity compared with women with overweight. The promotion of Indigenous physical activity in postmenopausal women is beneficial. This has implications for health professionals who prescribe physical activity in postmenopausal women's treatment plans. PACTR202301779437544.

A Comprehensive Review on Sophora japonica: Ethnomedicinal, Phytochemistry & Pharmacological Aspects

Abstract: Sophora japonica, a species of Sophora, one of the prominent genera, belongs to the family Fabaceae, native to China, which is commonly known as a pagoda tree. Sophora, includes nearly 52 species, nineteen varieties and many of these species have been used in traditional Chinese medicine to cure various ailments. This review compiles its ethnomedical uses, diverse phytochemicals reported from the various parts of S. japonica, and their pharmacological effects to elucidate its therapeutic potential against a wide range of diseases. Traditionally it is used to treat various hematic disorders such as hypertension, hemorrhoids, hemorrhage, hematuria, hematochezia, dysentery, arteriosclerosis, etc. Moreover, each and every part of this plant, including the flowers, buds, leaves, bark, fruits, seeds, pericarp, stems, and roots are used as medicine, particularly in China, Japan, Korea, and Asia. Chinese Pharmacopoeia and European Pharmacopoeia describe the utility of this plant since ancient times. The enhanced use of S. japonica in Chinese medicine resulted in the exploration of various phytochemicals and their pharmacological properties includes in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies. It is enchanted with steroids, phospholipids, flavonoids, isoflavonoids, alkaloids, triterpenes, and other phenolic compounds that are characterized by therapeutic activities such as anti-oxidant, anticancer, anti-asthmatic, anti-neoplastic, antimicrobial, antiviral, antidote, anti-pyretic, cardiotonic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, anti-platelet, anti-hyperglycemic, immunomodulatory, anti-diabetic, estrogenic and anti-osteoporotic activity in post-menopausal women etc. and this is also used as a remedy for skin diseases like eczema, colpitis and psoriasis. Despite its health benefits, supplementary data is still required in order to bridge the gaps and ensure the possible safety profile by conducting clinical studies for its therapeutic applications as a natural and eminent safe drug.

Daily Pain Severity but Not Vertebral Fractures Is Associated With Lower Physical Activity in Postmenopausal Women With Back Pain.

Back pain lifetime incidence is 60%-70%, while 12%-20% of older women have vertebral fractures (VFs), often with back pain. We aimed to provide objective evidence, currently lacking, regarding whether back pain and VFs affect physical activity (PA). We recruited 69 women with recent back pain (age 74.5 ± 5.4years). Low- (0.5 < g < 1.0), medium- (1.0 ≤ g < 1.5), and high-impact (g ≥ 1.5) PA and walking time were measured (100Hz for 7days, hip-worn accelerometer). Linear mixed-effects models assessed associations between self-reported pain and PA, and group differences (VFs from spine radiographs/no-VF) in PA. Higher daily pain was associated with reduced low (β = -0.12, 95% confidence interval, [-0.22, -0.03], p = .013) and medium-impact PA (β = -0.11, 95% confidence interval, [-0.21, -0.01], p = .041), but not high-impact PA or walking time (p > .11). VFs were not associated with PA (all p > .2). Higher daily pain levels but not VFs were associated with reduced low- and medium-impact PA, which could increase sarcopenia and falls risk in older women with back pain.

AMEERA-4: a randomized, preoperative window-of-opportunity study of amcenestrant versus letrozole in early breast cancer

BackgroundWindow-of-opportunity (WOO) studies provide insights into the clinical activity of new drugs in breast cancer.MethodsAMEERA-4 (NCT04191382) was a WOO study undertaken to compare the pharmacodynamic effects of amcenestrant, a selective estrogen receptor degrader, with those of letrozole in postmenopausal women with newly diagnosed, operable estrogen receptor–positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2−negative (ER+/HER2−) breast cancer. Women were randomized (1:1:1) to receive amcenestrant 400 mg, amcenestrant 200 mg, or letrozole 2.5 mg once daily for 14 days before breast surgery. The primary endpoint was change in Ki67 between baseline and Day 15 (i.e., day of surgery).ResultsEnrollment was stopped early because of slow recruitment, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The modified intent-to-treat population consisted of 95 study participants with baseline and post-treatment Ki67 values, whereas the safety population included 104 participants who had received at least one dose of study medication. Relative change from baseline in Ki67 was − 75.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] − 81.9 to − 67.9) for amcenestrant 400 mg, − 68.2% (− 75.7 to − 58.4) for amcenestrant 200 mg, and − 77.7% (− 83.4 to − 70.0) for letrozole (geometric least-squares mean [LSM] estimates). Absolute change in ER H-score from baseline (LSM estimate) was − 176.7 in the amcenestrant 400 mg arm, − 202.9 in the amcenestrant 200 mg arm, and − 32.5 in the letrozole arm. There were no Grade ≥ 3 treatment-related adverse events.ConclusionsBoth amcenestrant and letrozole demonstrated antiproliferative activity in postmenopausal women with previously untreated, operable ER+/HER2− breast cancer and had good overall tolerability.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04191382 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04191382. Registered 9 December 2019.

High levels of physical activity are associated with a reduced likelihood of depressive symptoms in postmenopausal women

ABSTRACT Depressive symptoms in postmenopausal women are a significant concern, but studies evaluated their relationship with menopausal symptoms and physical activity are limited. This cross-sectional study used the scale of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the modified Kupperman Index (KMI) to investigate the relationship between depressive symptoms, menopausal symptoms, and physical activity in postmenopausal women in Hunan Province, using cluster random sampling, and face-to-face interviews with women aged 50–64 years. The moderate (aOR = 2.242, 95 percent CI [1.646–3.052], P < .001) and severe menopausal symptoms (aOR = 3.654, 95 percent CI [1.754–7.611], P = .001), and low-level physical activity (aOR = 1.380, 95 percentCI [1.023–1.826], P = .035) may increase the risk of depressive symptoms. High levels of physical activity were associated with a decreased likelihood of depressive symptoms, but only when participants had no complaints of menopausal symptoms (aOR = 0.375, 95 percent CI [0.161–0.877], P = .024). This study provides a new result for the mental health of postmenopausal women and provides a reference for further related research.

Rosuvastatin Potentiates Gonadotropin-Lowering Effects of Metformin in Postmenopausal Women: A Pilot Study

Introduction: Metformin reduces elevated levels of FSH and LH. In some studies, gonadotroph secretory function was inhibited by statins. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether statin therapy modulates the impact of metformin on hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis activity in postmenopausal women. Methods: The study population included 60 postmenopausal women with prediabetes, 40 of whom, because of high cardiovascular risk, received rosuvastatin (20–40 mg daily). One group of rosuvastatin-treated women (group A, n = 23) and all statin-naïve patients (group B, n = 20) were matched for age, glucose homeostasis markers, and gonadotropin levels. Over the entire study period (6 months), these women received metformin. The third group (group C) included 17 rosuvastatin-treated women refusing metformin treatment. We assessed baseline and follow-up plasma lipids, glucose homeostasis markers, and concentrations of FSH, LH, thyrotropin, prolactin, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), insulin-like growth factor-1, estradiol, progesterone, and anti-Müllerian hormone (in selected patients). Results: Fifty-three women (18 in groups A and B and 17 in group C) completed the study. At study entry, rosuvastatin-treated and statin-naïve women differed in levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and ACTH. In statin-naïve women, metformin reduced FSH levels and tended to reduce LH levels. In rosuvastatin-treated women, metformin decreased FSH and LH levels, and both effects were stronger than in statin-naïve women. Although observed in both groups, the impact on glucose homeostasis markers was more pronounced in individuals not receiving statin therapy. Metformin treatment did not affect circulating levels of lipids, thyrotropin, prolactin, ACTH, insulin-like growth factor-1, estradiol, and anti-Müllerian hormone. In group C, plasma lipids, glucose homeostasis markers, and hormone levels remained at a similar level throughout the study period. Conclusion: The obtained results indicate that statin therapy may enhance gonadotropin-lowering effects of metformin.

Effectiveness of Educational Intervention Based on Transtheoretical Model on Physical Activity and Menopausal Symptoms.

Menopause is an inevitable part of women's lives. Physical activity as nonhormonal therapy can decrease the symptoms of menopause. This study is aimed at investigating the effect of educational intervention based on the transtheoretical model (TTM) on physical activity and menopausal symptoms of female clients of the health center in Pasargad City, Iran. This quasi-experimental study was performed on 140 females admitted to health center of Pasargad City, Fars Province, Iran (intervention = 70 and control = 70). The data collection tool consisted of demographic data, menopause rating scale, international physical activities questionnaire, and TTM questionnaire (stages of change, processes of change, decision-making balance, and self-efficacy) that were completed before and two months after intervention. For intervention group, the educational program was implemented during 5 sessions of 50-55 min. Data were analyzed by SPSS 25 and by using Chi-square test, independent t-test, and paired t-test. After intervention, the mean scores of physical symptoms are sleep problems, muscle problems and discomfort, psychological symptoms, depression, irritability, and anxiety of intervention group decreased significantly post intervention (p < 0.001). Analysis showed that psychological symptoms, mental fatigue, somatic, and urogenital symptoms, and vaginal dryness increased 2 months after the intervention. Also, the mean score of cons, pros, decision balance, self-efficacy, consciousness raising, dramatic relief, environmental reevaluation, and self-reevaluation have significant changed in intervention group (p < 0.05). In addition, the top percent of progress can be seen in contemplation (31. 5%). This study showed the effectiveness of educational intervention based on TTM to reduce menopausal symptoms and promote physical activity in postmenopausal women.

ARTE index revisited: linking biomarkers of cardiometabolic health with free-living physical activity in postmenopausal women.

Activity-related energy expenditure (AEE) correlates with physical activity volume; however, between-person differences in body size and walking economy (net V̇o2) can influence AEE. The ratio of total energy expenditure (TEE) and resting energy expenditure (REE) estimates physical activity level (PAL) relative to body mass, yet does not account for variance in walking economy. The activity-related time equivalent (ARTEwalk) circumvents such constraints by adjusting for individual-specific walking economy. Herein, we compared AEE, PAL, and ARTEwalk index in a cohort (n = 81) of postmenopausal women while examining possible associations with biomarkers of cardiometabolic health. Secondary analyses were performed on postmenopausal women dichotomized above/below age group 50th percentile for body fat percent. TEE was reduced by 10% for the thermogenesis of digestion wherein AEE was calculated by subtracting REE from adjusted TEE. PAL was calculated as the ratio of TEE/REE. AEE was divided by the mean net energy expenditure of nongraded walking to calculate the ARTEwalk index. Between-group differences were not detected for AEE or PAL. However, the ARTEwalk index revealed that participants with less adiposity were more physically active (258 ± 149 vs. 198 ± 115 min·day-1; P = 0.046; g = 0.46). AEE and PAL did not correlate with cardiorespiratory fitness or biomarkers of cardiometabolic health. Cardiorespiratory fitness (r = 0.32), arterial elasticity (r = 0.24), total cholesterol/HDL-c ratio (r = -0.22), and body fat% (r = -0.24) were correlated with ARTEwalk. The ARTEwalk index may offer utility in detecting possible differences in physical activity volume among postmenopausal women and appears better associated with cardiometabolic biomarkers compared with AEE or PAL.

Survival Is Related to Estrogen Signal Transduction Pathway Activity in Postmenopausal Women Diagnosed with High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma.

Simple SummaryAll cells have a complex internal network of ‘communication chains’ called signal transduction pathways (STPs). Through interaction of different proteins in STPs, they are partly responsible for the behavior of a cell. In our study, we investigated the activity of six STPs in 85 women with advanced stage high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC). To investigate the relation between and differences in survival and STP activity, women with a short disease-free survival (below 12 months) and a long disease-free survival (above 24 months) were included. We found no differences in mean STP activity between short-term survivors (52 women) and long-term survivors (33 women). However, when we analyzed postmenopausal women, we found that both disease-free and overall survival were related to estrogen receptor (ER) pathway signaling. This indicates that a better survival outcome was related to a more active ER pathway in this subgroup.High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSC), the most common subtype of ovarian cancer, has a high mortality rate. Although there are some factors associated with survival, such as stage of disease, there are remarkable differences in survival among women diagnosed with advanced stage disease. In this study, we investigate possible relations between survival and signal transduction pathway (STP) activity. We assessed the functional activity of the androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor (ER), phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K), Hedgehog (HH), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and canonical wingless-type MMTV integration site (Wnt) pathway in 85 primary tumor samples of patients with FIGO stage IIIC to IVB HGSC and disease-free survival (DFS) below 12 (n = 52) or over 24 months (n = 33). There were no significant differences in median pathway activity between patients with a short and long DFS. In univariate Cox proportional hazards analysis, ER pathway activity was related to a favorable DFS and overall survival (OS) in postmenopausal women (p = 0.033 and p = 0.041, respectively), but not in premenopausal women. We divided the postmenopausal group into subgroups based on ER pathway activity quartiles. Survival analysis revealed that postmenopausal women in the lowest ER quartile had a shorter DFS and OS (log-rank p = 0.006 and p < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, we were able to form subgroups of patients based on an inverse relation between ER and PI3K pathway activity. In conclusion, in postmenopausal patients with advanced stage HGSC, a poorer survival outcome was associated with low functional ER pathway activity.

Precise Single-Interval Temporal Orienting Modulates the Pre-Stimulus Alpha Phase in Frontal-Central Area

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (Tc) is a transient left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome, with symptoms and signs of acute myocardial infarction. Tc syndrome, which occurs predominantly in postmenopausal women, is characterized by increase of sympathetic activity.Studies on the gender-specific differences in sympatho-vagal regulation and functional cerebral asymmetry (FCA) imply that female pattern of dominance is characterized by the left hemisphere, which is believed to have parasympathetic predominance, whereas male pattern indicates dominance of the right hemisphere, which is believed to have sympathetic predominance. Fluctuating levels of female sex steroids are supposed to change FCA, modulating transcallosal inter-hemispheric inhibition across the menstrual cycle. The findings suggest that FCA is enhanced during the low steroid phase (menstrual phase), whereas, during high estrogen and/or progesterone phases (follicular and luteal phase) FCA is reduced. This theory is in line with concept of decreased magnitude of inter-hemispheric cortical lateralization in premenopausal women compared to men and postmenopausal women.Therefore, if postmenopausal women are more lateralized for a variety of cerebral functions, they have less balanced equilibrium between the right-sided sympathetic and left-sided parasympathetic predominance. Decrease of endogenous female sex steroid levels in postmenopausal women leads to reduced influence of estrogens to the left hemisphere, which is believed to have parasympathetic predominance. If both of these mechanisms result in sympatho-vagal imbalance, increasing sympathetic system activity in postmenopausal women, it seems reasonable why postmenopausal women became more susceptible to sympathetically-mediated syndromes such as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

The impact of metformin on hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis activity in postmenopausal women with untreated non-autoimmune subclinical hypothyroidism.

Metformin was found to reduce elevated thyrotropin levels in subjects with hypothyroidism. The impact on thyrotropin levels was stronger in women receiving oral contraceptive pills than in women not using any contraception. The aim of the present study was to determine whether physiological levels of oestradiol determine the effect of metformin on hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis activity. The study population included 40 postmenopausal women with prediabetes and untreated non-autoimmune subclinical hypothyroidism, using (group A; n=18) or not using (group B; n=22) oestradiol replacement therapy. Over the entire study periods, all subjects were treated with metformin (2.55-3.00g daily). Plasma levels of glucose, lipids, insulin, thyrotropin, free thyroxine, free triiodothyronine, prolactin, gonadotropins and oestradiol were measured, while the structure parameters of thyroid homeostasis and the degree of insulin sensitivity were calculated at the beginning of the study and 6months later. At entry, both groups differed in gonadotropin and oestrogen levels. Despite improving insulin sensitivity, thyrotropin levels and Jostel's thyrotropin index in both study groups, these effects were stronger in group A than group B. Only in group A, metformin increased SPINA-GT, while only in group B the drug decreased FSH levels. Levels of the other variables remained at a similar level throughout the study. The effect of treatment on thyrotropin levels correlated with its baseline values, as well as with the improvement of insulin sensitivity. The results obtained suggest that the impact of metformin on hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis activity depends on the oestrogen status of patients.

Correlation between physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors in postmenopausal women from Colombia Caribbean.

Postmenopausal period disturbances are more frequently observed in women with unhealthy lifestyles, insufficient physical activity is related to increased cardiovascular risk (CVR). There is a lack of evidence-based information on physical activity in postmenopausal women and its relationship with CVR factors, including D vitamin serum levels.Objective:To determine the physical activity level in postmenopausal women from the Colombia Caribbean and establish relationships between the physical activity and biochemical and anthropometric CVR factors.Methods:A correlational descriptive study in which 183 postmenopausal women were linked for convenience sampling. Level of physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) and their relationships with anthropometric variables, blood pressure, lipid profile, glycemic and serum vitamin D were evaluated.Results:According to the physical activity, 82.5% of women were classified as inactive, 9.3% as insufficiently active and only 8.2% as physically active. Physical inactivity was significantly related to higher glucose, triglycerides, and total cholesterol serum levels (P < .05). The prevalence of the women with vitamin D levels less than 30 ng/mL were of 69.9%. The women physically active and with eutrophic nutritional condition had more high levels of vitamin D.Conclusions:82.5% of the postmenopausal women evaluated were physically inactive and this condition was associated with higher serum levels of glycemic, total cholesterol and triglycerides. Serum vitamin D concentrations were higher in traffic and physically active women.

An Antioxidant Sesquiterpene Inhibits Osteoclastogenesis Via Blocking IPMK/TRAF6 and Counteracts OVX-Induced Osteoporosis in Mice.

Excessive bone resorption induced by increased osteoclast activity in postmenopausal women often causes osteoporosis. Although the pharmacological treatment of osteoporosis has been extensively developed, a safer and more effective treatment is still needed. Here, we found that curcumenol (CUL), an antioxidant sesquiterpene isolated from Curcuma zedoaria, impaired receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis in vitro, whereas the osteoblastogenesis of MC3T3-E1 cells was not affected. We further demonstrated that CUL treatment during RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis promotes proteasomal degradation of TRAF6 by increasing its K48-linked polyubiquitination, leading to suppression of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and NF-κB pathways and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We also showed that inositol polyphosphate multikinase (IPMK) binds with TRAF6 to reduce its K48-linked polyubiquitination under RANKL stimulation. Concurrently, IPMK deficiency inhibits osteoclast differentiation. The binding between IPMK and TRAF6 blocked by CUL treatment was found in our study. Finally, we confirmed that CUL treatment prevented ovariectomy (OVX)-induced bone loss in mice. In summary, our study demonstrates that CUL could impair the stability of TRAF6 enhanced by IPMK and suppress excessive osteoclast activity in estrogen-deficient mice to treat osteoporosis. © 2021 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).

Endothelial‐Derived MicroRNAs are Novel Biomarkers Reflecting Prolonged Sitting Pattern and Physical Activity in Postmenopausal Women: Possible Ethnic Differences

Background and HypothesisDuring waking hours, older adults spend the most time sitting and are least likely to meet physical activity guidelines. Such a sedentary lifestyle is associated with cardiovascular and coronary heart disease mortality risk, particularly in postmenopausal Hispanic/Latino women. The deleterious impact of prolonged sitting includes endothelial dysfunction, which favors atherosclerotic initiation. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are potential biomarkers of physiologic function, which carry molecular cargo from the parent cell, including metabolites, proteins, and nucleic acids, that reflect the cell’s biological health status. Some EV cargo, such as microRNAs (miRs), are capable of mediating cell‐to‐cell communication. We hypothesize that miRs encapsulated in endothelial cell (EC)‐derived EVs serve as molecular transducers bridging prolonged sitting with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.ObjectiveIdentify potential miR transducers associated with prolonged sitting durations.Materials, Methods, and ResultsArchival behavior data and plasma samples were used from a population of 518 women participants, aged ≥55 years and BMI ≥25kg/m2, from the UCSD Metabolic, Exercise, and Nutrition, Reach for Health, and Community of Mine studies. Objective measures of sitting posture and moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were collected from participants using waist‐worn ActiGraph. We identified subpopulations of women who had low MVPA and the shortest or longest mean sitting bout duration across quartiles as Interrupted Sitters (IS, n=18) or Super Sitters (SS, n=53), respectively. CD144+EVs representing EC‐EVs were immunoprecipitated from archival plasma samples for miR profiling. Five target miRs (miR‐199a‐5p, let‐7d‐5p, miR‐140‐5p, miR‐142‐3p, miR‐133b) potentially associated with sitting patterns were identified using Qiagen miScript miR PCR Array Human Cardiovascular disease, employing propensity score balance for confounding factors. Technical validation by qPCR corroborated that 3 miRs had significantly greater expressions in EC‐EVs from SS, compared to IS. The significance of this expression difference was sustained in the non‐Hispanic subpopulation, but only miR‐133b was still significantly different between the two groups in the Hispanic subpopulation. Moreover, miR‐133b expression, but not miR‐199a‐5p, let‐7d‐5p, or miR‐140‐5p expression, in the SS Hispanic group decreased with increased MVPA.ConclusionEC‐EVs carrying CVD‐related miRs may be promising for monitoring prolonged sitting patterns in overweight postmenopausal women, which may differ by ethnicity.Support or Funding InformationAmerican Heart Association Go Red For Women Strategically Focused Network grant (16SFRN28420000) and the National Institutes of Health: Community of Mine (R01 CA179977), Reach for Health (U54 CA155435) and Metabolism, Exercise and Nutrition at UCSD (MENU; U54 CA155435 and also the California Walnut Commission), and training grant from NHLBI (T32 HL079891).

Associations between Self-Reported Physical Activity, Heel Ultrasound Parameters and Bone Health Measures in Post-Menopausal Women.

Physical activity plays an important role in the maintenance of bone health from childhood through adulthood. This study aimed to explore the associations between self-reported physical activity (PA), activity energy expenditure (AEE), heel ultrasound parameters and bone health measures among older adult women. The AEE was estimated from the responses of questionnaires for 125 older adult women aged 54–81 years. The bone parameters were measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and heel ultrasound parameters by the heel quantitative ultrasound (QUS). This study showed that AEE and the metabolic equivalent task (MET) were positively correlated with the bone and heel ultrasound parameters. However, fat mass (FM) and fat percentage were negatively correlated with AEE and MET. In addition, the regression analysis showed that higher AEE was a strong predictor of a higher spine T-score (β = 0.212, p = 0.015), QUS T-score (β = 0.239, p = 0.011) and stiffness index (β = 0.240, p = 0.010) after adjusting for age, fat mass, lean mass, height and calcium intake. These results contribute to our understanding of the importance of physical activity in postmenopausal women by reiterating the benefits of physical activity for older adult women. Physical activity is an important tool for the prevention and management of osteoporosis.

The influence of autogenic training on the physical properties of skin and cardiac autonomic activity in postmenopausal women: an exploratory study.

Autogenic training (AT) is a major relaxation training technique whose clinical efficacy has been verified in dermatology. Many reports demonstrate ameliorated skin conditions in AT-treated subjects with reduced psychological stress. However, no studies have examined the effects of AT on the skin of postmenopausal women. We examine the influences of AT on the physical properties of skin and cardiac autonomic activity in postmenopausal women. Postmenopausal women were classed into anAT group and acontrol one. The women in the AT group were mentored by a professional to practice AT twice a day for 7weeks. The women in the control group were instructed to close their eyes for 3minutes instead of AT. Hydration of the stratum corneum (SC), transepidermal water loss (TEWL), skin elasticity and heart-rate variability (HRV) were measured before and after the study period to examine how they changed. SC hydration and skin elasticity of thecheek, increased in both groups, and the increase was significantly higher in the AT group (n=14) than in the control group (n=12) (P<0.05, Cohen's d=1.03; P<0.05, Cohen's d=0.99; respectively). TEWL did not change in either group. LF/HF was lower in the AT group than in the control group (P<0.05, Cohen's d=0.91). AT increased SC hydration and skin elasticity with changes in the balance of autonomic nervous system activity in postmenopausal women, implying that AT may have improvement effects on aged skin by menopause.

Effects of increased daily physical activity on mental health and depression biomarkers in postmenopausal women.

[Purpose] Little is known about the effectiveness of daily physical activity on depression biomarkers in older adults. This study aimed to investigate the effects of increased daily physical activity for 8 weeks on depression biomarkers in postmenopausal women. [Participants and Methods] Thirty-eight postmenopausal females were randomly assigned into a control or an active group and were asked to wear a uniaxial accelerometer for 8 weeks. Blood samples were obtained at baseline and at the end of the intervention. During the intervention, the active group was asked to increase their physical activity level above their usual lifestyle whereas those in the control group maintained their daily lifestyle. [Results] After the 8-week intervention, the step counts of the participants in the active group increased. The serum concentration of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor and serotonin increased significantly in the active group, but not in the control group, as compared with baseline values. The serum concentration of derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites and biological antioxidant potential did not change after the intervention in either group. [Conclusion] These findings may suggest that promotion of daily physical activity in postmenopausal women has a positive impact on depression without any change in oxidative stress.

Physical activity in postmenopausal women

Physical activity in postmenopausal women

Assessment of absolute and relative intensity physical activity in postmenopausal women

Assessment of absolute and relative intensity physical activity in postmenopausal women

Physical Activity-does it Really Increase Bone Density in Postmenopausal Women? A Review of Articles Published Between 2001-2016.

Physical activity is known for its many health benefits; among them being the positive effect on bone health during the life cycle. During childhood, physical stress stimulates bone remodeling and increases density. However, due to hormonal changes during adulthood, and mainly during postmenopause the rate of bone remodeling is slowed down and is less efficient. As a result, argument has arisen in the literature regarding the benefit or harm of physical activity on bone health among postmenopausal women. The study aims to examine the efficacy of physical activity for improving Bone Mineral Density (BMD) in postmenopausal women based on a review of the literature. The articles included in the review were chosen from three databases (PubMed, SPORT Discus with full text and Science Direct). Only publications with intervention studies which provided BMD measures clearly affected by physical activity in postmenopausal women were included. Twelve articles met the criteria for inclusion. In general, physical activity had a positive effect on BMD. Exercise prevented bone loss and in some cases, it contributed to the increase in BMD. Physical activity may improve BMD in postmenopausal women. However, the exact type of activity, its intensity, its duration and its frequency, are still unclear. Further studies are needed to determine the precise training protocol for postmenopausal women.