Heart Discomfort Research Articles

Indigenous knowledge and nutritional and morphological characterization of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moecnh) varieties in Western Ethiopia.

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moecnh) is a versatile crop that is widely grown in western Ethiopia, despite that it is less researched. This study, therefore, investigates the traditional knowledge, nutritional, and morphological characteristics of two commonly grown okra varieties (Kenketse and Sharma) in west Ethiopia. A semi-structured questionnaire, checklist, and observations were used to collect primary data from households, key informants, and farms. In addition, proximate composition parameters like moisture content, total ash, crude fat, crude protein, crude fiber, utilizable carbohydrates, and gross energy fruits were measured through laboratory analysis. Fruit morphological traits, including fruit dimensions such as length and width, were determined using a digital Vernier caliper. For data analysis, SPSS software was used. The results revealed that the entire plant is used for both food and ethnomedicinal purposes. Curing ailments such as stomach pain, constipation, wound/cut, heart discomfort, back pain, malaria, diarrhea, and amoebae were among the medical benefits of okra. The proximate composition (%) on a dry matter basis of okra fruits differed significantly (p < .05) by cultivar type and drying method. Moisture (3.69%-5.24%), total ash (6.60%-8.01%), crude fat (4.87%-8.58%), crude protein (4.06%-5.23%), crude fiber (12.85%-15.26%), utilizable carbohydrate (56.42%-67.63%), and gross energy contents (326-341 kcal) were the ranges of the various proximate and energy levels. Morphological characteristics of fruit and leaf length, width, and length-to-width ratio varied with cultivar type, where Sharma had more than double the length of Kenketse (70.1 vs. 187.1 mm). Despite being an undervalued native vegetable crop in Ethiopia, the study's findings show that okra is a multipurpose vegetable for promoting human health and ensuring food and nutritional security. Therefore, stepping up its production, marketing, and consumption could help alleviate the food shortage and improve human nutrition and health in the study areas.

Study of menopausal symptoms and perception about menopause among postmenopausal women residing in Mechinagar municipality

Introduction: Menopause is the end of a woman's menstrual cycles and an important biomarker of both fertility loss and menopausal symptoms. Menopausal health has received limited attention in developing countries until more recent times. As women's status in society continues to improve, an increasing number of them are now seeking assistance for their menopausal issues. Objective: To determine prevalence of menopausal symptoms and assess the perspectives of postmenopausal women regarding the menopausal experience. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 162 women in postmenopausal phase, specifically those aged between 45 and 60 years, residing in Mechinagar municipality. The study included women who had not had a menstrual cycle in the previous year. The study employed convenient sampling technique. The study applied the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) to find presence of menopausal symptoms and its severity. Results: The participants had an average age of 55.72 (SD ± 4.401 ) years. The mean age for menopause was of 47.17 years, with a standard deviation of ±4.473. Among the women surveyed, the most frequently reported menopausal symptoms included somatic symptoms such as heart discomfort, urogenital symptoms like bladder problems, hot flushes, joint and muscular pain, , and psychological symptoms such as irritability. Majority 143 (88.3%) of the respondents had MRS score of less than 16. There was a predominantly positive perception of menopause. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicated a high prevalence of menopausal symptoms, but these symptoms were generally of low severity. There was at least one menopausal symptom reported by each postmenopausal woman who participated in this study.

A Study on the Influencing Factors of Deaf Peoples Medical Behavior and Attitude in Shanghai

During an emergency medical treatment experience, one of our team members saw a deaf person with heart discomfort who could not express his condition to the doctor and felt anxious and helpless and thus began to pay attention to the medical treatment of deaf people. In the preliminary research, the team found that the medical treatment process and experience of deaf people are inconvenient. Some deaf people show more negative medical treatment behavior and attitude. Therefore, on this basis, the research question of this paper is further proposed: what are the difficulties and obstacles existing in the current medical treatment of deaf people? What factors influence the medical treatment behavior and attitude of deaf people? Taking the deaf-dumb people in Shanghai as the research target, this paper conducts a relevant investigation utilizing a questionnaire, semi-structured interview, and participatory observation. A total of 148 questionnaires were collected, and ten deaf patients, volunteers, and professionals from deaf organizations were interviewed for interviewing method. The team members also launched a participatory observation by volunteering at the deaf and hard-of-hearing outpatient clinic. This study found that some deaf people in Shanghai have negative attitudes and behaviors toward medical treatment, mainly manifested as reluctance to see a doctor in time, fear of going to the hospital, and distrust of the medical system and doctors. The main reasons for this problem are as follows: poor communication quality, low self-confidence, poor financial conditions, doctors negative attitudes, unavailability of voice services, and lack of volunteers. With the development of digital media in recent years, the difficulties in diagnosing and treating deaf patients have been alleviated.

Correlation of Menopausal Symptoms with Serum Estradiol in Pre and Postmenopausal Women of Nawabshah (SBA)

The term menopause accurately incomes termination of menstrual cycle. A diversity of physiological changes proceeds in the body, certain of these are the consequence of cessation of ovarian function and decreased production of estrogen. Objective: To determine the serum estrogen levels and to study menopause related symptoms in pre and postmenopausal women due to declined estrogen levels. Methods: This was a cross sectional study. Participants were recruited from the Gynecology and Obstetrics and Medicine OPD/Ward PMCH and from the general public. After explaining the study's goal to all participants, they gave their written and verbal agreement. Blood samples were collected for biochemical testing and stored at -20℃ in the laboratory. ANOVA test was applied for comparison of estrogen among the study participants. This study involved 400 individuals who were separated into two groups, Premenopause and Postmenopause. Results: The mean ±SD of age of Premenopausal participants was 44.44±2.61 years and the mean ±SD of Postmenopausal females remained 54.78±2.80 years. The mean value of serum estradiol of pre and postmenopausal participants was noted as 13.03±11.42 pg/ml 8.21±4.7 pg/ml. The predominant symptoms among the premenopausal women experienced were depressive mood and irritability (61%) while the symptoms experienced by postmenopausal women were dryness of vagina (59%) and heart discomfort (54%). Conclusions: The decrease in estrogen may lead to symptoms like vaginal dryness, mood changes, night sweats and hot flashes. The symptoms experienced are similar as elsewhere in the world, although occurring with varying frequencies.

Self-Healing Concept in The Quran: An Analysis of Sakana and Ithma'anna Words

Self-healing term is widely used by the youth generation lately in the cyber and real world. People comprehend the term as the effort to heal oneself from heart discomfort caused by a failure, pressure, anxiety, disappointment, insecurity, et cetera, and the effort to seek inner serenity and tranquility. However, unfortunately, some people choose to do self-healing in the wrong and deviant way. Therefore, this research aims to straighten up and reveal the self-healing concept in the Quran by analyzing the words Sakana and Ithma'anna and their derivation embodying the meaning of tranquility. This study is library research by implementing a semantic approach. The applied data collection method was documentation using primary and secondary data, i.e., the Quran, Al-Misbah, Al-Qurthubi, and Ibn Kathir exegesis. This research result indicates that Allah sends down tranquility for those with mental readiness and decorates themselves with commendable qualities. This research also conveys several deeds that can be done as self-healing, which in reality is contrary to the habits of today's younger generation. Eventually, the serenity that all man desires is eternal tranquility, which is included in the group of people who are called upon by Allah and addressed by 'O tranquil soul' when he dies and on the Day of Resurrection.

A Critical Review of Herbs for Geriatric Women.

Ayurveda links menopause with ageing. Ageing is a Vata predominant stage of life. In Ayurvedic texts, Aacharya Sushruta has described it is a normal physiology. And hence no any specific treatment is mentioned for the same. Geriatric care includes the promotion of health and longevity and management of diseases occurring in old age. It is also concerned with sustained, comfortable and healthy ageing. Thus, geriatric care has to address to two-fold problems, firstly the basic antiageing care to retard the rate of physiological ageing and secondly the medical management of diseases and disorders specifically occurring in the old age such as heart discomfort, sleep disturbances, mood swings, irritability, Anxiety, physical and mental exhaustion, bladder problems, vaginal dryness, joint and muscular disorders. Hence geriatric care wants management of Agni, Bala, Dosha and Oja. Oja is responsible for Bala and much important processing for ageing. various researches have been reviewed for herbs in geriatric care and found that in Many herbs mentioned in texts which are used for prolongation of Ayu along with increase in Medha and Bala and to arrest the process of ageing i.e., Vaya sthapana Gana, Jivneeya Gana, Shatavari, Ashwagndha, Guduchi, Aamlaki. Most of the Dravya’s are Medhya, Rasayana and Balya among them which can be useful in management of geriatric women.

The Quality of Life of and Social Determinants Affecting Menopausal Women in Aseer's Healthy Cities in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction Menopause is an important period in a woman's life. It is the permanent cessation of menses for 12 months or more. Menopause can develop over a long period of time. The average age for menopause to start is 52 years, but it can begin at any time from age 40 to 58 years. Many symptoms are related to postmenopausal syndrome: hot flashes, irritability, mood swings, insomnia, dry vagina, difficulty concentrating, mental confusion, stress incontinence, urge incontinence, osteoporotic symptoms, depression, headache, and vasomotor symptoms. Quality of life (QOL) has been defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an "individual's perceptions of their position in life in the context of the cultural and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns." Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among participants from Aseer's Healthy Cities. The sample was calculated using the formula ofSwinscow and Cohen, and a total of 823 main cities were the target sample size. The sample was simply picked at random from October to December 2021. The Menopause Rating Scale (MRS)-related questionnaire is used to evaluatethe symptoms of menopause in people who answer the questions themselves. Result The study included 869 participants, 98.3% of which are Saudi nationals. Of the participants, 82.1% were married. As regards the lifestyle of the participants in the study, 69% live with a husband and children. The mean age of the study participants was 42.5 (standard deviation (SD):8.883) years. The mean number of participants with somatic vasomotor symptoms was 0.74 (SD: 94). The majority of the participants have sleep issues such as difficulty falling asleep, difficulty sleeping through the night, and waking up early (mean: 0.97, SD: 1.3), followed by hot flashes and sweating (mean: 0.65, SD: 1.165), and heart discomfort (mean: 0.63, SD: 12). Psychosocial symptoms are also common (mean: 0.95, SD: 1.16); the majority have depressive moods (mean: 1.09, SD: 1.35), followed byirritability (mean: 0.93, SD: 1.2), and anxiety (mean: 0.84, SD: 1.22). Physical symptoms are also prevalent, with a mean and SD of 0.91 and 1.03, respectively, with bladder problems having a mean and SD of 0.55 and 1.017, respectively. Finally, there were also sexual symptoms (mean: 0.70, SD: 1.09), with sexual problems having a mean and SD of 0.81 and 1.28, respectively. Conclusion The study found a high percentage of unawareness about menopause and a need to improve healthcare access and symptomatic treatment. The regression model of psychosocial risk factors is found to have a significant association with the increase of symptoms and using other medications for any reason, menstrual cycle pattern, and marital status.

A Study to Identify the Age of Menopause and Its Relation to Socio-Economic Determinants and to Assess the Knowledge and Attitude About the Health Effects of Menopause

Abstract: Menopause is the most prominent event in women’s middle age and marks the end of a women’s reproductive life. Symptoms of menopause are the basis of health care providers and public health professionals to provide adequate medical care, including improving the physiological and psychological state of women. The main objective of the study was to determine age at menopause along with its health consequences and socio-economic determinants affecting the quality of life. A total of 70 women were enrolled in the study. Information was collected from 40-55 years old womens to estimate the age of menopause along with socio-economic determinants and health effects of menopause. Questionnaire was created consisting of socio demographic data, prevalence of menopausal symptoms, knowledge and attitude towards menopaus for data collection. From the study, we found the average age of menopause was 48.5 years, which is higher than other studies conducted in India, reason may be methodological. Psycho-physiological changes were associated with irritability, heart discomfort, anxiety, depressive mood, hot flashes, physical and mental exhaustion, sleep problems. There must be well planned, balanced health education and necessary treatment arrange for the welfare of perimenopause women for better quality of life. The obtained results were analyzed and discussed in detail

Quality of life for women in menopause

Background: menopause is a physiological process in adult women, generally characterized by the cessation of menstruation, and consequently leads to a series of biological and psychological changes for women, which according to their intensity can cause a significant deterioration in the quality of life, ranging from muscular and joint discomfort, hot flashes, depression, fatigue, sexual problems and vaginal dryness. Aim: to analyze the quality of life of menopausal women in the San Martin neighborhood, Latacunga - Ecuador. Methods: an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out with a quantitative approach. The sample consisted of women between 40 and 59 years of age, with a sample of 80 participants in the study. Results: after the application of the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) with a Cronbach's reliability of 0,86, whose data were collected personally and then tabulated in the SPSS version 26 statistical program. The results indicated that 26,25 % of the women presented mild discomfort of climacteric symptoms, while 22,50 % manifested them as intolerable discomfort, among the most frequent symptoms were depressed mood, irritability, muscular and joint discomfort, anxiety, physical fatigue, sleep difficulties, hot flashes, bladder problems, heart discomfort, sexual problems and vaginal dryness. Conclusion: the quality of life of the women in this study group was affected by mild symptoms such as somatic, psychological and urogenital symptoms

Health Seeking Behavior of Menopausal Women of Tokha Municipality

Introduction: Menopause is an important phase of the life of women. During this period of cessation of estrogen, many women experience various unpleasant symptoms, the severity of which may vary. It is important to understand health-seeking behavior of women towards these symptoms. The aim of this study was to assess the health-seeking behavior among menopausal women.&#x0D; Methods: Community-based descriptive cross-sectional study was done among 296 women aged 40-60 years residing in wards no 2 and 3 of Tokha Municipality of Kathmandu. A convenient sampling technique was adopted to collect the data. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the National Academy of Medical Sciences. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statics.&#x0D; Results: It was found that most of the participants (62%) visited the pharmacy for their problems and about 40% received counseling for their problems. Regarding the severity of the menopausal symptoms, only 20% of the respondents had experienced severe somatic symptoms and 16% experienced psychological symptoms. There was an association of some socio-demographic variables (age, religion, ethnicity, educational status, marital status, and income) with health-seeking behavior of the respondents. Similarly, health-seeking behavior was found to be associated with some of the health problems (irritation, heart discomfort, joint problems, tiredness, and cardiac problems).&#x0D; Conclusions: The menopausal problem had been neglected by significant respondents even though various menopausal symptoms were prominent among them. There is a need to raise awareness among the community people on menopausal problems and seek appropriate health care services.

Self-reported menstrual cycle length during reproductive years in relation to menopausal symptoms at midlife in Project Viva.

The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which self-reported menstrual cycle length during reproductive years is associated with menopausal symptoms and age at natural menopause at midlife. This analysis includes 634 women who enrolled in Project Viva during pregnancy (1999-2002) and completed the midlife visit approximately 18 years later. Women self-reported menstrual cycle length at enrollment (early pregnancy) and at midlife reported total and specific menopausal symptoms using the Menopause Rating Scale as well as age at natural menopause. We used linear and regression models to evaluate associations of cycle length with total and specific menopausal symptoms. We also applied a time-to-event Cox proportional hazards model to investigate the relationship between menstrual cycle length and onset of natural menopause. We adjusted models for age at midlife visit, prepregnancy body mass index, race/ethnicity, education, and parity. At enrollment (median age, 33.3 years), 90 (14%) women reported having short (≤25 days) and 39 (6%) reported long (≥35 days) menstrual cycles. Compared with women with a normal menstrual cycle length of 26 to 34 days, women whose cycles were short had a higher total Menopause Rating Scale at midlife ( β = 2.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73-3.38). Specifically, women with short menstrual cycles during their reproductive years had higher odds of midlife sleep problems (odds ratio [OR], 1.92; 95% CI, 1.10-3.37), heart discomfort (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.03-2.73), and depressive symptoms (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.16-2.96). In addition, compared with women with a normal cycle length of 26 to 34 days, women reporting short cycles had an earlier onset of natural menopause (hazard ratio, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.11-2.51). Compared with women with normal menstrual cycle length, those with short menstrual cycles during their reproductive years had a higher frequency of total and certain menopausal symptoms at midlife and reached menopause earlier.

The best-worse scaling approach: prioritizing burdensome menopause symptoms among Cambodian women

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to prioritize the most burdensome menopause symptoms among Cambodian women utilizing the best-worst scale (BWS). In total, 180 women aged 40–60 who lived in a community setting were recruited from four regions of Cambodia via convenience sampling. Using the BWS, 12 choice sets were prepared by combining 11 symptoms from the menopause rating scale (MRS), and the BWS choice sets were generated with the orthogonal main effects design (OMED). Counting approach determined the women’s health priorities and calculated the best-minus-worst (BW) score. The modeling approach measured each respondent’s basic utility function. Of the 180 participants, 41.1% were between the ages of 40 and 49, and 25.0% were over 50. The counting and modeling approaches revealed that heart discomfort was the most burdensome symptom (coefficient 0.739, p < .001) followed by joint and muscular discomfort (coefficient 0.606, p < .001) and sleep problems (coefficient 0.507, p < .001), whereas vaginal dryness was the least burdensome symptoms (coefficient −0.164, p = .018). This study revealed that the most burdensome menopause symptom among Cambodian women was heart discomfort while vaginal dryness was the least burdensome. The BWS enabled to prioritize the burdensome menopausal symptoms which warrants future studies using the BWS.

Menopausal Symptoms and Coping Strategies among Menopausal Women in Selected Hospital at Mangaluru

Menopause is one of the most significant events in a woman's life and brings several physiological changes that permanently affect women's lives. In India, menopause is considered a normal phenomenon. Women themselves may not seek medical help for their problems associated with ageing. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine middle-aged women's commonly reported menopausal symptoms and coping strategies. A descriptive survey design was used, and 100 menopausal women aged 45–60 years were selected and interviewed to assess the menopausal symptoms and coping strategies followed to overcome the same. The results showed that 63% of the subjects had moderate symptoms and 30% had severe menopausal symptoms; these were assessed through the menopausal rating scale. The coping strategies show that 54% of women use a cooler environment to face the hot flash and sweating, 55% of women sit in a comfortable place to relieve their heart discomfort, 47% of women have milk in the night to manage the sleeping problems, 60% women use hot water to relieve Joint and muscular discomfort. Hence, there is a need for improvement of menopausal health status and application of various coping methods, including the establishment of social networks, is warranted to enhance menopausal women's behaviours in different aspects.

Menopausal Syndrome - an Overview

Menopause is the natural cessation of a woman’s menstrual cycle, and marks the end of fertility. Most women experience menopause by the average age of 52, but pelvic or ovarian damage may cause sudden menopause earlier in life. Genetics or any disease conditions may also lead to early onset of menopause. Perimenopause and post menopause are the two different stages of menopause. The beginning of irregular menses to the first 12 months of amenorrhea is perimenopause and the period after menopause is post menopause. Women experience various physiological and psychological changes during their menopausal period which will affect their quality of life and health. The main objective of this review was to assess the literature concerning the various postmenopausal symptoms and prevalence. In many research they reported that the most common symptoms in menopausal women are somatic symptoms such as hot flushes, heart discomfort, sleep problem, muscle and joint pain. The psychological symptoms like depression, anxiety, irritability, physical and mental exhaustion, sexual problem, bladder problem and dryness of vagina are the urogenital symptoms. The menopause in women is stressful and produces many changes in vital parameters. The low intakes of dietary iron and calcium are common in menopausal women. As a conclusion of this study proper diet, improved life style, self-care, medical support and awareness program can help to reduce the postmenopausal symptoms and increase their quality of life.

The comparison of paroxetine and gabapentin in the management of postmenopausal symptoms

Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy of gabapentin, an anticonvulsant agent, and paroxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in the management of post-menopausal symptoms. Methods: In this clinical trial, two groups of patients with menopause who had hot flashes were included. One group received gabapentin (600 mg daily, 23 cases) for 8 weeks. The other group received paroxetine (one capsule daily at the morning or at bedtime, 23 cases) for 8 weeks. The MRS (Menopause Rating Scale) as well as the Beck’s Depression Inventory were used to assess the efficacy of the studied medications. Results: In paroxetine and gabapentin groups, hot flashes, sleep problems, muscle/joint pains, depression, irritability, anxiety, memory problems, and lack of concentration severity significantly decreased after 8 weeks of treatment. Only urinary problems in two treatment groups did not show any significant difference. There was no significant difference in dryness and burning sensation before and after gabapentin (P&gt; 0.05). However, these changes were significant in paroxetine group (P &lt;0.05). Conclusion: Both paroxetine and gabapentin were effective options in decreasing the severity of menopausal symptoms namely hot flashes, heart discomfort, sleep problems, and muscle/joint pains. In addition, the two medications had favorable results regarding psychological aspects of menopause.

Assessment of prevalence of vasomotor menopausal symptoms using a modified menopause rating scale(MRS) in Peri and postmenopausal women

Menopausal symptoms can often be distressing and affect the normal activities of women in their middle age. This can significantly reduce their quality of life. This study was done to assess the prevalence of vasomotor menopausal symptoms using a modified menopause rating scale (MRS) in Peri and postmenopausal women. A cross-sectional observational study was done on 100 middle-aged women (40-65 yrs) during the period January-June 2020 using the modified menopause rating scale (MRS). The mean age of the respondents in the study was 52.71 yrs. The mean age at menopause is 56 yrs. The commonly found symptoms were joint and muscular discomfort (80%), physical and mental exhaustion (65%) and sleeping problems (50%) appears to be the most commonly experienced symptoms by these women. The other symptoms are hot flushes and night sweats (46%), irritability (40%), dryness of vagina (38%), anxiety (36%), depressive mood (34%), sexual problems(30%), heart discomfort (16%) bladder problems (14%). This study showed that the typical vasomotor symptoms of menopause like sweating and hot flushes were comparatively lower than that of somatic symptoms like joint and muscular discomfort, mental and physical exhaustion in general. At the same time, postmenopausal women experienced more of urogenital symptoms, while Peri and premenopausal women experienced somatic and psychological symptoms.

Impact of body mass index (BMI) and physical activities among menopausal women

Background: The impact of body mass index (BMI) and physical activity on menopausal symptoms is still unclear. The relationship between menopausal symptoms with physical activity and BMI may differ depending on the specific symptom and socio-demographic factors may have impact on the symptoms.&#x0D; Objectives: It was aimed to determine most common presenting symptoms as per MRS scale, and to assess physical activity status as per IPAQ scale. Also to assess the impact of physical activity and BMI on common menopausal symptoms in addition to socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents in particular.&#x0D; Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study among menopausal women age between 45-60 years attended at Outpatient Department (OPD) of Obs &amp; Gynae in three randomly selected tertiary care hospital of the country during November 2017 to April 2018. The data were generated as per Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) and by International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and by calculation of Body Mass Index (BMI).&#x0D; Results: About 70.0% respondents were within 45-54 years of age group, 28.0% respondents were illiterate and 78.0% were housewife. Overweight was to be found almost 30.0% within 50-54 years age group. Respondent’s somato-vegetative menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, heart discomfort and sleeping problems were found mild to moderate among 53.0-67.0% respondents mostly. Psychological and urogenital menopausal symptoms were found mild to moderate among 52-62.0% and 45-53.0% respondents respectively. The irritability and heart discomfort were found significantly associated with age. Moreover, joint and muscular discomfort, hot flushes, sweating and heart discomfort were also found significantly associated with BMI (p&lt;.05).&#x0D; Conclusion: Findings of the study will help planners and policy makers in developing one stop comprehensive services as appropriate in minimizing symptoms without medications and will also help minimizing burden of symptoms among menopausal women towards a comfortable end stage life line towards menopause specific quality of life (MENQOL).&#x0D; Bangladesh Med Res Counc Bull 2020; 46(2): 109-114

Comparison of various menopausal symptoms and risk factor analysis in Korean women according to stage of menopause

ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence and severity of menopausal symptoms and their related risk factors among middle-aged Korean women according to their reproductive stages. MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 3039 Korean women, aged 45–65 years, who attended their routine health checkup. Their scores from the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) were compared and participants were categorized into four groups according to stage of menopause: premenopause, early menopause (≤2 years from their last menstruation), mid-menopause (2–8 years), and late menopause (>8 years). ResultsThe mean age of the participants was 52.81 ± 5.39 years, and 98.5 % of them reported one or more symptoms included in the MRS. The most common symptom was physical/mental exhaustion, experienced by 86.7 % of participants. The prevalence of moderate to severe symptoms, including vasomotor symptoms, heart discomfort, sleep problems, sexual problems, vaginal dryness, and joint/muscular discomfort, increased in the early menopausal period. This increased in the late menopausal period compared with its prevalence at premenopause. The prevalence of moderate to severe psychological symptoms, heart discomfort, and sleep problems followed a U-shaped trend after menopause: high at early menopause, low at mid-menopause, and high again at late menopause. A low level of physical exercise was an independent risk factor for a high total MRS score; however, the menopausal stages, age, and weight were also variously associated with menopausal symptoms. ConclusionsSeveral menopausal symptoms remain severe, or are aggravated, until the late menopausal period among Korean women. More attention is warranted to manage these symptoms in postmenopausal women.

Menopause status and its determinants in rural North Karnataka

BACKGROUND: Perimenopause symptoms need attention of health.care providers and public health personnel to enable the appropriate healthcare, including improving psychological makeup and for planning for further studies. Hence, the study was undertaken with an objective to study the menopause along with factors affecting the quality of life. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross.sectional study has been carried out to investigate the factors affecting/related with perimenopausal symptoms, during February to July 2016, using proportional to population size inverse cluster sampling. The present study was conducted covering 712 women of age 40-55 years, comprised of 550 menopause, 40 surgical induced menopause and 122 yet to achieve menopause. RESULTS: The odds ratio (OR) of menopaused women in other than gHindush and gMuslimsh were found higher than the reference group (Hindus). OR of menopause groups was statistically significant with gMildh heart discomfort, gMildh sexual desire, dryness of vagina, hot flushes, physical and mental exhaustion, depressive mood, anxiety, sleep problem, and irritability as compared with their respective reference groups (absence of symptoms). Similar results were exhibited by gMildh physical and mental exhaustion (OR = 2.22; P CONCLUSION: Psycho.physiological changes were seen by heart discomfort, sexual desire problem, irritability, depressive mood, anxiety, hot flushes, sleep problems, physical and mental exhaustion, and dryness of vagina exhibited significantly higher in perimenopause women. Hence, well.planned and calibrated health education and necessary symptomatic treatment must always be arranged for the welfare in the perimenopause period.

The relation of body mass index, menopausal symptoms, and lipid profile with bone mineral density in postmenopausal women

ObjectiveWe aimed to evaluate the relationship of menopausal symptoms, body mass index (BMI), and serum lipid profile with Bone Mineral Density (BMD) levels. Materials and methods452 postmenopausal women were included in this case–control study at our outpatient clinic between January 2012 and January 2015. The patients were stratified according to their BMD, based on dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer (DXA) results, as the normal group (−1 ≤ T-score), osteopenia group (−2.5 < T-score < −1), and osteoporosis group (T-score ≤ −2.5). High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterol (TC), and triglycerides (TG), fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels were measured. To assess the menopausal symptoms, the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) questionnaire was used. ResultsWaist circumference (WC) and BMI were significantly lower in the osteoporosis group than in normal and osteopenia groups (p: 0.001, p: 0.001, respectively). L2-L4 measurements were negatively correlated with Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) levels, but positively correlated with WC. BMI showed significant positive correlation with Femur Neck (FN), L1–L2, and L2–L4 measurements. Among menopausal symptoms, there was a significant negative correlation between heart discomfort and L1–L2 levels. On multiple regression analysis, a relation between FN scores and somatic symptom scores was identified. ConclusionHyperlipidemia, lower BMI, lower WC, and severe somatic symptoms may be associated with decreased BMD.