Young Middle-aged Women Research Articles

Scene memory and hippocampal volume in middle-aged women with early hormone loss

The present study explored whether early midlife bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO), a female-specific risk factor for dementia, is associated with reduced medial temporal lobe structure and function. Younger middle-aged women with the BRCA1/2 mutation and a BSO prior to spontaneous menopause (SM) were recruited. We determined the performance of women with BSO not taking estradiol-based hormone therapy (n = 18) on a task measuring object and scene recognition and quantified medial temporal lobe subregion volumes using manually segmented high-resolution T2-weighted MRI scans. Comparisons were made to those with BSO taking estradiol-based hormone therapy (n = 20), age-matched premenopausal controls (n = 28), and older women in SM not taking hormone therapy matched for duration of hormone deprivation (n = 17). Reduced hippocampal integrity specific to the BSO group not taking hormone therapy was observed, reflected by significantly smaller dentate gyrus/CA2/CA3 volumes and lower scene recognition memory performance. These findings show that hippocampal subfield volume may be useful for identifying early midlife changes in women at elevated risk for dementia.

Prevalence and factors associated with recurrent falls among middle-aged community-dwelling women

Objective:This community-based study evaluated the prevalence and associated risk factors of recurrent falls among middle-aged community-dwelling women in Southern-Sri Lanka.Methods:Randomly selected 285 middle-aged women (40-60years, Mean±SD;51.7±6.1years) participated. History of falls within the previous 12-months was inquired and those who reported two or more falls within 6-month period were considered as recurrent fallers. Age, menopausal status, weight (kg), height (m), waist-circumference (WC, cm), appendicular-skeletal-muscle-mass (ASMM, kg by DXA), hand-grip-strength (HGS, kg) and gait-speed (GS, m/s) were evaluated. Body-mass-index (BMI, kg/m2) and relative-ASMM-index (RSMI, kg/m2) were calculated.Results:The prevalence of recurrent falls was 13% (95%CI; 9.4%-17.5%) (n=37). Recurrent falls were higher among postmenopausal women compared to premenopausal women, older middle-aged women (51-60years) compared to young middle-aged women (40-50years), those with low RSMI compared to normal RSMI, low HGS compared to normal HGS and low GS compared to normal GS (p<0.01). BMI and WC did not show significant associations with recurrent falls. Risk factors associated with recurrent falls were age (OR;7.41, 95%CI; 1.23-44.43, p=0.02), RSMI (OR;3.21, 95%CI; 1.00-10.32, p=0.04) and HGS (OR;3.19, 95%CI; 1.26-8.09, p=0.01).Conclusions:The prevalence of falls among middle-aged women was considerably high. Falls were associated with advanced age, low muscle mass and muscle strength.

Percutaneous coronary intervention in spontaneous coronary artery dissection: a case-control study

Abstract Background Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) is an important cause of acute coronary syndrome particularly in young-middle aged women. Revascularisation is challenging due to an underlying disrupted and friable coronary vessel wall leading to widely reported worse outcomes than for atherosclerotic coronary disease. Therefore, a conservative approach where possible is favoured however in some cases haemodynamic instability, ongoing ischaemia and reduced distal flow mandates consideration of revascularisation. Purpose To compare SCAD survivors managed with PCI or conservatively in terms of presentation characteristics, complications and long-term outcomes. Methodology and results 226 angiographically confirmed SCAD survivors (95% female,47±9.7yrs) who underwent PCI were compared in a case control study with two hundred and twenty-five angiographically confirmed SCAD survivors (92% female, 49±9.9yrs) who were conservatively managed. Patients were recruited from UK, Spanish and Dutch SCAD registries and both groups were well matched in terms of baseline demographics. Those treated with PCI were more likely to present with proximal SCAD (30.8% vs 7.6% P&amp;lt;0.01) and ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) or cardiac arrest with reduced flow (32.3% vs 6.3% P&amp;lt;0.01). Intervention was performed with stents in 72.4%, plain old balloon angioplasty in 21.1% and wiring in 6.4% of cases and more often for multi-segment disease (40.8% vs 26.3% P&amp;lt;0.01). In cases with initial reduced flow undergoing PCI an improvement in flow was seen in 83%. Analysis of UK PCI cases (n=144) reveal complications in 56 (38.8%). However, when assessed for significance defined by a reduction in flow in a proximal/mid vessel, stent extension into left main stem, iatrogenic dissection requiring PCI and CABG as a consequence of PCI only 13 cases (9%) met criteria. Iatrogenic dissection accounts for the majority (76.9%). SCAD lesion length was associated with presence of complications (P=0.025). There was a non-significant trend towards major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) occurring more frequently in those undergoing PCI (18% vs 11% P=0.067) driven by revascularisation (5% vs 1% P=0.036). Median follow up was 2.7 years. Conclusions PCI in SCAD is often performed in higher risk patients; in those presenting with reduced flow, the majority demonstrate improvement. Importantly whilst overall complication rates were similar to those widely reported, clinically significant complications were low. Multivariate modelling will reveal factors associated with complications to aid future decision making in this challenging patient group. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): British Heart Foundation

Oral Contraceptive Use and Breast Cancer Risk: Retrospective and Prospective Analyses From a BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutation Carrier Cohort Study.

BackgroundFor BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, the association between oral contraceptive preparation (OCP) use and breast cancer (BC) risk is still unclear.MethodsBreast camcer risk associations were estimated from OCP data on 6030 BRCA1 and 3809 BRCA2 mutation carriers using age-dependent Cox regression, stratified by study and birth cohort. Prospective, left-truncated retrospective and full-cohort retrospective analyses were performed.ResultsFor BRCA1 mutation carriers, OCP use was not associated with BC risk in prospective analyses (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.75 to 1.56), but in the left-truncated and full-cohort retrospective analyses, risks were increased by 26% (95% CI = 6% to 51%) and 39% (95% CI = 23% to 58%), respectively. For BRCA2 mutation carriers, OCP use was associated with BC risk in prospective analyses (HR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.03 to 2.97), but retrospective analyses were inconsistent (left-truncated: HR = 1.06, 95% CI = 0.85 to 1.33; full cohort: HR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.28 to 1.81). There was evidence of increasing risk with duration of use, especially before the first full-term pregnancy (BRCA1: both retrospective analyses, P < .001 and P = .001, respectively; BRCA2: full retrospective analysis, P = .002).ConclusionsProspective analyses did not show that past use of OCP is associated with an increased BC risk for BRCA1 mutation carriers in young middle-aged women (40–50 years). For BRCA2 mutation carriers, a causal association is also not likely at those ages. Findings between retrospective and prospective analyses were inconsistent and could be due to survival bias or a true association for younger women who were underrepresented in the prospective cohort. Given the uncertain safety of long-term OCP use for BRCA1/2 mutation carriers, indications other than contraception should be avoided and nonhormonal contraceptive methods should be discussed.

Analysis of body shape and anthropometric measurements of US middle-aged women using 3D body scan data

The apparel industry has recently been recognizing the important target market of middle-aged women. The aim of this study was to examine the anthropometric characteristics of US women of 46 to 65 years of age and identify distinctive body shape characteristics of US middle-aged women. A total of 1915 middle-aged women whose ages ranged from 46 to 65 were selected from the SizeUSA database. The age range was divided into two groups: 46-55 and 56-65. Twenty-four body measurements important for apparel development were chosen. Four factors-Girth Factor, Height Factor, Hip Drop Factor, and Bust Drop Factor-accounted for the US middle-aged women's body measurements. The body shapes were classified into four body shapes, which were Y-Shape in the overweight range, S-Shape in the overweight range, H-Shape in the overweight range, and the A-Shape in obese range. H-Shape, which was the least-defined waist in relation to the bust and hips with a short height, existed more in older middle-aged women than in younger middle-aged women. Y-Shape, S-Shape, and A-Shape existed more in the group of younger middle-aged women than in the group of older middle-aged women. In addition, compared with the younger middle-aged women, older middle-aged women had narrower shoulders, a larger waist, thinner legs, and a longer distance between side neck to bust point. The findings from the current study may be applied in the apparel industry for developing clothing sizing systems for US middle-aged women.

Succesful treatment of spontaneous dissection of the coronary artery by primary percutaneous coronary intervention

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rare cause of acute myocardial infarction. The disease is usually seen in young-middle aged women and leads to sudden death in the majority of cases. In survived patients, diagnosis of SCAD has been made with coronary anjiography. Involvement of left main coronary artery (LMCA) is very unusual. We describe on a case of SCAD involving the LMCA in a young woman presenting with an acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock status. There were no risk factors for coronary artery disease and no evidence of atherosclerosis on angiography. Coronary angiography revealed dissection of the LMCA that extended into the anterior descending and circumflex coronary arteries. The dissection was successfully treated with primary coronary artery stenting. The patient was discharged without complication. There was no problem in the first evaluation at the end of the first of the month.

Linear and nonlinear changes in the auditory brainstem response of aging humans

Objective This experiment was designed to characterize the changes in linear and nonlinear temporal interactions in the aging auditory brainstem of humans using maximum length sequence (MLS) stimulation. Methods The MLS technique uses a quasi-random sequence of clicks and silences to determine the linear (linear averaging of single responses) and nonlinear (interactions between pairs or triplets of responses) temporal interactions in the auditory brainstem response (ABR). A group of 30 normal hearing females aged between 11 and 61 years were tested. They were divided in three groups: young (<24 years); middle (24–41 years) and old (>41 years). Results The linear component showed a decrease in wave 5 amplitude with age which could also be related to increased thresholds for higher frequencies. The nonlinear component of the MLS-ABR showed significant differences between middle and old groups for wave 1 and 5 latencies and inter-wave interval (1–5). Conclusions The results suggest that the linear and nonlinear components of the MLS-ABR could be more sensitive to changes occurring in the auditory system before any functionally significant changes in hearing status. Significance The nonlinear components of the auditory brainstem could be used as an investigative tool to assess early changes in the aging auditory brainstem in young middle-aged women.

Is There Life After Fifty?

Research has found negative stereotyping and differential treatment both of women and of the elderly in everyday interactions and in mass media representations. An underresearched cateeorv is middle-aged women. This research included a content L a analysis of 12 issues of a Canadian English-language women's magazine and a comparison of the results with selected characteristics of women 40 to 59 years of age as reported by Statistics Canada. The investigation found that younger middle-aged women (under 50 years) are included, but are underrepresented when compared to the population and to the magazine's readers. Middle-aged women are absent from the covers and the fashion and beauty sections; they are underrepresented in the advertisements, overrepresented in the fiction, portrayed positively but realistically in the editorials, and are shown as winners in a world of challenges in articles on health, family, work, and public life. In general the middle-aged women are white, middle class, heterosexual, well...

Predicates of Personal Control among Middle-Aged and Young-Old Men and Women in Middle America

These analyses explore relationships between the conscious general sense of control and :1) personal evaluations of major life domains (health, spouse's health, marriage, parenting, work, leisure): and 2) spouse's evaluations of life domains, within groups defined by gender and age. Respondents include 101 men and 127 women; all are Caucasian; they reside in a middle-class community in the midwestern United States; they are aged forty-three to seventy-six (M = 56); they are all in long-term marriages, with an average of 4.4 children; and 73 percent had at least one child living at home. Evaluations of life domains included self-report satisfaction and investment scales completed after personal interview questions about the domain. There were no gender differences and minimal age differences in levels of sense of control or evaluations of the life domains. However, as expected, multiple regression analyses indicated that the evaluations that contribute to a sense of control vary by gender and be age group within gender group. For men, the sense of control is linked to experiences in work; for younger middle-aged men, satisfaction with health is important; and for older men, investment in marriage is also important. Younger middle-aged women's sense of mastery is tied to satisfaction with mothering and investment in their own health; older women's sense of control is linked to satisfaction with marriage, health, and leisure. Age group patterns may reflect both developmental and cohort effects.

Effects of Aerobic Dance on Physical Work Capacity, Cardiovascular Function and Body Composition of Middle-Aged Women

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of aerobic dance on physical work capacity, cardiovascular function and body composition of young middle-aged women. Maximal oxygen uptake ([Vdot]O 2 max), heart rate during submaximal treadmill walking, resting heart rate and blood pressure, and body composition were determined before and after a 10-week aerobic dance conditioning program in 28 women (18 experimental and 10 control), aged 25 to 44 years. During the 10-week treatment period, the experimental subjects participated in 45 min of aerobic dance at 70–85% of the heart rate reserve, 3 days · week –1,whereas the control group did not participate in any regular strenuous physical activity. Changes in the experimental group were significantly greater than in the control group for [Vdot]O 2 max expressed in 1 · min –1 or relative to body weight or fat-free weight (5 to 7% vs. – 5 to – 8%), time on a continuous grade-incremented walking treadmill test (16% vs. 1%), heart rate during subm...