ABSTRACT
Respecting the incidence of hot flashes in postmenopausal women and its effect on their socioeconomic lives and the controversies regarding its treatment, this double-blind clinical trial was conducted to determine the effects of Anise abstract on hot flashes in these women referring to rural and urban health centers of Qazvin province during 2006. 72 postmenopausal women with hot flashes at different severities were randomly selected according to pre-determined criteria and divided into two groups of experimental and control. Their medical records at health centers were used for sampling. Each woman in the experimental group took a capsule containing 100 mg Anise 3 times a day while, in the control group, women took 3 placebo capsules, each containing 330 mg starch. They took the capsules over 4 weeks. Before taking the capsules, they were assessed for a week about the frequency of hot flashes and the types of food they took. Data were collected by a questionnaire and an information form. Content and test-retest methods were used for validity and reliability of the tools. ANOVA and t-student test were applied for statistical analysis. Demographic information of the subjects included: mean age=51.63, amenorrhea duration=2.39, body mass index=27.13, number of pregnancies=6.56, percentage of the married=95.8 and percentage of primary education=37.7. 80.6% of hot flashes occurred at nights. In the experimental group, the frequency and severity of hot flashes before treatment were 4.21% and 56.21% and, after that, were 1.06% and 14.44% at the end of the fourth week, respectively. There was no significant change in the frequency and severity of hot flashes in the control group. Anise is effective on the frequency and severity of hot flashes in postmenopausal women. These women can be taught to choose different alleviating methods, preferably. Further studies with longer duration of treatment for assessing hot flashes are warranted
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Postmenopause , Pimpinella , Surveys and Questionnaires , Plant Extracts , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Radionuclide scanning of the heart has incremental value in diagnosis and risk stratification of coronary artery disease. Gated myocardial perfusion SPECT is a new method and the state of the art in coronary artery disease detection. This study was done to evaluate estimation of LV volume, wall motion diameters and ejection fraction by gated myocardial perfusion scan and make a comparison with trans thoracic echocardiography. In this cross-sectional descriptive study during Sep 2001- Dec 2002, 68 patients suspected of IHD who were referred to nuclear Medicine Department of Imam Reza Hospital in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences were under taken gated myocardial perfusion SPECT, and then referred to echocardiography unit for trans thoracic echocardiography. LV volume, ejection fraction, regional wall motion in different views of 2D-echo was recorded and the results were compared by descriptive statistics. This study was performed on 68 patients. The mean age of patients was 52.8 [min: 38, Max: 75]. 54% of patients were male and 46% were female. Mean end systolic volumes of LV was 32.4ml [sd: 37.1] estimated by echocardiography and 68.3ml [sd: 52.2] stimated by radionuclide scan [pv: 0.00]. Mean end diastolic volume of LV was 129.6ml [sd: 45.8] in echocardiography and 143.7ml [sd: 46.23] in radionuclide scanning [pv: 0.00]. Mean ejection fraction value of LV was 54.6 [sd: 12.44] estimated by echocardiography and 54 [sd: 12.94] by radionuclide scan [pv: 0.00]. Left ventricular end systolic and diastolic volumes and ejection fraction, obtained by gated myocardial perfusion scan and echocardiography, had significant statistic correlations and estimation of LV wall motions and ejection fraction by gated SPECT was as echocardiography
ABSTRACT
In Iran dipyridamole is the main agent used for coronary dilatation before myocardial perfusion SPECT. This study tries to evaluate the side effects after dipyridamole infusion and its relation with hemodynamic changes. We studied 300 patients who referred to myocardial perfusion scan. The exclusion criteria were: 1] AV block degree 2 or more, 2] Asthma 3] Sick sinus syndrome 4] LV EF<25%. Dipyridamole infusion was done with a dose of 0.568 mg/kg of body weight for 4 minutes and blood pressure and pulse rate were measured before infusion of dipyridamole and 2 minutes after termination of infusion. Patients were asked for any side effects and any complaints were recorded. Relationship between these side effects and age and sex of patients as well as hemodynamic changes were studied. 148 female and 152 male patients studied with a mean age of 55.9 years [11.1]. After dipyridamole infusion 79.3% of patients had at least one symptom, with headache [50%] and sweating [3%], the most and the least prevalent symptoms respectively. Mean heart rate increment was 8.8 and 9.2 beat per minute in female and male respectively [P=0.59]. Mean systolic blood pressure decrement was 8.5 [8.6] and 9.6 [7.1] mmHg in male and female respectively [P=0.21]. Diastolic pressure decrement was 4.6 [6.7] and 6.8 [6.3] mmHg in male and female respectively [P=0.003]. Headache and flashing were more frequent in female patients [P=0.004]. Other symptoms like dizziness, dyspnea, chest discomfort and abdominal discomfort were not different between female and male patients [P>0.08]. After dipyridamole infusion, nonspecific side effects are frequent. Headache and flashing is more frequent in female patients. Flashing is related to decrement in diastolic blood pressure