Functional Food: Placental Extract / 日本補完代替医療学会誌

Placental extract has been attracting attention as a functional food. In this review, I specifically described the effects of porcine placenta extract on beauty, menopausal symptom, Late-Onset Hypogonadism syndrome (LOH syndrome), shoulder stiffness, knee pain, cognition and osteoporosis. The excellent actions of porcine placental extract are considered to bring light to men as well as middle-aged women.

Observation of the clinical effects on perimenopausal syndrome treated with the transcutaneous electrostimulation at Shuitu (ST 10) and the seed-pressure therapy at the auricular points / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the differences in the clinical therapeutic effects on perimenopausal syndrome (PMS) between the combined treatment with the transcutaneous electrostimulation at Shuitu (ST 10) and the seed-pressure therapy at the auricular points and the hormone replacement therapy.@*METHODS@#A total of 64 PMS patients were divided into an observation group (30 cases) and a control group (34 cases) according to patient's willingness. In the observation group, the transcutaneous electrostimulation at Shuitu (ST 10) was combined with the seed-pressure therapy at the auricular points. The stimulation intensity at Shuitu (ST 10) was ranged from 15 to 20 mA, for 20 min in each treatment, twice a week. The 8 treatments made one course and 3 courses were required. Additionally, the seed-pressure therapy was used at neifenmi (CO), Shenmen (TF), luanchao, zigong, gan (CO), shen (CO), once a week, retained for 5 days. The 4-week treatment was as one course and a total of 3 courses were required. In the control group, the hormone replacement therapy was applied. On Day 5 of menstruation, progynova was prescribed for oral administration, 1 mg, once a day, continuously for 21 days. On Day 12 in the oral administration of progynova, dydrogesterone was used, 20 mg, once every day, continuously for 10 days. Totally, 3 courses were required. Separately, before treatment and in 1 and 3 months after treatment, Kuppermann score, the sexual hormone levels [follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol (E)] and the adverse reactions were observed in the patients of the two groups.@*RESULTS@#In 1 and 3 months after treatment, Kuppermann scores were reduced significantly as compared with those before treatment in the two groups (all 0.05). In the control group, the incidences of the adverse reactions such as vaginal bleeding, bread distending pain and endometrial thickening were higher than those in the observation group [17.6% (6/34) vs 0% (0/30), 20.6% (7/34) vs 3.3% (1/30), 8.8% (3/34) vs 0% (0/30), all <0.05].@*CONCLUSION@#The combined treatment with the transcutaneous electrostimulation at Shuitu (ST 10) and the seed-pressure therapy at the auricular points achieves the similar therapeutic effects on PMS as compared with the hormone replacement therapy. This combined therapy effectively relieves the clinical symptoms and improves the sexual hormone levels. The adverse reactions and the complications are less obviously as compared with the hormone replacement therapy.

Awareness and Experience of Menopausal Symptom and Hormone Therapy in Korean Postmenopausal Women

OBJECTIVES: To investigate awareness and experience of menopausal symptom and hormone therapy in Korean postmenopausal women. METHODS: A total of 570 postmenopausal women were accepted our survey. The women filled out the questionnaires composed of medical and surgical history, menopausal age and symptom, demand of treatment on menopausal symptom, and personal method for overcoming the symptom. Also, we make inquiries about experience of hormone therapy, concern about hormone therapy, improvement of menopausal symptom after therapy, adverse effect, and cause of cease the therapy. RESULTS: According to the survey, 80% (456/570) of the women experienced menopausal symptom. When they felt the symptom at first, 47% (213/570) of women was 46-50 years old. The most common menopausal symptom was hot flushes (141/570). A number of Korean women regarded that menopause was a natural process of ageing (69%). Eighty two % of women thought to need to have treatment on menopausal symptom. However, only half (43%) visited doctor. The most concerned disease after menopause they had answered was osteoporosis (60%) but only 22% of women were taken regular check-up of bone mineral density. The common causes were unwilling to do treatment were concern about adverse effect (51%) and indefinite fear of cancer (32%). Moreover, many women got diverse information about menopause from the mass media than professional advice. CONCLUSION: Only a minority of Korean postmenopausal women with menopausal symptoms had taken a hormone therapy. We should provide appropriate education and counsel to Korean peri-menopause women.

The Effects of Meridian Massage on Menopausal Symptoms and Shin-Hur in Middle-aged Menopausal Women / 간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of meridian massage on menopausal symptoms and Shin-Hur in middle-aged menopausal women. METHOD: The research design was a nonequivalent control group pre-post experimental design. The subjects of the study were middle-aged women who had had no menstruation in the last 12 months after the last menstrual bleeding. Cards of invitation on bulletin boards of several apartments were placed to recruit the subjects. The cards of invitation included: purpose of the study, eligibility criteria, method and period. Eighteen women in the experimental group and 16 women in the control group were conveniently assigned, respectively. The experimental group received 20 min meridian massage 3 times per week for 4 weeks. The menopausal symptoms and Shin-hur were measured and compared between the two groups before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed with the SPSS program by Fisher's exact test, Wilcoxon Sign Rank test, Mann Whitney U-test and Spearman's rank correlation. RESULT: The experimental group showed a significant decrease of menopausal symptoms (U=77.00, p=.020) and Shin-Hur (U=76.00, p=.017). There was a significantly positive correlation between menopausal symptoms and Shin-Hur (r=.497, p=.003). CONCLUSION: Meridian massage was effective in improving menopausal symptoms and Shin-Hur in middle-aged menopausal women. Thus it can be useful as a nursing intervention for menopausal women.

Effects of Koryo Hand Therapy on Menopausal Symptoms and Blood Lipid Levels in Middle-aged Women / 여성건강간호학회지

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Koryo Hand Therapy(KHT) on menopausal symptoms and lipid levels in middle-aged women. METHODS: The design of this study was a nonequivalent control-group pretest-posttest design. There were 32 subjects, 40-60 years of age, and assigned to two group. There were 16 members in the experimental group and 16 members in the control group. KHT was applied three times a week, for a total of 8weeks to the experimental group. The instruments used in this study to measure the effects of KHT were the menopausal symptoms scale and clinical laboratory testing(Blood Lipid Levels). Data was analyzed by Fisher's Exact Test, Mann-Whitney U-test, and ANCOVA, using SPSS/Win PC 13.0. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant decrease in the menopausal symptoms, and levels of the total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in the experimental group compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: KHT was effective in decreasing menopausal symptoms in middle-aged women. Therefore KHT is recommended as a nursing intervention strategy for middle-aged women.

Correlational Study on Health Behaviors, Menopausal Symptoms and Sexual Satisfaction in Korean Middle-aged Women / 성인간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identity the relationships among self reported health behaviors, menopausal symptoms, and sexual satisfaction in middle-aged women. METHOD: The subjects of this study were 155 women from 40 to 60 years. The data was analyzed using SPSS program for frequency, percentage, mean, t-test, ANOVA, Duncan and Pearson's correlation coefficients. RESULTS: 1. The mean score of health behaviors was 3.10 out of maximum 4. 2. The mean score of self-reported menopausal symptoms was 1.73 out of maximum 2. 3. The mean score of sexual satisfaction was 2.73 out of maximum 4. 4. Women's degree of menopausal symptoms had negative correlations with the degree of health behaviors(r=-0.437, p<.001) and the degree of sexual satisfaction(r=-0.439, p<.001). The degree of health behaviors had a positive correlation with the degree of sexual satisfaction (r=0.470, p<.001). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, menopausal symptoms-based complaints by middle-aged women were negatively correlated to health behavior and sexual satisfaction. Therefore, health behavior should be considered when developing nursing strategies for middle- aged women, especially when dealing with menopausal symptoms and sexual satisfaction.

A Comparative Study on Complaints of Menopausal Symptom of Nuns and Married Women / 간호학회지

The Purpose of this study is to extend the understanding and knowledge of menopause by comparing menopausal symptoms of married women and nuns in order to improve health and the quality of life for women. In this study a questionnaires were distributed to 116 nuns and 121 married women, from forty to fifty nine years old in Daegu metropolitan city. This study used the measurement of menopausal symptoms (Cronbach's Alpha=0.96) corrected and complemented by this student with consideration of various literature centered around menopausal symptoms, suggested by Janette M. Perz as 51 questions including 4 realms; [mental psychological factors], [physical physiological factors], [eyesight factors], and [urinary generative factors] in order to measure the degree of menopausal symptoms. The results are as follows : 1. There was a significant difference between educational background, religion, occupation, leisure time, satisfaction of marriage or ascetic life, existence of hormonal treatment, name of medical operation, and existence of counselling about menstruation as general and physiological characteristics of the nuns' group and the married women's group. 2. The menopausal symptoms of the nuns' group and the married women's group according to order in which they were presented were; 'feeling tired and lacking in energy(1.71 points)' 'vision not clear or clouded(1.69 points)', and 'be forgetful (1.57 points)' in nuns' group. 'be forgetful (1.87 points)', 'vision not clear or clouded(1.83 points)' and 'feeling tired and lacking in energy(1.76 points)' in the married women's group. The symptoms which showed the highest rank of menopausal symptoms had a maximum score of 4 points. 3. There was a statistical a significance (t=-3.9807, p<.0001) between the two groups which showed, on an average, 57.92 points in the married women's group and 43.03 points in the nuns' group from 0 to 196 of the possible points of menopausal symptoms. In difference of menopausal symptoms by menstrual aspect of the nuns' group and the married women's group, there was statistically significant difference between the two groups, showing 44.81+/- 26.07 score in the nuns' group and 72.33+/-35.29 score in the married women's group as the mean score of the groups with no menstruation(t=-4.1132, p=0.0001). 4. The differences in menopausal symptoms with respect to the general and physiological characteristics of the nuns' group and the married women's group were that the nuns' group showed less menopausal symptoms on all the items than that of the married women's group. Finally, in these results, the married women's group showed higher menopausal symptoms than that of the nuns' group. Especially as the score of menopausal symptoms since the climacteric was very high it is confirmed to be a new phenomenon. Accordingly, it is considered to be necessary to carry out an indepth study of the factors related to establishing a strategy for nursing service.

A Study on Dietary Isoflavone Intake from Soy Food and Urinary Isoflavone Excretion and, Menopausal Symptoms in Korean Women in Rural Areas / 대한지역사회영양학회지

Very little is known about the relation between isoflavone intake and menopausal symptoms in Korean woman To find the effects and correlations between these factors, questionnaires(maternal factors, menopausal symptoms) anthropometric measurement, 24hr dietary recalls, and urinary isoflavones analysis were conducted in 100 postmenopausal women residing in the Kyunggi-do rural area. The average age hight and weight of the subject were 61.5 years, 153.6 cm and 56.2kg. The average age at menarche, menopause, and menstrual cycle were 16.7 years, 47.2 years, 29.8 years, respectively. Most of the postmenopausal women experienced mildly menopausal symptoms. The mean calorie, protein and calcium intake were 1417.6 kcal(74.7% of the Korean RDA) 53.2 g(88.6% of the Korean RDA) and 454.0mg(65.6% of the Korean RDA) respectively. The ration of energy from carbohydrate, protein, and fat was 68: 15: 17 The average isoflavone intake from soy foods was 27.27 mg. The major food source of the isoflavone were soybeans and soybean curd. The average urinary isoflavone excretion was 2. 78nmol/mg Cr and showed significant positive correlation with isoflavone intake. Isoflavone intake from soy foods had a negative correlation with the severity of menopausal symptoms. Therefore, soy foods which contain isoflavone may have a protective effect on menopausal symptoms of women in Korea.

Menopause-Related Attitude and Symptoms in Middle-Aged Women / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: Menopause is a life period that involves various somatic and psychological symptoms. Attitudes toward menopause have been influenced by both time and culture, and play a crucial role in experiencing this period. The purpose of this study was to investigate Korean middle-aged women's attitudes toward menopause and to investigate correlations between attitudes toward menopause and menopausal symptoms. METHODS: Thirty-one gynecological patients, 35 psychiatric patients, and 42 normal controls who were middle aged women(40-59 years old) were selected. The attitudes toward menopause was examined. According to menstrual status, premenopause, perimenopause and postmenopause groups were separated and examined. Then, correlations between sociode-mographic factors and attitudes toward menopause, correlations between attitudes toward menopause and 34 menopausal symptoms, and correlations between sociodemographic factors and menopausal symptoms were examined. RESULTS: 1) Overall attitudes toward menopause was neutral. According to treatment group, normal controls showed more positive attitude than gynecological group and showed no significant differences in negative and neutral attitudes. According to menstrual status, there were no significant differences across premenopause, perimenopause, and postmenopause groups. 2) There was positive correlation between pregnancy number and negative attitude. 3) Both gynecological and psychiatric groups showed more menopausal symptoms than normal controls. Psychiatric group showed significantly more symptoms than normal control in all menopausal symptoms. Psychiatric group showed significantly higher score than gynecological group in anxiety, depressive, sleep, and sexual symptoms. Gynecological group revealed significantly more vasomotor symptoms than normal controls. According to menstrual status, postmenopausal group showed significantly more sexual symptom than premenopause group. 4) Education level had negative correlations with somatic symptoms, anxiety, and sleep problems, and showed positive correlations with depression, vasomotor, and psychological symptoms. There was a positive correlation between self-assessment of health status and all of menopausal symptoms. 5) Negative attitudes toward menopause had positive correlations with somatic, anxiety, depressive, and vasomotor symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the method to correct women's negative attitudes toward menopause will be helpful to overcome menopause and to improve menopausal symptoms.