ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the most used methods for assessing genitourinary syndrome of menopause by the latest studies on the subject, and to critically assess their differences and comparability. METHODS: A narrative review of the literature was conducted, employing the terms genitourinary syndrome, vaginal atrophy, urogenital atrophy, and atrophic vaginitis, to analyze methods used to assess treatment efficacy. Only controlled randomized clinical trials assessing improvement of genitourinary syndrome of menopause, conducted in the last 5 years, and considering all types of treatment, were selected. RESULTS: Of the 37 studies included, 24 combined both objective and subjective methods thereby ensuring reproducibility and efficacy of symptom relief of the treatment analyzed. The vaginal maturation index was the most used objective method, followed by vaginal pH. One study used histological and immunohistochemistry tests. Regarding subjective methods, the "Most bothering Symptom" and other questionnaires as the Female Sexual Function Index for sex life, the Verbal Rating Scale, among others, were used. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the heterogeneity observed, particularly for subjective assessment of symptoms, there was a tendency to standardize methods and to use an objective method together with a subjective, which seems to be fundamental to guarantee reproducibility and comparability of results of each treatment analyzed. Histological and immunohistochemistry tests may be an option as an objective method in further studies, to better assess thickness, vascularization, among other parameters.
Subject(s)
Atrophy/physiopathology , Female Urogenital Diseases/physiopathology , Menopause , Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological/etiology , Vaginal Diseases/physiopathology , Atrophy/drug therapy , Atrophy/etiology , Female , Female Urogenital Diseases/complications , Female Urogenital Diseases/drug therapy , Humans , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic , Research Design , Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological/complications , Syndrome , Vaginal Diseases/complications , Vaginal Diseases/drug therapy , Women's HealthABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To compare the body composition among patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and patients without PCOS. METHODS: A cross-sectional study enrolled patients aged 12-39 years, with body mass index (BMI, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) at least 18.5 but below 25, who attended the Endocrine Gynecology Clinic of Santa Casa de Sao Paulo School of Medical Sciences, Brazil, between January 1, 2014, and July 31, 2015. Anthropometric measurements, metabolic and androgenic profiles, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements were compared between patients with PCOS and those without PCOS. RESULTS: In total, 102 eligible patients attended the study clinical during the study period; 43 were excluded owing to not meeting the inclusion criteria or declining to undergo complete study testing, and 15 withdrew from the study. Of the 44 participants, 28 had PCOS and 16 were included in the control group. Serum 17-hydroxyprogesterone concentration (P=0.046), leg-fat (P=0.031), and truncal-fat (P=0.001) were all higher among patients with PCOS. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated increased truncal and leg fat among women with PCOS. The study did not detect any difference in insulin parameters but larger studies could be more suitably powered to investigate this. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT02467751.
