Menopausal symptoms and the awareness of menopausal-related information in low-income mid-aged women from Guayaquil, Ecuador.

OBJECTIVE: To assess menopausal symptoms and determine awareness of menopausal related information in mid-aged women. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study in which 140 women aged 40 to 60 years from Guayaquil, Ecuador were surveyed with the short 10-item Cervantes Scale (CS-10) and a questionnaire containing personal data and questions assessing awareness of menopause related information. RESULTS: The mean age of the sample was 48.0 ± 5.6 years. More than half of surveyed women had low education and non-urban residency, none were on menopausal hormone therapy, 33.6% had hypertension, 35% were postmenopausal, 78.6% had an increased body mass index (overweight/obese) and 92.9% had abdominal obesity (waist > 88 cm). The average CS-10 score was 15.3 ± 9.0 with a median of 14.0. The three most frequent menopausal symptoms were muscle-joint pain (75.0%), changes in skin texture (74.3%) and vaginal dryness (71.4%). Regarding awareness of information related to the menopause, it was found that 98.6% of women had no idea about what the menopause is and the average age of its onset. Interestingly, although 61.4% knew that during the menopause there is weight gain, 57.9% were sedentary. Married, postmenopausal, older and less educated women presented higher mean total CS-10 scores. Contrarily, those with less awareness of menopause related information present lower scores. CONCLUSION: In this low-income mid-aged female sample there was a high rate of non-awareness regarding information related to the menopause, including an unhealthy cardiometabolic profile. There is a need for educational programs aimed to increase awareness in this high-risk population in relation to the surveyed aspects in order to improve their health status and prevent chronic conditions.

Prevalence of menopausal symptoms and severity related factors among mid-aged Paraguayan women as measured with the 10-item Cervantes Scale.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of menopausal symptoms and factors related to severity in mid-aged women.Methods: Cross-sectional study in which 216 urban-living women from Asunción-Paraguay (40-60 years) were surveyed with the 10 item Cervantes Scale (CS-10) and a general questionnaire (personal and partner data).Results: Median (interquartile range [IQR]) age of the sample was 48 [9] years, 48.1% were postmenopausal, 8.8% used menopausal hormone therapy, 39.4% psychotropic drugs, 43.5% had hypertension, 6.5% diabetes, 51.9% abdominal obesity, and 89.3% had a partner (n = 193). A history of sexual abuse was present in 2.8%. Median total CS-10 score was 8.5 [9.75]. Overall, 93.3% (180/193) of women having a partner were sexually active, with a median coital frequency of 8 times per month. According to the CS-10, the three most prevalent menopausal symptoms were: aching in muscles and/or joints (70.8%), anxiety and nervousness (70.8%) and hot flashes/night sweats (54.2%). Factors associated with higher CS-10 scores were: female age and educational level, marital status, menopausal status, and marital sexual aspects. Partner educational level was inversely correlated (rho Spearman coefficient) with CS-10 total scores. However, multiple linear regression analysis found that higher total CS-10 scores (more severe menopausal symptoms) negatively correlated to coital frequency and positively correlated with peri- and postmenopausal status, parity, sedentary lifestyle and a history of sexual abuse.Conclusion: Menopausal symptoms in this mid-aged urban female Paraguayan sample were related to hormonal, sexual and other female aspects.

Shaking palsy and other neurologic illness in The Quixote / La perlesía y otras patologías neurológicas en El Quijote de Cervantes

Abstract Miguel de Cervantes had seasoned knowledge of medical care in his time. Here we provide evidence of his having read medical texts from his personal library and of his relationships with relatives and friends who were physicians. As an example of his knowledge, we analyze the references to palsy and other neurological diseases like epilepsy, tremors and head trauma, which are mentioned or described in his great literary masterpiece titled The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote. (Acta Med Colomb 2022; 48. DOI:https://doi.org/10.36104/amc.2023.2830).

Resumen Miguel de Cervantes tuvo un conocimiento avezado de la medicina de su época. Acá se demuestra la evidencia de sus lecturas de libros de medicina que poseyó en su biblioteca personal y de sus relaciones con familiares y amigos médicos. Se analiza como ejemplo de su saber las referencias a la perlesía y otras patologías neurológicas como la epilepsia, los temblores y los traumas craneanos, que son mencionadas o descritas en su gran obra maestra titulada El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote. (Acta Med Colomb 2022; 48. DOI:https://doi.org/10.36104/amc.2023.2830).

[Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Alonso Quijano, Don Quijote de la Mancha y la medicina]. / Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Alonso Quijano, Don Quixote de la Mancha and medicine.

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra fue hijo de un cirujano itinerante. Escribió una de las obras maestras de la literatura universal, El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha, considerada la primera novela moderna y solo la Biblia la rivaliza por el número de traducciones a diferentes lenguas e idiomas. La lectura del Quijote por un médico le hace dar un viraje a nuestra profesión. En sus páginas se tratan diversos y variados aspectos médicos, que van desde la descripción de diferentes enfermedades, tratamientos y heridas de batalla, al perfil psicológico de sus personajes. La capacidad de Cervantes para la descripción de hechos médicos y enfermedades es notoria, derivada de la osbservación de la actividad de su padre y de la lectura de libros de medicina. Don Quijote representa un mundo idealizado, ficticio y con claro comportamiento psicótico. A pesar de haber sido escrito hace cuatro siglos, El Quijote está lleno de referencias a diferentes especialidades de la medicina cuyo contenido sigue siendo de interés. El objetivo de este trabajo es describir brevemente el entorno médico que vivió Cervantes y su impacto en El Quijote.Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was the son of an itinerant surgeon. He wrote a masterpiece of the world literature, El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha. It is rivalled only by the Bible for the number of languages into which it has been translated. This masterpiece of the world literature is considered to be the first modern novel. For the physician, a reading of the Quijote is likely to veer in a medical direction. Various medical matters arise in the course of the novel, ranging from medical illness, treatments and battle wounds to the psychological profile of their characters. Cervantes´s excellent nosological ability is evident when he describes symptoms and signs of illness, derived from being a witness to his father´s medical practice and reading medical books. Don Quixote representing an idealized and fictional world with clear psychotic features. Although Cervantes wrote it four centuries ago, Don Quixote contains plenty of references to different specialities of medicine, and many of the ideas and concepts reflected in it are still of interest. The aim of this paper is to describe briefly the medical environment that surrounded Cervantes and its impact on the Quixote.

[Effect of weight in scales to determine the quality of life in postmenopause]. / Efecto del peso en las escalas para determinar calidad de vida en la posmenopausia.

INTRODUCTION: Several scales are available to measure quality of life (QoL) in climacteric women (Cervantes scale [CS], Kupperman Index [KI] and SUMEVA scale). The aim is to determine the correlation between modified KI (mKI), KI and SUMEVA scale, as well as its behavior according to corporal weight. METHODS: 29 postmenopausal women were studied. To all of them the modified KI, the QoLCS and the SUMEVA scales were applied. Afterwards the group was divided according to body mass index (BMI). Group 1, BMI = 27 and Group 2 BMI > 27. For the comparison between the groups Student's t test for independent samples was used. Pearson's correlation analysis was applied in the whole group in each separated group divided according to BMI. RESULTS: 29 patients aged 49.9 ± 6.2 years were studied. The score obtained with the different scales was: for the mKI: 24.5 ± 11.7, SUMEVA: 65.0 ± 48.4, and QoLCS: 67.2 ± 30.6. There was a correlation between mKI and QoLCS (0.681, p < 0.001), between mKI and SUMEVA (0.860, p < 0.001) and between SUMEVA and QoLCS (0.770, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: SUMEVA scale is a confident scale to evaluate QoL in postmenopausal women.

Introducción: existen diversas escalas para medir el grado de afectación de la calidad de vida en la mujer climatérica (la escala Cervantes [EC], el índice de Kupperman [IK] y la escala SUMEVA). El objetivo es determinar el grado de correlación entre el IK modificado, la EC de calidad de vida y la escala SUMEVA, así como su comportamiento según el peso corporal. Métodos: se estudiaron 29 pacientes posmenopáusicas. Se les aplicó el IK modificado, la EC de calidad de vida y la escala SUMEVA. Se compararon las distintas escalas con la prueba de correlación de Pearson. Luego el grupo se dividió en dos según el índice de masa corporal (IMC): grupo 1: IMC = 27 y grupo 2: IMC > 27. Para comparar los grupos se utilizó t de Student para muestras independientes. Se hizo análisis de correlación de Pearson en el grupo completo y en cada grupo por separado. Resultados: se estudiaron 29 pacientes cuya edad fue 49.9 ± 6.2 años. La puntuación de las distintas escalas fue: IK modificado no ponderado: 24.5 ± 11.7, SUMEVA: 65.0 ± 48.4 y EC de calidad de vida: 67.2 ± 30.6. Hubo correlación entre el IK modificado y la EC 0.681 (p < 0.001), entre el IK y el SUMEVA 0.860, (p < 0.001) y entre el SUMEVA y la escala Cervantes 0.770 (p < 0.001). Conclusión: la escala SUMEVA es un instrumento confiable para evaluar calidad de vida en la mujer posmenopáusica.

Application of the 10-item Cervantes Scale among mid-aged Ecuadorian women for the assessment of menopausal symptoms.

BACKGROUND: The majority of instruments used to evaluate menopausal symptoms are long and complex. In this sense, more simple tests are being designed to rapidly obtain a snapshot of the global clinical picture. OBJECTIVE: To assess menopausal symptoms in mid-aged women using the short 10 item version of the original menopause Cervantes Scale (CS-10). METHOD: This was a cross sectional study in which a total of 451 Ecuadorian women (40-59 years) were surveyed with the CS-10 and a general socio-demographic questionnaire containing personal and partner data. RESULTS: Median age of the whole sample was 48 years. A 41.2% were postmenopausal, 44.3% abdominally obese (waist circumference >88cm), 6% diabetic, 16.9% hypertense, 11.5% smoked, 6.9% currently used hormone therapy, 9.5% phytoestrogens and 6.7% psychotropic drugs. For the entire sample, median [interquartile range] CS-10 global scores were 10.0 [9.5], and for pre-, peri- and postmenopausal women: 5.0 [7.0], 11.0 [9.0] and 13.5 [8.0], respectively. The CS-10 displayed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.87). According to the CS-10, the three most prevalent menopausal symptoms were: muscle and joint pains (88.5%), hot flushes (77.6%) and skin dryness (71.4%). Multiple linear regression analysis found that postmenopausal status, parity, unhealthy perceived status, psychotropic drug use, partner erectile dysfunction, lower coital frequency and living at high altitude were related to higher CS-10 global scores. CONCLUSION: In this mid-aged Ecuadorian female sample severity of menopausal symptoms, as determined by the CS-10, were related to environmental and female/partner personal and socio-demographical aspects.

Assessment of menopause-related symptoms in mid-aged women with the 10-item Cervantes Scale.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a short 10 item version of the original menopause Cervantes Scale (CS) in order to assess menopausal symptoms in a large cohort of mid-aged Colombian women. METHODS: Reliability of the new short tool was assessed through internal consistency determination (Cronbach's alpha values) and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) analysis. Ten items out of the 31 composing the original CS were selected according to their clinical relation with menopausal symptoms. Subsequently the short tool was used to assess menopausal symptoms and related factors among 1739 mid-aged women. RESULTS: The CS-10 displayed a mean (±SD) ICC value of 0.45 (±0.06) and a Cronbach's alpha of 0.778 suggesting good internal reliability. For the entire sample median [interquartile range] CS-10 global scores were 10.0 [12.0], and for pre-, peri- and postmenopausal women: 8.0 [9.2], 9.0 [9.0] and 14.0 [14.0], respectively. Median global CS-10 scores significantly increased with menopausal status, marital status and ethnicity. Multiple linear regression analysis determined that higher global CS-10 scores (worse quality of life) correlated with age, parity, years since menopause, body mass index, ethnics (black) and smoking habit. CONCLUSION: The CS-10 seems to be a simple instrument that may aid everyday clinical consultation and help at performing an accurate diagnosis of menopause-related symptoms. Further studies are needed to confirm our preliminary findings.