North American Menopause Society

The following provides a brief description of the articles published in Menopause, the official peerreviewed
journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). Studies published in Menopause
do not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of NAMS.
Journalists may obtain PDFs of the articles or arrange interviews with authors by contacting Judy Cerne at
McKinney Advertising (jcerne@mckinneyad.com).
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Contents of the July-August 2007 Issue of Menopause: The
Journal of The North American Menopause Society
VOLUME 14, NUMBER 4, 2007
Editorials
Perspective on menopausal vasomotor symptoms, CAM, and the SWAN
JoAnn V. Pinkerton, MD and Lisa M. Pastore, PhD
Isoflavones and cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women: no free lunch
Cynthia A. Stuenkel, MD
Endogenous androgens and cardiovascular risk
Robert A. Wild, MD, PhD, MPH
Directly comparing routes of administration and types of hormone therapy on risk markers for
breast cancer
James K. Pru, PhD
Articles
Cross-sectional analysis of specific complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by
racial/ethnic group and menopausal status: the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation
(SWAN)
Ellen B. Gold, PhD, Yali Bair, PhD, Guili Zhang, PhD, Jessica Utts, PhD, Gail A. Greendale, MD, Dawn
Upchurch, PhD, Laura Chyu, MA, Barbara Sternfeld, PhD, and Shelley Adler, PhD
Data were analyzed from 2,118 women who completed the sixth annual visit in the Study of Women’s
Health Across the Nation (SWAN), a multisite, multiethnic, longitudinal study of midlife women. More
than half of the women used some type of complementary and alternative medicine; use of most types of
complementary and alternative medicine differed significantly by race/ethnicity, sociodemographic
factors, comorbidities, and health behaviors but was largely unrelated to menopausal status or symptom
reporting.
Effect of 6 months of exercise and isoflavone supplementation on clinical cardiovascular risk factors
in obese postmenopausal women: a randomized, double-blind study
Mylene Aubertin-Leheudre, MSc, Christine Lord, MSc, Abdelouahed Khalil, PhD, and Isabelle J.
Dionne, PhD
It is unknown whether isoflavones combined with an aerobic program could prevent cardiovascular
disease risks. This study demonstrated that 6 months of exercise combined with isoflavones improved
body composition and sex hormone-binding globulin levels to a greater extent than exercise alone.
Endogenous androgen levels and cardiovascular risk profile in women across the adult life span
Robin J. Bell, MD, PhD, Sonia L. Davison, MD, PhD, Mary-Anne Papalia, MD, Dean P. McKenzie, BA
(Hons), and Susan R. Davis, MD, PhD
In a cross-sectional study of non-healthcare-seeking adult women we found that sex-hormone-binding
globulin (SHBG) made an independent contribution to variations in serum levels of C-reactive protein,
high-density lipoprotein and triglycerides, providing support for the independent predictive value of low
SHBG for cardiovascular risk profile.
Effects of estradiol with oral or intravaginal progesterone on risk markers for breast cancer in a
postmenopausal monkey model
Charles E. Wood, DVM, PhD, Regine L. Sitruk-Ware, MD, Yun-Yen Tsong, PhD, Thomas C. Register,
PhD, Cynthia J. Lees, DVM, PhD, and J. Mark Cline, DVM, PhD
Micronized progesterone delivered by vaginal ring is readily absorbed into the systemic circulation and
produces more stable serum concentrations than oral administration. However, no significant differences
were found between standard doses of oral and intravaginal progesterone (P4) on breast epithelial
proliferation. These findings do not support the idea that intravaginal P4 has an inherently safer risk
profile than oral P4 in the postmenopausal breast.
Effects of the phytoestrogen genistein on hot flushes, endometrium, and vaginal epithelium in
postmenopausal women: a 1-year randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
Rosario D’Anna, MD, Maria Letizia Cannata, MD, Marco Atteritano, MD, Francesco Cancellieri, MD,
Francesco Corrado, MD, Giovanni Baviera, PhD, Onofrio Triolo, MD, Francesco Antico, MD, Agostino
Gaudio, MD, Nicola Frisina, MD, Alessandra Bitto, MD, Francesca Polito, PhD, Letteria Minutoli, MD,
Domenica Altavilla, PhD, Herbert Marini, MD, and Francesco Squadrito, MD
In a 12-month, prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the phytoestrogen
genistein has been shown to be effective on vasomotor symptoms without adverse effects on
endometrium.
Raloxifene improves the ovariectomy-induced impairment in endothelium-dependent vasodilation
Kazuhiro Takahashi, MD, PhD, Akiko Mori-Abe, MD, PhD, Keiko Takata, MD, Tsuyoshi Ohta, MD, Jun
Kawagoe, MD, PhD, Seiji Tsutsumi, MD, PhD, Masahide Ohmichi, MD, PhD, and Hirohisa Kurachi,
MD, PhD
Raloxifene rapidly restored the flow-mediated dilatation which was impaired after surgical menopause.
Raloxifene may be effective for ameliorating and maintaining the endothelial function in premenopausal
women who undergo ovariectomy.
Articles from the Workshop on “Cross-cultural Comparisons of Midlife and Aging”
Cross-cultural comparisons: midlife, aging, and menopause
Carla Makhlouf Obermeyer, PhD and Lynnette Leidy Sievert, PhD
This summary introduces 15 papers that examine menopause, midlife, and aging from a cross-cultural
perspective, reviews the comparative method, differentiates between etic and emic data, and questions
whether there are core menopausal symptoms across research sites.
Potential use of biomarkers for analyzing interpopulation and cross-cultural variability in
reproductive aging
Gillian R. Bentley, PhD and Shanthi Muttukrishna, PhD
This article summarizes the significant variability that exists between women and populations in many
physiological aspects of reproductive aging. It also reviews a number of biomarkers that are useful for
measuring reproductive aging as well as problems associated with their use.
Conducting cross-cultural research in teams and the search for the “culture-proof” variable
Patricia Draper, PhD
This article addresses the problems researchers face when they must render information collected in
different cultural settings into coding categories that encompass all the settings.
A symptomatic approach to understanding women’s health experiences: a cross-cultural
comparison of women aged 20 to 70 years
Lorraine Dennerstein, AO, DPM, PhD, MBBS, FRANZCP, Philippe Lehert, DrEg, PhD, Patricia E.
Koochaki, PhD, BA, Alessandra Graziottin, MD, Sandra Leiblum, PhD, and Jeanne Leventhal Alexander,
MD, FABPN, FRCPC, FAPA, FACPsych
Seven symptoms were linked to indicators of ovarian hormonal depletion: hot flashes; night sweats; poor
memory; difficulty sleeping; aches in the neck, head, or shoulders; vaginal dryness; and difficulty with
sexual arousal.
Cross-cultural comparisons of health-related quality of life in Australian and Japanese midlife
women: the Australian and Japanese Midlife Women’s Health Study
Debra J. Anderson, PhD and Toyoko Yoshizawa, PhD
Research suggests that there are significant differences between Australian and Japanese midlife women
in health-related quality of life and some of the factors that contribute to these areas. It is important that
consideration be given to incorporating the same tool within the cross-cultural design of studies so that
comparisons between cultures and patterns of healthy aging can be made.
Disentangling cultural issues in quality of life data
Nancy E. Avis, PhD and Alicia Colvin, MPH
This article examines the impact of acculturation, as defined by language use, in explaining ethnic
differences in reporting health-related quality of life.
Are the effects of risk factors for timing of menopause modified by age? Results from a British
birth cohort study
Gita Mishra, PhD, Rebecca Hardy, PhD, and Diana Kuh, PhD
This study finds that the early life factors of being breast-fed and having higher cognitive ability
independently influence age at menopause, whereas the effects of weight at 2 years, parental divorce
during childhood, and mother’s age at menopause varied according to the women’s age at menopause.
The roles of biologic and nonbiologic factors in cultural differences in vasomotor symptoms
measured by surveys
Sybil L. Crawford, PhD
Cultural differences in vasomotor symptom reporting on surveys reflect both differences in the underlying
biology, which are likely to influence vasomotor symptom occurrence, and differences in nonbiologic
sociocultural factors such as attitudes toward menopause, which are likely to be related to vasomotor
symptom perception and reporting. Consequently, it is important to consider interactions of culture and
biology in studies of vasomotor symptoms.
“I take the good with the bad, and I moisturize”: defying middle age in the new millennium
Yewoubdar Beyene, PhD, Catherine Gilliss, DNSc, and Kathryn Lee, PhD
This qualitative study reports on how a premenopausal cohort of women in their forties understand
“middle age.” Menopause is understood as a natural event that is out of women’s control, whereas their
health and appearance were deemed something they can and should control.
Variation in sweating patterns: implications for studies of hot flashes through skin conductance
Lynnette Leidy Sievert, PhD
Women in Puebla, Mexico demonstrated a higher rate of concordance between subjective and objective
(sternal) measures of hot flashes and a significantly lower mean score for false negative measures
compared to women in Amherst, Massachusetts. Although women in Mexico were more likely to
describe hot flashes on the back of their neck, the addition of nuchal monitoring did not increase the rate
of concordance between subjective and objective measures within the Mexican sample.
Chilliness: a vasomotor symptom in Japan
Melissa K. Melby, PhD, CPGS, MPhil, MA
The symptom hiesho (chilliness) seems to be a more important vasomotor symptom than hot flushes and
sweats in Japanese women and may reflect differing thermoregulatory physiology, possibly influenced by
dietary soy.
Women’s midlife health across cultures: DAMES comparative analysis
Michelle A. Parsons, SM and Carla Makhlouf Obermeyer, DSc
This article explores self-reported health of middle-aged women in Lebanon, Morocco, Spain, and the
United States using the Decisions At Menopause Comparative Study (DAMES) data. Quantitative and
qualitative data illustrate that menopausal symptoms may in many cases be overshadowed by other
concerns, such as family and work responsibilities.
An application of the theory of life’s lesions to the study of the menopausal transition
Kaja Finkler, PhD
This article illuminates the experiential, existential and contextual sources influencing menopausal
manifestations. The concept of life’s lesions is proposed and suggests that women’s experiences of
physiological changes occurring during the menopausal period may be promoted by specific aspects of
their lives, described in the paper, that are embedded in society and culture.
Environmental contexts of menopause in Spain: comparative results from recent research
Cristina Bernis, PhD and David Sven Reher, PhD
The process of reproductive aging for women in the region of Madrid, Spain, living in different
environmental contexts show significant disparities in age at menopause, in the prevalence and type of the
many menopausal symptoms, and in the degree of medicalization of their own change of life. Even when
adjusting for basic confounders, the environmental context significantly influences the pace of aging as
well as the experience of hot flashes. These disparities are best understood as the result of the interaction
among biological, ecological, and behavioral factors influencing women both earlier in life and during the
change of life they are experiencing now.
Symptoms, menopause status, and country differences: a comparative analysis from DAMES
Carla Makhlouf Obermeyer, DSc, David Reher, PhD, and Matilda Saliba, MSc
Surveys on representative samples of women aged 45-55 in Massachusetts, Spain, Lebanon, and
Morocco, show differences in reported symptom frequencies across sites, but also similarities in core
symptoms including hot flashes; the article examines the determinants of these differences and
similarities.
Symptom groupings at midlife: cross-cultural variation and association with job, home, and life
change
Lynnette Leidy Sievert, PhD, Carla Makhlouf Obermeyer, PhD, and Matilda Saliba, MSc
A study of symptom clusters in Morocco, Lebanon, Spain, and the United States demonstrates crosspopulation
variation. Variables that predict symptom groupings (eg, job change, marital status,
menopause status, or level of education) also differed in country-specific ways.

Hormone Therapy Still an Issue for Women

In 2002 the study was released that linked hormone replacement therapy with heart attacks, strokes, and cancer. This a was a huge shock at the time with many women using prescribed hormone therapy from their doctors to treat their symptoms of menopause.

One key factor though in the hormone therapy debate is that all women as they age increase their risk of these diseases.

The debate and new research continues on hormone therapy though there are not hormone therapy options for women who want to stay away from it completely.

Women Speaking Out About Menopause

For years talking about menopause was a taboo topic for normal conversation. Today's climate towards menopause is changing. With more than 40 million women in the menopausal age range, women are finding new ways to confront their challenges.

Now you can find t-shirts that say "I don't have hot flashes, I am on my summer vacation." Media drawing attention to menopause symptoms you would have never seen 20 years ago.

Most people think they are the only one having issues. The more women talk the more they can find that they are not alone and there is support.

Smoking May Cause Early Onset of Menopause

According to Norwegian scientists, daily smoking may cause the start of menopause to happen early. As menopause normally starts around 50 with common symptoms being mood swings, hot flashes, and insomnia.

The research showed that women who smoke are 59% more likely to start menopause before the age of 45. The heavier you smoke is the risks seem to double.

This is just another problem that is now being linked to smoking which is already linked to many cancers including lung cancer.

An Evalution of Andropause and Menopause

These conditions can both be very difficult to go through, and can sometimes make men and women alike feel as if they are going crazy! There are significant differences and similarities with these conditions. In this article, I will provide you with some useful information on Andropause and Menopause, their similarities and differences, symptoms and treatments.

What is Andropause?

Some males will experience Andropause between the ages of 40 and 55. In males at this age, a drop in the amount of testosterone in their bodies occur. The drop is gradual, even spanning decades, and some men may experience the symptoms of Andropause, while others will not. Andropause has been termed 'the female menopause,' although men probably don't want to hear it called that! Until recently, doctors didn't study this condition seriously, telling patients that they were just 'getting older,' and that it was natural to feel depressed or upset about not being as young anymore. Now, doctors and specialists are learning that Andropause is in fact a real condition, and are doing more to help their patient's symptoms.

What is Menopause?

Menopause is signified by the drop in levels of the hormone estrogen. When the levels of estrogen drop, females stop having their monthly menstruation cycles, and are no longer able to have children. Menopause has been treated as a real condition for longer than Andropause, however, not that much longer. Women used to be waved off by doctors, and told the same sorts of things as men were. The reason that Menopause has been taken seriously for a longer period of time, is probably because of the actual physical symptom, the cessation of menstruation.

Similar Symptoms of Menopause and Andropause.

Men and women going through Menopause and Andropause can experience similar symptoms. These include hot flashes, a lower sex drive, emotional and physical changes, gaining of weight, depression, and irritability. They are also both at a higher risk for osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.

Differences in Symptoms of Menopause and Andropause.

While men experience a slow drop in testosterone, the drop in estrogen in women happens rather quickly. The onset of Menopause is quick, and women have a clear marker of the beginning of Menopause. That is the cessation of menstruation. Men don't have a clear marker to show that they are in Andropause.

Treatments.

Some of the treatments are the same, such as hormone replacement therapy. This is a process where doctors replace testosterone levels in men, and estrogen levels in women. There are a variety of different ways to do this, including injections, patches, and supplements. Most doctors will also recommend some type of support system for men and women who are going through Andropause and Menopause. Talking to people who are going through the same thing as you can help, whether you are a man or a woman.

For more information about male menopause and holistic treatment options, please visit http://www.amidrenreview.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Derek_M._Williams

Common Symptoms of Menopause

Many women enter into menopause at different times of their life. Some experience a few of the symptoms while others can have more.

Hot flashes, flushes, night sweats and/or cold flashes, clammy feeling is most likely the most common sensation but, Irregular heart beat, irritability, mood swings, sudden tears, difficulty sleeping, irregular periods; shorter, lighter periods; heavier periods, phantom periods, shorter cycles and longer cycles often occur.

One of the most troubling symptoms is Loss of libido. However it is not limited to a drop in desire but also a dry vagina, crashing fatigue, anxiety, feelings of dread, apprehension, depression, difficulty concentrating, disorientation, mental confusion, memory lapses, incontinence upon sneezing, or laughing.

Women have also report having Itchy, crawly skin aching, sore joints, muscles, breast tenderness, headaches, gastrointestinal distress, indigestion, flatulence, nausea, bloating, increase in allergies weight gain, hair loss, but with an increase in facial hair. Many have experienced dizziness, light-headedness, tingling in the extremities, gum problems, increased bleeding, burning tongue, burning roof of mouth, bad taste in mouth, change in breath odor.

One of the biggest problems of menopause is Osteoporosis (porous bones).

A select few have noticed changes in fingernails: softer, crack or break easier. Tinnitus: ringing in ears, 'whooshing,' buzzing etc. Reason For Symptoms

Hot flashes are due to the hypothalamic response to declining ovarian estrogen production. The declining estrogen state induces hypophysiotropic neurons in the arcuate nucleas of the hypothalamus to release gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in a pulsatile fashion, which in turn stimulates release of luteinizing hormone (LH). Extremely high pulses of LH occur during the period of declining estrogen production. The LH has vasodilatory effects, which leads to flushing. Loss of libido for some women the loss is so great that they actually find sex repulsive, in much the same way as they felt before puberty. What hormones give, loss of hormones can take away. Aching sore joints may include such problems as carpal tunnel syndrome. Depression different from other depression, the inability to cope is overwhelming. There is a feeling of loss of self. Hormone therapy ameliorates the depression dramatically. Weight gain often around the waist and thighs, resulting in 'the disappearing waistline'. Tingling in extremities can also be a symptom of B-12 deficiency, diabetes, alterations in the flexibility of blood vessels, or a depletion of potassium or calcium Tinnitus is one of those physical conditions that seems to manifest in some women at the same time as menopause. It can be associated with health conditions such as hypothyroidism and heart disease, and is a known side-effect of many medications, including aspirin (salicylates) and Prozac.

SOME OF THE SYMPTOMS MAY ALSO BE SIGNS OF THE FOLLOWING: *hypothyroidism *diabetes *depression with another etiology other medical conditions

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Natural Menopause Supplement Review

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In Femestra, we have been able to formulate a special
blend of Rice Bran Oil and Gamma Oryzanol. Our Oryzanol is from a specific part of Japan, and is considerably more potent than any other Oryzanol. Our special blend (Femestra) has proven to eliminate most of the harmful effects of menopause. Femestra may eliminate your hot flashes, your sleepless nights, and will help your body naturally ease into the menopausal changes.

Femestra ingredients include:

• Calories 5
• Calories from fat 5
• Total Fat 1g
• Gamma Oryzanol 500mg
• CLA 625mg

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
Gelatin, Rice Bran Oil, Lecithin, USP Purified Water, Carob Extract, Titanium Dioxide. Contains Soy.

DIRECTIONS:
Take 2 gel caps daily, preferably in the morning prior to a meal, as a dietary supplement or as recommended by a healthcare professional.

Information from Femestra.com