Quality of life in climacteric Chilean women treated with low-dose estrogen

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of low-dose oral estrogen therapy on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in 45-64-year-old women from the East Metropolitan Health Service (SSMO) in Santiago, Chile. Material and methods: We conducted an observational cross-sectional study. A random population sample of women between 45 and 64 years of age was obtained through an invitation to contact one of 15 primary health care centers of the SSMO of Santiago, Chile. Out of the 927 women who were originally contacted, 844 women were able to complete the Menopausal Rating Scale (MRS) questionnaire. Information about demographic parameters, health issues, and modality of hormonal therapy (HT) were registered. Three groups were compared: group 1 (n = 647; non-users of HT), group 2 (n = 82; users of low-dose oral estrogen HT), and group 3 (n = 115; users of non low-dose estrogens HT). Results: There were no differences among groups in terms of demographic and health issue parameters. The result

Reflexiones sobre la conducta obstétrica en la embarazada con feto anencefálico

Pregnancy of an anencephalic fetus generates deep thoughts about its diagnosis, treatment and management of maternal risk, having in mind the irreversibility of the fetal situation. At the present moment, there are no guidelines for labor care in these cases, probably because in most developed countries in which abortion is legal, these pregnancies are interrupted earlier. In Chile, where abortion is illegal we must deal with these situations at the end of the pregnancy period. Of 35,682 labors attended at our hospital, 14 were anencephalic fetuses. In 50% of these a cesarean section was done and in one, a hysterectomy was required due to uterine inerti

Epigenetic signatures at the RUNX2-P1 and Sp7 gene promoters control osteogenic lineage commitment of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Wharton's Jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) are an attractive potential source of multipotent stem cells for bone tissue replacement therapies. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in their osteogenic conversion are poorly understood. Particularly, epigenetic control operating at the promoter regions of the two master regulators of the osteogenic program, RUNX2/P57 and SP7 has not yet been described in WJ-MSCs. Via quantitative PCR profiling and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) studies, here we analyze the ability of WJ-MSCs to engage osteoblast lineage. In undifferentiated WJ-MSCs, RUNX2/P57 P1, and SP7 promoters are found deprived of significant levels of the histone post-translational marks that are normally associated with transcriptionally active genes (H3ac, H3K27ac, and H3K4me3). Moreover, the RUNX2 P1 promoter lacks two relevant histone repressive marks (H3K9me3 and H3K27me3). Importantly, RUNX2 P1 promoter is found highly enriched in the H3K4me1 mark, which has been shown recently to mediate gene repression of key regulatory genes. Upon induction of WJ-MSCs osteogenic differentiation, we found that RUNX2/P57, but not SP7 gene expression is strongly activated, in a process that is accompanied by enrichment of activating histone marks (H3K4me3, H3ac, and H3K27ac) at the P1 promoter region. Histone mark analysis showed that SP7 gene promoter is robustly enriched in epigenetic repressive marks that may explain its poor transcriptional response to osteoblast differentiating media. Together, these results point to critical regulatory steps during epigenetic control of WJ-MSCs osteogenic lineage commitment that are relevant for future applications in regenerative medicine. (C) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.FONDAP, 15090007 / CONICYT-DRI, 2013-0030 / FONDECYT, 1130706, 1140301, 3140368 FONDEF, D09I1047 / CONICYT, Chil

Women's Health Initiative estrogen plus progestin clinical trial: A study that does not allow establishing relevant clinical risks

© 2015 by The North American Menopause Society. Objective: This study aims to determine time differences (differences in restricted mean survival times [RMSTs]) in the onset of invasive breast cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke, pulmonary embolism, colorectal cancer, and hip fracture between the placebo group and the conjugated equine estrogens 0.625 mg plus medroxyprogesterone acetate 2.5 mg group of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trial based on survival curves of the original report and to provide adequate interpretation of the clinical effects of a given intervention. Methods: Distribution of survival function was obtained from cumulative hazard plots of the WHI report; Monte Carlo simulation was performed to obtain censored observations for each outcome, in which assumptions of the Cox model were evaluated once corresponding hazard ratios had been estimated. Using estimation methods such as numerical integration, pseudovalues, and flexible parametric modeling, we determin

Obesity and its relation to depressive symptoms and sedentary lifestyle in middle-aged women

© 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.Background The prevalence of obesity increases during female mid-life and although many factors have been identified, data from Latin America is lacking. Objective To assess factors related to obesity among middle-aged women and determine the association with depressive symptoms, sedentary lifestyle and other factors.Methods A total of 6079 women aged 40-59 years of 11 Latin American countries were asked to fill out the Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Menopause Rating Scale, the Athens Insomnia Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and a general questionnaire containing personal socio-demographic data, anthropometric measures and lifestyle information. Obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2.Results Obesity was observed in 18.5% and sedentary lifestyle in 63.9%. A 55.5% presented vasomotor symptoms, 12.2% had severe menopausal symptoms and 13.2% used hormone therapy for the menopause. Prevalence of depres

Bloodstream infections in children with cancer and high risk fever and neutropenia episodes in six hospitals of Santiago, Chile between 2004 and 2009 Agentes causantes de bacteriemia en niños con cáncer y neutropenia febril de alto riesgo en seis hospital

Introduction: To determine the etiology of invasive bacterial infection in high risk febrile neutropenia (HRFN) episodes in children with cancer is essential because of the favorable impact on mortality of the early empiric antibiotic treatment. Objective: To determine the etiology of bacteremia in pediatric patients with cancer and HRFN in the National Child Program of Antineoplastic Drugs during the 2004-2009 period, and compare these agents and their antimicrobial susceptibility with the period 1994-1998 described in a previous study. Methods: The causative agents of bacteremia were prospectively recorded in patients less than 18 years of age receiving chemotherapy for cancer with HRFN and positive blood cultures admitted to one of the six hospitals from the Child Program of Antineoplastic Drugs network during the period 2004-2009. Results: 839 episodes of HRFN were identifi ed; 181 blood cultures were positive in the following proportion: gram positive cocci (56%), gram negative b

Introducing the Body-QoL((R)): A New Patient-Reported Outcome Instrument for Measuring Body Satisfaction-Related Quality of Life in Aesthetic and Post-bariatric Body Contouring Patients

Artículo de publicación ISITo develop a new patient-reported outcome instrument (PRO) to measure body-related satisfaction quality of life (QoL). Standard 3-phase PRO design was followed; in the first phase, a qualitative design was used in 45 patients to develop a conceptual framework and to create preliminary scale domains and items. In phase 2, large-scale population testing on 1340 subjects was performed to reduce items and domains. In phase 3, final testing of the developed instrument on 34 patients was performed. Statistics used include Factor, RASCH, and multivariate regression analysis. Psychometric properties measured were internal reliability, item-rest, item-test, and test-retest correlations. The PRO-developed instrument is composed of four domains (satisfaction with the abdomen, sex life, self-esteem and social life, and physical symptoms) and 20 items in total. The score can range from 20 (worst) to 100 (best). Responsiveness was 100 %, internal reliability 93.3 %, and test-retest concordance 97.7 %. Body image-related QoL was superior in men than women (p < 0.001) and decreased with increasing age (p = 0.004) and BMI (p < 0.001). Post-bariatric body contouring patients score lower than cosmetic patients in all domains of the Body-QoL instrument (p < 0.001). After surgery, the score improves by on average 21.9 +/- A 16.9 (effect size 1.8, p < 0.001). Body satisfaction-related QoL can be measured reliably with the Body-QoL instrument. It can be used to quantify the improvement in cosmetic and post-bariatric patients including non- or minimally invasive procedures, suction assisted lipectomy, abdominoplasty, lipoabdominoplasty, and lower body lift and to give an evidence-based approach to standard practice

Sedentary lifestyle in middle-aged women is associated with severe menopausal symptoms and obesity

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between sedentary lifestyle and the severity of menopausal symptoms and obesity in middle-aged women. Methods: The Menopause Rating Scale, the Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Athens Insomnia Scale were administered to 6,079 Latin American women aged 40 to 59 years. Sedentary lifestyle was defined as fewer than three weekly, 30-minute periods of physical activity. Results: Sedentary women had more severe menopausal symptoms (total Menopause Rating Scale score: 9.57 +/- 6.71 vs 8.01 +/- 6.27 points, P<0.0001) and more depressive symptoms (Goldberg), anxiety (Goldberg), and insomnia (Athens Scale) compared with non-sedentary women. They also had greater mean waist circumference (86.2 +/- 12.3 vs 84.3 +/- 1.8 cm, P<0.0001) and a higher prevalence of obesity (20.9% vs 14.3%, P<0.0001). Logistic regression analysis showed that both obesity(odds ratio[OR] 1.52; 95% CI, 1.32-1.76) and severe menopausal symptoms (OR 1.28; 95% CI, 1.06-1.53), including insomnia and depressive mood, were positively associated with a sedentary lifestyle. Havinga stable partner(OR 0.85; 95% CI, 0.76-0.96), using hormone therapy(OR 0.75; 95% CI, 0.64-0.87) and having a higher educational level (OR 0.66; 95% CI, 0.60-0.74) were negatively related to sedentary lifestyle. Conclusions: There was a high prevalence of sedentary lifestyle in this middle-aged Latin American female sample which was associated with more severe menopausal symptoms and obesity