RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of obesity and other cardiovascular risk factors (RF) in middle-aged women, to correlate them with each other, and to describe the prevalence of such a RF and their changes with aging, menopause and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) in a cohort of Chilean workers. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In 1991-1992 cardiovascular RFs were assessed in 467 women between 40 and 59 who were not taking HRT at that time. Five years later these women were re-evaluated. RESULTS: Sedentarism (87.2%), dyslipidemias (71.5%), high blood pressure (13.5%), obesity (13.1%), smoking (12.4%) and diabetes (2.8%) were the more prevalent RF. These RF become more prevalent with age. In the second control, 5 years later, hypertension (20.9%), obesity (27.3%), smoking (20.8%) and diabetes (5.9%) were observed increased. Dyslipidemia did not changed, although triglyceride levels rose from 125.9+/-56.4 to 136.8+/-63.5 mg/dl (P<0.01). Sedentarism dropped to 58.8%. Menopause did not deteriorate any of these RF. The use of HRT increased during the 5-years follow-up from 3.8 to 35%, and related to its use a decrease in LDL-cholesterol and an increase in HDL-cholesterol levels were detected. CONCLUSION: Middle-aged women included in this cohort have a high prevalence of RF; these deteriorate with age, but no with menopause. HRT improves the lipid profile.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Background: It is generally accepted that menopause significantly modifies cardiovascular risk. The effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on this risk remain controversial. Aim: To study the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (RF) in middle-aged women and their changes with aging, menopause and hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Material and methods: cardiovascular risk factors were assessed in 576 women aged 40 to 59 years in 1991-92. Five years later, 467 of these women were reassessed. Results: Sedentarism (87.2 percent), dyslipidemias (71.5 percent), high blood pressure (13.5 percent), obesity (13.1 percent), smoking (12.4 percent) and diabetes (2.8 percent) were the most prevalent RF. Five years later, the prevalence of hypertension increased to 20.9 percent, the prevalence of obesity increased to 27.3 percent, smoking increased to 20.8 percent and diabetes to 5.9 percent. The prevalence of dyslipidemia did not change, although triglycerides levels rose from 125.9Ý56.4 to 136.8Ý63.5 mg/dl (p <0.001). Sedentarism dropped to 58.8 percent. Menopause did not deteriorate any of these RF. The use of HRT increased during the 5 years follow-up from 3.8 percent to 35 percent. Women on HRT experienced 3 percent decrease in LDL-cholesterol and 9 percent increase in HDL-cholesterol levels. Conclusions: Middle aged women included in this cohort have a high prevalence of RF. There is a deterioration with age, but not with menopause. HRT improves the lipid profile

Assuntos

Assuntos

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Several studies have suggested that women who choose to use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) already, before starting this therapy, have a better cardiovascular risk profile than those who do not use it. Some of these studies contain factors of confusion and biases, such as HRT users' greater educational achievement or physical activity, which could have led to wrong conclusions. AIM: To study a cohort, without confounding factors in order to analyse whether the cardiovascular risk profile is different in women who choose to use HRT. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Coronary risk factors of 387 women between 45 and 64 were studied. This study was carried out at the Unit for the Preventive Medical Examination of the South Metropolitan Health Service in Santiago (Chile) during the annual check-up. The first evaluation was in 1991-1992; with a second evaluation 5 years later. Of all the women, 174 (45%) never received hormones (Group A), 124 (32%) were HRT users at the time (Group B), and 89 (23%) were former-users (Group C). RESULTS: No differences were found between the three groups for age, body mass index (BMI), educational background, alcohol consumption, smoking or physical activity. Blood pressure was similar in the three groups. No significant differences were found in total cholesterol (A, 221.7+/-42.2; B, 228.2+/-47.0; and C, 227.3+/-44.9 mg/dl); high density lipoprotein (HDL, A, 53.5+/-13.2; B, 51.8+/-12.8; and C, 54.0+/-12.4 mg/dl); low density lipoprotein (LDL, A, 141.7+/-38.9; B, 148.5+/-43.1 and C, 148.3+/-43.8 mg/dl); triglycerides (A, 134.5+/-67.9; B, 141.0+/-66.1; and C, 127.3+/-68.5 mg/dl) and glucose plasma levels (A, 90.5+/-32.2; B, 87.7+/-15.3; and C, 85.0+/-8.8 mg/dl). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that women who choose to use HRT have a cardiovascular risk profile, before starting the therapy, similar to those who do not use it.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) were evaluated during the postnatal development (P10-P180) of taiep rats, neurological mutants characterized by early abnormal myelin development and subsequent demyelination of the CNS. The disorder is produced by an autosomal recessive mutation trait that affects the oligodendrocytes but not the Schwann cells. After onset of ABRs (P12-P14), taiep rats and their nonaffected heterozygous littermates that served as controls showed a similar pattern of maturation for wave I. The central waves (In-IV) showed significantly longer latencies in the mutants. By P60-P180, the later waves (III and IV) were frequently difficult to discern. From the onset of ABRs, the interpeak latency I-IV, corresponding to the central conduction time (CCT) of the auditory pathway, showed in taiep rats significantly longer values than controls. After an initial reduction, proportional to that of control rats, the CCT value increased progressively during the second month of the mutants' lives. The electrophysiological results of the present study strongly support the hypothesis that mutation in the taiep rat impairs neuromaturation of the central auditory pathway in the brainstem by affecting the myelination process in the CNS.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Taiep is an autosomal recessive mutant rat that shows a highly hypomyelinated central nervous system (CNS). Oligodendrocytes accumulate microtubules (MTs) in association with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes forming MT-ER complexes. The microtubular defect in oligodendrocytes, the abnormal formation of CNS myelin and the astrocytic reaction were characterized by immunocytochemical and ultrastructural methods during the first year of life. Optic nerves of both control and taiep rats were processed by the immunoperoxidase method using antibodies against tubulin, myelin basic protein (MBP) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Taiep oligodendrocytes are strongly immunoreactive against tubulin, indicative of a significant accumulation of microtubules. Early differentiated oligodendrocytes observed with electron microscopy show that MT-ER complexes are mainly present in the cell body. This defect increases during the first year of life; oligodendrocytes show large MT-ER complexes projected within oligodendrocyte processes. Using anti-MBP, there was a progressive reduction of immunolabeling in the myelin sheaths as taiep rats grew older. Ultrastructural analysis revealed severely dysmyelinated axons with a frequently collapsed periaxonal collar. However, through age the myelin sheath became gradually infiltrated by MTs, suggesting their contribution to premature loss of myelin in the taiep rat. Axons of one-year-old taiep rats were severely demyelinated. Modifications in astrocytes revealed by the GFAP antibody showed a strong hypertrophy with increased immunostaining in their processes. As demyelination of axons progressed, taiep rats developed a strong astrogliosis. The present findings suggest that in taiep rats the early abnormal myelination of axons affects the adequate maintenance of myelin, leading to a progressive loss of myelin components and severe astrogliosis, features that should be considered in the pathogenesis of dysmyelinating diseases.

Assuntos

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Sexuality has an individual connotation, is influenced by biological, environmental and cultural factors and is present throughout all life. AM: To assess the sexual behavior of a group of Chilean women. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A specially devised inquiry was applied to 301 women, aged 20 to 70 years old, that consulted in a medical service. RESULTS: Seventy seven percent of women were sexually active. These figures ranged from 80% of women aged 40-44 years old to 40% of women over 60. Sixty percent of women living together, 53.7% of single women, 65.6% of divorced women, 94.2% of married women and 100% of widows were sexually active. Women aged 25 to 29 years old had a mean of 8.4 relations per month compared with 3.3 relations among women older than 55. The frequency of sexual intercourse was higher in women living together and lower in widows. The mean age at the first intercourse was 20.6 +/- 4.5 years. Ninety three percent had experienced sexual desire and the percentage of satisfactory sexual relations does not change with age. Less educated women had a lower frequency of orgasms. CONCLUSIONS: Age and legal status of women are related to their sexual behavior and less educated women have a less satisfactory sexual life.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Background: Sexuality has an individual connotation, is influenced by biological, environmental and cultural factors and is present throughout all life. Aim: To assess the sexual behavior of a group of Chilean women. Subjects and methods: A specially devised inquiry was applied to 301 women, aged 20 to 70 years old, that consulted in a medical service. Results: Seventy seven percent of women are sexually active. These figures ranged from 80 percent of women aged 40-44 years old to 40 percent of women over 60. Sixty percent of women living together, 53.7 percent of single women, 65.6 percent of divorced women. 94.2 percent of married women and 100 percent of widows were sexually active. Women aged 25 to 29 years old had a mean of 8.4 relations per month compared with 3.3 relations among women older than 55. The frequency of sexual intercourse was higher in women living together and lower in widows. The mean age at the first intercourse was 20.6 ± 4.5 years. Ninety three percent had experienced sexual desire and the percentage of satisfactory sexual relations does not change with age. Less educated women had a lower frequency of orgasms. Conclusions: Age and legal status of women are related lo their sexual behavior and less educated women have a less satisfactory sexual life

Assuntos

RESUMO

The presence of microtubules physically bound to smooth endoplasmic reticulum profiles of oligodendrocytes constitutes the most conspicuous feature observed in the myelin mutant taiep rat. The endoplasmic reticulum membranes associated with microtubules were morphologically characterized as transitional elements that constitute the intermediate compartment according to their topographic location close to the cis-Golgi apparatus. The development of this surprising microtubular defect appears to be associated with the early events of myelination. Transitional elements associated with microtubules operate in protein transport from endoplasmic reticulum to cis-Golgi. This microtubular defect could explain the dysmyelination and neurologic alterations observed in taiep rats. Moreover, these findings allow us to propose that there is a blockage of protein traffic at the intermediate compartment of taiep oligodendrocytes, a situation that could explain the hypomyelinated axons observed in this myelin mutant. The binding of microtubules to membranous organelles promotes the stabilization of microtubules, a feature that has important implications regarding its accumulation within the cytoplasm of oligodendrocytes during the temporal evolution of this neurologic disorder. The taiep rat is a myelin mutant with a long survival and could be a useful model for understanding dysmyelinating diseases in which the intracellular transport of myelin components is affected.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Las mujeres climatéricas presentan una amplia gama de síntomas vasomotores y psíquicos, sin embargo los estudios psiquiátricos muestran resultados contradictorios sobre los efectos de la menopausia en la sintomatología psíquica. Para conocerlos, estudiamos la prevalencia de síntomas, evaluados según BlattKupperman, en 1167 mujeres de 40 a 59 años de edad en su examen de Medicina Preventiva. Cuarenta y dos por ciento de estas mujeres habían presentado ya su menopausia, siendo la mediana de edad de presentación de ella, 48,3 años. En relación con los síntomas climatéricos, se observa que su prevalencia no cambia significativamente al acercarse la edad de la menopausia; sólo los bochornos y los dolores osteoarticulares aumentan después de los 50 años. La mayoría de los síntomas psíquicos no aumentan con la edad e incluso algunos, como la irritabilidad y el llanto fácil disminuyen en las mujeres mayores. En cambio, al analizar la prevalencia de los síntomas según la etapa del climaterio en que se, encontraban las mujeres, se observa que la mayoría de los síntomas se incrementan en el período perimenopáusico y posteriormente decrecen. Conclusión: la mujer en la postmenopausia tiene menos síntomas psíquicos y vasomotores que en la perimenopausia, período este último, de gran sintomatología y deterioro de la calidad de vida

Assuntos