The Effects of a Saffron Extract (affron^®) on Menopausal Symptoms in Women during Perimenopause: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

( Adrian L. Lopresti ),( Stephen J. Smith ) 대한폐경학회 2021 대한폐경학회지 Vol.27 No.2

Objectives: There is preliminary evidence suggesting saffron may effectively treat menopausal symptoms. The aim of this study was to examine the tolerability and efficacy of a standardised saffron extract (affron^®) on menopausal complaints in perimenopausal women. Methods: In this 12-week, parallel-group, double-blind, randomised controlled trial, 86 perimenopausal women experiencing menopausal complaints received either a placebo or 14 mg of a saffron extract (affron^®), twice daily. Outcome measures included the Greene Climacteric Scale (GCS), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36). Results: Based on data collected from 82 participants, saffron was associated with greater improvements in mood and psychological symptoms compared to the placebo. Results from the GCS revealed a significantly greater reduction in the GCS psychological score (P = 0.032), characterised by a 33% reduction in anxiety and a 32% reduction in depression scores from baseline to week 12. There was also a significantly greater reduction in the PANAS negative affect score (P = 0.043) compared to the placebo. However, compared to the placebo, saffron was not associated with greater improvements in vasomotor symptoms, somatic symptoms, or other quality of life measures. Saffron intake was well tolerated with no reported major adverse events. Conclusions: The saffron extract, affron^®, administered for 12 weeks at a dose of 14 mg twice daily was associated with greater improvements in psychological symptoms. Further studies in perimenopausal women presenting with varying severity of menopausal symptoms, using different doses of saffron will be useful to examine in future clinical trials.

Cervical Cancer Screening after Perimenopause: How Is Human Papillomavirus Test Performed?

( Oo-ho Chung ) 대한폐경학회 2016 대한폐경학회지 Vol.22 No.2

Cervical cancer is the third most prevalent cancer in women around the world. Recently in Korea, the incidence of cervical cancer has decreased, but in all stages of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), CIN has shown a 91% increase from 1999 to 2008. Persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been found to be the main cause of cervical cancer. HPV types 16 and 18 have been found in 70% of cervical cancer patients around the world. Cervical cancer screening such as cytology has limitations in terms of sensitivity and specificity. A discussion about the need for the HPV test is becoming active in order to compensate for the limitation of cytology. After the role of HPV in cervical cancer was identified, the importance of HPV detection test as a screening was emphasized. Several tests have been developed and each test has its own advantages and disadvantages, and new test method to overcome the disadvantages is still being developed. Today``s guidelines and tests are those you would choose from among the large number of cervical cancer screening guidelines and tests, based on the consideration that the selected guidelines and the test are effective. (J Menopausal Med 2016;22:65-70)

Cervical Cancer Screening after Perimenopause: How Is Human Papillomavirus Test Performed?

정수호 대한폐경학회 2016 대한폐경학회지 Vol.22 No.2

Cervical cancer is the third most prevalent cancer in women around the world. Recently in Korea, the incidence of cervical cancer has decreased, but in all stages of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), CIN has shown a 91% increase from 1999 to 2008. Persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been found to be the main cause of cervical cancer. HPV types 16 and 18 have been found in 70% of cervical cancer patients around the world. Cervical cancer screening such as cytology has limitations in terms of sensitivity and specificity. A discussion about the need for the HPV test is becoming active in order to compensate for the limitation of cytology. After the role of HPV in cervical cancer was identified, the importance of HPV detection test as a screening was emphasized. Several tests have been developed and each test has its own advantages and disadvantages, and new test method to overcome the disadvantages is still being developed. Today's guidelines and tests are those you would choose from among the large number of cervical cancer screening guidelines and tests, based on the consideration that the selected guidelines and the test are effective. (J Menopausal Med 2016;22:65-70)

Use of Combined Oral Contraceptives in Perimenopausal Women

조문경 전남대학교 의과학연구소 2018 전남의대학술지 Vol.54 No.3

While perimenopausal women have low fecundity, they are still capable of becoming pregnant and the majority of pregnancies occurring during perimenopause are unintended pregnancies. Therefore, even during perimenopause, contraception must be used if unintended pregnancies are to be avoided. However, many perimenopausal women and healthcare providers believe that older people should not take combined oral contraceptives (COC) because doing so may be dangerous. However, to date, there is no evidence that taking COC presents an increased risk of cardiovascular events or breast cancer for middle-aged women as compared to other age groups, and in their recommendations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also do not list age itself as a contraindication for COC. Perimenopausal women often experience menstrual irregularity, heavy menstrual bleeding, and vasomotor symptoms. Taking COCs can help control these symptoms and significantly reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, and colorectal cancer. The objective of the present review is to examine the usage methods of COC among perimenopausal women and the health issues that may arise from taking COC in perimenopausal women.

Premenstrual Syndrome and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder in Perimenopausal Women

( Soo Ho Chung ),( Tae Hee Kim ),( Haeh Yeog Lee ),( Arum Lee ),( Dong Su Jeon ),( Jun Sik Park ),( Ye Sol Kim ) 대한폐경학회 2014 대한폐경학회지 Vol.20 No.2

Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) of perimenopausal women at a university hospital along with their menstrual characters. Methods: A questionnaire survey regarding premenstrual symptoms was carried out in 100 perimenopausal women (43 to 53, years). The pattern of menstruation and, the intensity of dysmenorrhea were assessed; and further, the symptoms were classified according to their number, intensity, and persistence. The PMS criteria of American College of Obstetricsand Gynecology (ACOG) and PMDD criteria by American Psychiatric Association (APA) were evaluated. Results: The approximate prevalence of PMS criteria was 95% and that of PMDD criteria was 23%. The most dominant symptoms were ‘breast tenderness’, ‘abdominal bloating’, ‘and headache’. PMDD was significantly associated with the severity of dysmenorrhea (P = 0.020). There was no significant relation with age, height, weight, body mass index and the cycle of menstruation. Conclusion: Most women experience PMS and PMDD, which and have a significant impact on the activity of perimenopause women. However in most women that do not know well about PMS and PMDD. We should educate and informwomen of PMS and PMDD, thus helping them increase their quality of life. (J Menopausal Med 2014;20:69-74)

폐경전후기 여성의 사회경제적상태가 우울에 미치는 영향: Reserve Capacity Model을 적용한 경로분석

박미란,최혜승,이주영 한국간호과학회 2023 Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Vol.53 No.2

Purpose: Based on the Reserve Capacity Model, this study investigated the effects of pre- and postmenopausal women’s socioeconomic status (SES) on depression, focusing on the mediating effects of self-esteem, happiness, and family relationship satisfaction with social network relationships. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved secondary analysis of national data on 771 perimenopause women gathered from the 16th Korea Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS) 2021. A path analysis model was constructed to evaluate the relationship between SES, social network satisfaction, self-esteem, perceived health status, and depression. Data were analyzed using ADANCO 2.3.1 and Mplus 8.4. Results: Although SES had no direct effect on depression, it did affect depression through self-esteem, happiness, and satisfaction with family relationships. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that perimenopausal women’s personal resources—psychosocial variables such as self-esteem and happiness—had a higher effect on depression than tangible reserves like SES. Therefore, interventions for enhancing self-esteem and happiness may prevent depression in perimenopausal women effectively.

보문 : 아로마 오일 등 마사지가 폐경기 여성의 뇌파와 심리적 변인에 미치는 영향

김영란 ( Young Ran Kim ) 대한미용학회(구 대한미용과학회) 2014 대한미용학회지 Vol.10 No.1

This study aimed to investigate the effects of aromatherapy, one of the alternative therapy, on the release of mental and physical discomfort that women in perimenopause have suffered, and carried out from August 5 to August 30, 2013. The participants were randomly allocated to receive the back massage by professionals twice a week, total of eight times. an Aroma oil and carrier oil were applied to the experimental group (n=12) and the control group (n=12), respectively. The brain-wave was measured at pre-experiment and post-experiment of the back massage. There was no significant difference between experimental and control groups in the homogeneity test of general factors and brain-wave. But, there was significant difference between pre-experiment and post-experiment in the levels of perimenopause symptoms and sleep symptoms. The brain wave transition of emotional quotient, attention index and stress showed a significant change between pre-experiment and post-experiment measuring. These experiments showed that the aromatherapy is very effective in reducing mental and physical discomfort and promoting health of perimenopause women.

Levonorgestrel-Releasing Intrauterine System Use in Perimenopausal Women

( Jong-kil Joo ),( Jung-ho Shin ),( Jung Ryeol Lee ),( Mee-ran Kim ) 대한폐경학회 2021 대한폐경학회지 Vol.27 No.2

The levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) is a highly effective contraceptive method that has several noncontraceptive benefits. It has been used in various gynecological conditions, such as heavy menstrual bleeding, dysmenorrhea, and endometrial hyperplasia. During the perimenopausal period, hormonal fluctuations occur, and there is a high tendency for the development of several benign gynecologic diseases. Therefore, the use of LNG-IUS in perimenopausal women might be more beneficial than in women belonging to other age groups. Moreover, the insertion of LNG-IUS during the perimenopausal period could confer endometrial protection during estrogen replacement therapy. In this review, we discuss the use of LNG-IUS in perimenopausal women.

한국 여성에서 폐경증상 중 혈관운동증상에 대한 역학 조사

김탁 ( Tak Kim ),박형무 ( Hyoung Moo Park ),윤병구 ( Byung Koo Yoon ),이병익 ( Byoung Ick Lee ),염선경 ( Sun Kyoung Yum ) 대한폐경학회 2012 대한폐경학회지 Vol.18 No.3

Objectives: Vasomotor symptoms (VMS) are one of the most annoying symptoms experienced by postmenopausal women. Generally, 75% of women over 50 years of age experience VMS. This study is an epidemiologic survey of menopausal symptoms and VMS in Korean menopausal women. Methods: Survey participants were recruited from Korean provinces based on the Korean population study conducted in 2010 and using multi-level stratification by age and geographic location, and random sampling. Healthy perimenopausal and menopausal Korean women aged between 40 to 60 years and who participated in the interview survey were included in the study. The Korean version of the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) and the Korean version of Women`s Health Questionnaire (WHQ) was used to investigate the prevalence of menopausal related symptoms and to assess quality of life. Results: Among the 1,500 women, 66% were classified as perimenopause, 28% as menopause, and 7% had undergone hysterectomy. Typically, 41.6% of women in perimenopause reported having experienced VMS in recent six months. About 53.1% of women in early menopause and 36.5% of women in late menopause had experienced VMS in the past six months. Whereas, 30.6% of women with hot flashes, and 27.9% of women with sweating stated that these symptoms were not related to menopause. Conclusion: The prevalence of VMS in Korean women seems to be less than women of Western countries. Overall subjective experience of menopause was perceived as increasingly positive with age. Awareness of menopausal symptoms appeared lower than expected. Perimenopausal and menopausal women in Korea rarely sought medical care. (J Korean Soc Menopause 2012;18:147-154)

Premenstrual Syndrome and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder in Perimenopausal Women

정수호,김태희,이해혁,이아룸,전동수,박준식,김예솔 대한폐경학회 2014 대한폐경학회지 Vol.20 No.2

To evaluate the prevalence of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) of perimenopausal women at a university hospital along with their menstrual characters.Methods: A questionnaire survey regarding premenstrual symptoms was carried out in 100 perimenopausal women (43 to 53, years). The pattern of menstruation and, the intensity of dysmenorrhea were assessed; and further, the symptoms were classified according to their number, intensity, and persistence. The PMS criteria of American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) and PMDD criteria by American Psychiatric Association (APA) were evaluated. Results: The approximate prevalence of PMS criteria was 95% and that of PMDD criteria was 23%. The most dominant symptoms were ‘breast tenderness’, ‘abdominal bloating’, ‘and headache’. PMDD was significantly associated with the severity of dysmenorrhea (P = 0.020). There was no significant relation with age, height, weight, body mass index and the cycle of menstruation. Conclusion: Most women experience PMS and PMDD, which and have a significant impact on the activity of perimenopause women. However in most women that do not know well about PMS and PMDD. We should educate and inform women of PMS and PMDD, thus helping them increase their quality of life. (J Menopausal Med 2014;20:69-74)