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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is of major concern in women entering menopause. The changing hormonal milieu predisposes them to increased CVD risk, due to a constellation of risk factors, such as visceral obesity, atherogenic dyslipidemia, dysregulation in glucose homeostasis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and arterial hypertension. However, an independent association of menopause per se with increased risk of CVD events has only been proven for early menopause (<45 years). Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) ameliorates most of the CVD risk factors mentioned above. Transdermal estrogens are the preferable regimen, since they do not increase triglyceride concentrations and they are not associated with increased risk of venous thromboembolic events (VTE). Although administration of MHT should be considered on an individual basis, MHT may reduce CVD morbidity and mortality, if commenced during the early postmenopausal period (<60 years or within ten years since the last menstrual period). In women with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), MHT should be administered at least until the average age of menopause (50–52 years). MHT is contraindicated in women with a history of VTE and is not currently recommended for the sole purpose of CVD prevention. The risk of breast cancer associated with MHT is generally low and is mainly conferred by the progestogen. Micronized progesterone and dydrogesterone are associated with lower risk compared to other progestogens.
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Objective
The objective of this study is to investigate the role of serum irisin level in diagnosis of central precocious puberty (CPP) in girls and its major determinants.
Methods
This study was conducted in 67 girls with CPP, 19 girls with premature thelarche (PT) and 59 normal controls. The major determinants of irisin were assessed by multivariate linear regression (MLR) analysis. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed to minimize the bias that can result from BMI. A receiver operating characteristic curve was used to obtain the optimal threshold value of irisin.
Results
The girls with CPP and PT had higher irisin levels than controls (P < 0.05). The optimal cutoff value of irisin levels for predicting CPP was 91.88 ng/mL, with a sensitivity of 70.1% and a specificity of 72.9%. MLR analysis showed that BMI was a predictor of irisin (P < 0.05). Serum irisin levels remained higher in the CPP girls than the controls with adjustment for BMI (P < 0.05).
Conclusions
Increased serum irisin levels with CPP suggest that irisin is involved in puberty. However, due to low sensitivity and specificity, irisin level can only be used as an auxiliary indicator rather than a single diagnostic indicator of CPP.
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The subject of vocal changes accompanying pathological conditions, although still not well explored, seems to be promising. The discovery of laryngeal receptors for sex hormones and thyroid hormones can strongly support the hypothesis of changes in voice due to various endocrinopathies. On the other hand, the impairment of the proper function of the vocal apparatus can also be caused in the process of the microvasculature complications of diabetes mellitus. This review was a comprehensive summary of the accessible literature concerning the influence of selected endocrinopathies on subjective and objective voice parameters. We analysed a total number of 16 English-language research papers from the PubMed database, released between 2008 and 2021, describing vocal changes in reproductive disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome and congenital adrenal hyperplasia, thyroid disorders in shape of hypo- or hyperthyroidism and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The vast majority of the analysed articles proved some changes in voice in all mentioned conditions, although the detailed affected vocal parameters frequently differed between research. We assume that the main cause of the observed conflicting results might stem from non-homogeneous methodology designs of the analysed studies.
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Objective
Vitamin D receptors are present in the female reproductive tract. Studies on the association between serum vitamin D level and pregnancy rate of in vitro fertilization (IVF) showed inconsistent results and focused on a single fresh or frozen embryo transfer cycle. The objective of our study was to evaluate if serum vitamin D level before ovarian stimulation was associated with the cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) of the first IVF cycle.
Design
Retrospective cohort study.
Methods
Women who underwent the first IVF cycle from 2012 to 2016 at a university-affiliated reproductive medicine center were included. Archived serum samples taken before ovarian stimulation were analyzed for 25(OH)D levels using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Results
In total, 1113 had pregnancy outcome from the completed IVF cycle. The median age (25th–75th percentile) of the women was 36 (34–38) years and serum 25(OH)D level was 53.4 (41.9–66.6) nmol/L. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (less than 50 nmol/L) was 42.2%. The CLBR in the vitamin D-deficient group was significantly lower compared to the non-deficient group (43.9%, 208/474 vs 50.9%, 325/639, P = 0.021, unadjusted), and after controlling for women’s age, BMI, antral follicle count, type and duration of infertility. There were no differences in the clinical/ongoing pregnancy rate, live birth rate and miscarriage rate in the fresh cycle between the vitamin D deficient and non-deficient groups.
Conclusions
Vitamin D deficiency was prevalent in infertile women in subtropical Hong Kong. The CLBR of the first IVF cycle in the vitamin D-deficient group was significantly lower compared to the non-deficient group.
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CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, New York, New York, USA
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Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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Objectives
Recently, an estradiol immunoassay manufacturer (Beckman Coulter, USA) issued an ‘important product notice’ alerting clinical laboratories that their assay (Access Sensitive Estradiol) was not indicated for patients undergoing exogenous estradiol treatment. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate immunoassay bias relative to liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in transgender women and to examine the influence of unconjugated estrone on measurements.
Design
Cross-sectional secondary analysis.
Methods
Estradiol concentrations from 89 transgender women were determined by 3 immunoassays (Access Sensitive Estradiol (‘New BC’) and Access Estradiol assays (‘Old BC’), Beckman Coulter; Estradiol III assay (‘Roche’), Roche Diagnostics) and LC-MS/MS. Bias was evaluated with and without adjustment for estrone concentrations. The number of participants who shifted between three estradiol concentration ranges for each immunoassay vs LC-MS/MS (>300 pg/mL, 70–300 pg/mL, and <70 pg/mL) was calculated.
Results
The New BC assay had the largest magnitude overall bias (median: −34%) and was −40%, −22%, and −10%, among participants receiving tablet, patch, or injection preparations, respectively. Overall bias was −12% and +17% for the Roche and Old BC assays, respectively. When measured with the New BC assay, 18 participants shifted to a lower estradiol concentration range (vs 9 and 10 participants based on Roche or Old BC assays, respectively). Adjustment for estrone did not minimize bias.
Conclusions
Immunoassay measurement of estradiol in transgender women may lead to falsely decreased concentrations that have the potential to affect management. A multidisciplinary health care approach is needed to ensure if appropriate analytical methods are available.
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Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Diabetes Translational Medicine, Xiamen, China
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Objective
Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is recognized as the most important biomarker for ovarian reserve. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to explore the potential association of AMH with central obesity or general obesity in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Methods
In this cross-sectional study, 179 patients with PCOS were enrolled and underwent anthropometric measurements (BMI and waist circumference (WC)) and serum AMH level detection. Pearson’s correlation and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the associations of AMH with central obesity and general obesity.
Results
Subjects with increasing BMI showed significantly lower values of AMH (median (interquartile range (IQR)) 8.95 (6.03–13.60) ng/mL in normal weight group, 6.57 (4.18–8.77) ng/mL in overweight group, and 6.03 (4.34–9.44) ng/mL in obesity group, P = 0.001), but higher levels of systolic blood pressure, fasting insulin, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-c, obesity indices (WC, hip circumferences, waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI)). Compared with the group of PCOS women without central obesity, the group with central obesity had significantly lower value of AMH (median (IQR) 8.56 (5.29–12.96) ng/mL vs 6.22 (4.33–8.82) ng/mL; P = 0.003). Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that AMH was significantly and negatively correlated with BMI (r = −0.280; P < 0.001), WC (r = −0.263; P < 0.001), WHtR (r = −0.273; P < 0.001), and CVAI (r = −0.211; P = 0.006). Multivariate logistic regression analysis with adjustment for potential confounding factors showed that AMH was independently and negatively associated with central obesity but was not significantly associated with general obesity.
Conclusions
AMH was independently and negatively associated with central obesity. Closely monitoring the WC and AMH should be addressed in terms of assessing ovarian reserve in women with PCOS.
