scholarly journals Stress-Hormone Dynamics and Working Memory in Healthy Women Who Use Oral Contraceptives Versus Non-Users

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Sofie Høgsted ◽  
Camilla Borgsted ◽  
Vibeke H. Dam ◽  
Arafat Nasser ◽  
Niklas Rye Jørgensen ◽  
...  

BackgroundWomen who use oral contraceptives (OCs) may have a higher risk of developing a depression, which is associated with both vulnerability to stress and cognitive dysfunction. OCs disrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis by suppressing endogenous sex steroid production including estradiol. The HPG axis and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are known to interact, possibly through modulations driven by estradiol. OCs may affect HPA regulation capacity, i.e., disturb cortisol dynamics such as the cortisol awakening response (CAR), and influence cognition such as working memory (WM). We hypothesize that OC use is associated with blunted cortisol dynamics and impaired WM performance relative to non-users.MethodsData from 78 healthy women in the reproductive age were available from the CIMBI database. We evaluated if CAR and WM differed between OC users (n=25) and non-users (n=53) and if the level of estradiol modulated the OC use effect on CAR or WM in generalized least square models.ResultsWe found that OC users had a blunted CAR (p= 0.006) corresponding to a 61% reduction relative to non-users; however, no estradiol-BY-OC use interaction effect was observed on CAR. Also, OC users had higher cortisol levels at awakening compared to non-users (p = 0.03). We observed no effect of OC use or an estradiol-BY-OC use interaction effect on WM. Also, within the OC user group, neither CAR nor WM was associated with suppressed estradiol. CAR was not associated with WM.ConclusionHealthy women who use OCs have blunted cortisol dynamics relative to non-users. However, we could not detect OC use effects on working memory in our sample size. We speculate that disrupted cortisol dynamics may be important for the emergence of depressive symptoms in OC users.

2012 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliana Gonçalves V. Souza ◽  
Melissa G. Ramos ◽  
Cláudia Hara ◽  
Bárbara Perdigão Stumpf ◽  
Fábio L. Rocha

Approximately 80% of all women of reproductive age experience psychological and physical changes associated with the premenstrual phase. Cognitive alterations are among the most common complaints. In this context, studies have assessed cognitive performance across the menstrual cycle in healthy women and also in women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). The main objective of the present study was to review the literature on cognitive function in different phases of the menstrual cycle in women of reproductive age, both healthy and with PMS, in particular premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). We searched MEDLINE and LILACS databases. A total of 27 studies were selected. The studies used heterogeneous methodologies. Most studies suggested that healthy women show small fluctuations in cognitive performance across the menstrual cycle, with low performance scores in the luteal phase for visuospatial and motor skills, attention and concentration, verbal memory, visual memory, working memory, and reaction time. Among women with PMS or PMDD, low performance scores for visuospatial and motor skills, attention and concentration, verbal memory, working memory, reaction time and impulsivity were also detected in the luteal phase. Symptoms observed in PMS/PMDD patients showed low intensity, but greater when compared with healthy women. Evidence indicates fluctuations in cognitive performance in the different phases of the menstrual cycle in healthy and PMS women, with worse performance for women with PMS/PMDD in the luteal phase. However, methodological limitations prevent us from drawing solid conclusions. Further studies are needed to investigate the impact of these cognitive fluctuations on patients' daily activities.


GYNECOLOGY ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 27-30
Author(s):  
Elena N. Andreeva ◽  
Olga R. Grigoryan ◽  
Yulia S. Absatarova ◽  
Irina S. Yarovaya ◽  
Robert K. Mikheev

The reproductive potential of a woman depends on indicators of the ovarian reserve, such as the anti-Muller hormone (AMH) and the number of antral follicles (NAF). Autoimmune diseases have a significant effect on fertility and contribute to the development of premature ovarian failure. Aim.To evaluate the parameters of the ovarian reserve in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, carriers of antibodies to the thyroid gland in a state of euthyroidism and compare them with similar parameters in healthy women. Materials and methods.In the first block of the study, the level of AMH, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, NAF was studied among 224 women with diabetes and 230 healthy women in the control group. In block II, the level of the above hormonal indices was studied in 35 carriers of antithyroid antibodies in the state of euthyroidism and 35 healthy women. Results.In patients with type 1 diabetes, the level of AMH, NAF was statistically significantly lower when compared with the control group. Among carriers of antithyroid antibodies and healthy women, no difference in AMH and NAF was found. Conclusion.The autoimmune processes accompanying diabetes are more influenced by the ovarian reserve indices than autoimmune aggression to the tissues of the thyroid gland.


GYNECOLOGY ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 101-107
Author(s):  
Vera N. Prilepskaya ◽  
Lana L. Bostandzhian

Since the first pill, there has been a significant evolution of hormonal contraception: low- and micro-dose drugs have appeared, drugs with components as close as possible to endogenous hormones have been developed, new dosage regimens and routes of contraceptive administration have been created. Modern combined oral contraceptives are not only used to prevent unwanted pregnancies, but are also widely used to treat a number of gynecological and non-gynecological diseases. In recent years, two new combined oral contraceptives with folate supplementation have been developed. The main purpose of adding folate to contraceptives is the prevention of fetal malformations, which is ensured by an increase in the level of folate in the body of women of reproductive age against the background of contraception and after its withdrawal.


2019 ◽  
Vol 101 ◽  
pp. 121-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Raymond ◽  
Marie-France Marin ◽  
Robert-Paul Juster ◽  
Sarah Leclaire ◽  
Olivier Bourdon ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 59-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svetlana Yu. Vorotnikova ◽  
Larisa K. Dzeranova ◽  
Irina V. Stanoevich ◽  
Ekaterina A. Pigarova ◽  
Elena N. Andreeva ◽  
...  

Background: The frequency of menstrual disorders in patients with acromegaly is 4084% and are caused by three main reasons the development of normal or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism due to hyperprolactinemia or a mass effect of the tumor and direct effects of GH and IGF-1 on the reproductive system. Nevertheless the exact mechanisms of reproductive dysfunction are not clear now. Hypothalamic structures play significant role in the regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-ovary axis, so its important to study key neuropeptides and evaluate their effects to the pathogenesis of ovarian dysfunction during excessive secretion of growth hormone. Aim: The aim of the work is to study the hormonal regulation of menstrual function in patients of reproductive age with acromegaly in the active stage of the disease. Material and methods: The study included patients with a confirmed diagnosis of acromegaly and healthy women, comparable in age and BMI. Blood serum samples were taken in the morning (89 hours) on an empty stomach for 35 days of the menstrual cycle or on any day with amenorrhea and frozen at -70C. The hormonal study was carried out by an enzyme immunoassay, in the case of a kisspeptin, with the preliminary extraction of serum samples. Results: The study included 31 patients with acromegaly and 15 healthy women. Between groups there was a statistically significant decrease in levels of LH (p = 0.001), FSH (p = 0.09), inhibin B (p = 0.003), and kisspeptin (p = 0.00005). The frequency of hyperprolactinemia in the cohort of patients was 51.6%. During the correlation analysis, a negative dependence of kisspeptin on the levels of GH and IGF-1 was detected (r = -0.54, p = 0.002 and r = -0.63, p = 0.0002). Conclusions: The severity of the central depression of regulation of menstrual function in patients with acromegaly may be due to the degree of disease activity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sixtus Aguree ◽  
Hilary Bethancourt ◽  
Leigh Taylor ◽  
Asher Yoel Rosinger ◽  
Lacy M Alexander ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives To examine changes in plasma volume, hydration, and micronutrient concentrations across the menstrual cycle among healthy women of reproductive age. Methods Healthy women aged 18 to 44 years were studied longitudinally across a single menstrual cycle (n = 35). Women made three visits (v1, v2, and v3) to the study center around cycle days 2, 12 and 21 (adjusted for individual cycle length) representing early follicular, late follicular and midluteal phases, respectively. At each visit, blood samples were collected before and after injection of indocyanine green (ICG). ICG in plasma was measured with a spectrophotometer within 2 hours of blood draw, to estimate plasma volume. Urine specific gravity (USG) was measured with a hand-held refractometer; urine and plasma osmolality were measured using freezing point depression osmometry. Serum ferritin was measured by ELISA; serum concentrations for 5 minerals were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. A mixed-effects model was used to examine changes in plasma volume and biomarker concentrations across the menstrual cycle; plasma volume and biomarker associations were tested with Spearman's correlation. Results Participants had a mean (SD) BMI of 21.6 (1.9) kg/m2. Plasma volume showed a non-significant decrease of 122 mL from v1 to v2 (P = 0.165; Table 1) and remained stable from v2 to v3 (P = 0.900). However, plasma osmolality decreased throughout the cycle from v1 to v3 (P < 0.001). Urine osmolality fell slightly from v1 to v2 (P = 0.214) followed by a significant rise from v2 to v3 (P = 0.026) but USG was constant across the cycle. From v1 to v3, serum magnesium concentration declined by 4.5% (P = 0.001); zinc had a similar decline that did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.057). Mean copper, calcium, manganese, ferritin, and hemoglobin concentrations did not change across the cycle (all P > 0.05). Adjusting for markers of inflammation (α1-acid glycoprotein and C-reactive protein) and plasma volume did not affect biomarker concentration changes. Plasma volume was not correlated with nutritional biomarkers at any timepoint (all P > 0.05, Table 2). Conclusions Concentrations of micronutrients were not related to plasma volume. Some hydration and micronutrient biomarkers changed across the menstrual cycle, which could have implications for the timing of measurements in women of reproductive age. Funding Sources The Pennsylvania State University. Supporting Tables, Images and/or Graphs


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 10279-10289
Author(s):  
David F. Byrne ◽  
Aisling A. Geraghty ◽  
Cara A. Yelverton ◽  
Eileen F. Murphy ◽  
Douwe Van Sinderen ◽  
...  

Products containing probiotics are targeted at healthy or at-risk individuals as a preventative measure to minimise disease risk.


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