Body Stuff Mulheres Fases Menopausa

: Diet assessment and the screening for osteoporosis: a survey in a healthy menopause population.

Bianco V, Filippi F, Tassan-Simonat P, Valente I, D'Amico C, Meroni M.

Second Obstetrics and Gynecological Clinic University of Milan, Milan, Italy vanda.bianco@unimi.it.

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate about diet assessment in the screening for osteoporosis. METHODS: In 1 441 women (group A, mean age 53.5 years, mean time from menopause 3.92(+/-4.33)] the number of daily/weekly servings/cups of different foods has been collected. In 71 women (group B, mean age 59 years, mean time from menopause 6 years) diet was assessed through a detailed questionnaire. Demographic and clinical data and dietary habits were related to bone mineral density (BMD) values, using Student t-test and the c2 test. RESULTS: Group A: borderline/reduced BMD 40%, the percentage increasing with age and the duration of menopause (P<0.001). BMI within normal range 56.28%. BMD values were positively associated with Body Mass Index (BMI, P<0.001), education level (P<0.005), job (P<0.01), oral contraceptives use (P<0.001), negatively with family history of osteoporosis (P<0.05). BMD values showed a positive relation with the number of eggs per week (P<0.05), positive not significant trends were observed with dairy products, vegetables, red and white meat intake. A low/reduced BMD was related to low calcium food intake in less than 50% of the women. Group B: borderline/reduced BMD 55%; BMD showed positive trends, not significant, with daily calcium intake, BMI, physical exercise. Estimated calcium intake less than 700 mg/day was found in 33% of the sample. CONCLUSION: Diet assessment is not useful in the screening for osteoporosis. In women with borderline or reduced BMD, diet assessment helps to detect those at low calcium intake who need calcium supplementation, alone or in combination with other treatments.

PMID: 18560345 [PubMed - in process]

: How much do the Arab females know about osteoporosis? The scope and the sources of knowledge.

Al Attia HM, Abu Merhi AA, Al Farhan MM.

Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Mafraq Hospital, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, haideralattia@hotmail.com.

Three hundred fifty-eight educated women, 172 with secondary school education (49%) and 186 (51%) with higher education, were consented for the study. Eighty-five percent were Arab females with an average age of 28.8 years. They expressed their knowledge on osteoporosis on one-one interview. A score of two or more correct items would qualify the respondents to indicate the source(s) of their knowledge. Highly educated women had significantly less 0-1 score (37/186, 20%) than the other subgroup (74/172, 44%, p = 0.001). They, on average, expressed 2.5 items of knowledge vs. 1.69 by the other subgroup (p = 0.002). A total of 245 females, then, became eligible to indicate the source of knowledge. Osteoporosis as a "disease of menopause women" (84%) followed by "disease of easily fractured bones" (64.5%) were the highest in the list in their perception collectively and individually. Items relevant to lifestyle habits, complications, and disease associations were identically not acknowledged. They, however, significantly differed in their response to two items: "a disease of low bone density" and the "role of immobilization and low exercise." Highly educated women appeared more respondent than the other group (p = 0.008 and p = 0.05, respectively). Both were dependent on the "visual media," "relatives," and the "medics" as main sources of information. "Reading books" and "listening to radio programs" on osteoporosis were never considered. The highly educated Arab females have excelled over others with secondary education in terms of frequency and averaging the items of knowledge on osteoporosis. They, however, were not different in the way they perceived osteoporosis as well as in indicating their sources of knowledge. The results reemphasize the lack of an international standard in the understanding of osteoporosis among different populations of females.

PMID: 18516658 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

3: Clin Breast Cancer. 2008 Feb;8(1):70-9.

Results of a diet/exercise feasibility trial to prevent adverse body composition change in breast cancer patients on adjuvant chemotherapy.

Demark-Wahnefried W, Case LD, Blackwell K, Marcom PK, Kraus W, Aziz N, Snyder DC, Giguere JK, Shaw E.

Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA. wdemarkw@mdanderson.org

PURPOSE: Patients with breast cancer on adjuvant chemotherapy can experience weight gain and concurrent losses in muscle mass. Exercise interventions can prevent these changes, but time and travel pose barriers to participation. The Survivor Training for Enhancing Total Health (STRENGTH) trial assessed the feasibility and impact of 2 home-based interventions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety premenopausal patients with breast cancer on adjuvant chemotherapy were randomized to a calcium-rich diet (CA) intervention (attention control) or to 2 experimental arms: a CA + exercise (EX) arm or a CA + EX and high fruit and vegetable, low-fat diet (FVLF) arm. Exercise arms included aerobic and strength-training exercises. Body composition, weight status, waist circumference, dietary intake, physical activity, quality of life, anxiety, depression, serum lipids, sex hormone binding globulin, insulin, proinsulin, C-reactive protein, interleukin-1B, and tumor-necrosis factor receptor-II were measured at baseline and at 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: Accrual targets were achieved and modest attrition was observed (8.8%). Self-reports suggest increased calcium intakes in all arms, and higher fruit and vegetable and lower fat intake in the CA + EX + FVLF arm; no differences in physical activity were observed. While measures of adiposity were generally lower in the CA + EX + FVLF arm, the only significant difference was in percentage of body fat (arms and legs); change in scores (mean +/- standard deviation) were +0.7% +/- 2.3% (CA); +1.2% +/- 2.7% (CA + EX); and +0.1% +/- 2% (CA + EX + FVLF; P = .047). Lean body mass was largely preserved, even in the control arm (net gain of 452 g +/- 2395 g). No differences were observed in other endpoints. CONCLUSION: Diet and exercise interventions can prevent weight gain and adverse body composition changes, but more research is needed to determine optimally effective interventions that can be implemented during active treatment and that promote adherence.

Publication Types:

PMID: 18501061 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

4: J Natl Cancer Inst. 2008 May 21;100(10):728-37. Epub 2008 May 13.