Kaj Winther

Assessment of the effects of the herbal remedy femal on the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

Background: Current treatments for premenstrual syndrome @‘MS) appear to offer, at best, a 25% to 50% reduction in symptoms, and many of these treatments have substantial side effects. Femal, an herbal remedy containing a pollen extract, a pollen and pistil extract, and Royal Jelly, has been used in Scandinavia for the treatment of PMS for >4 years. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of Femal on the symptoms of PMS. Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of the effects of Femal in women with PMS. The symptoms of PMS were evaluated using well-established questionnaires and daily body weight measurement. Results: Thirty-two women (mean age, 39.4 years; range, 27-50 years) with regular menstrual cycles of 24 to 34 days entered the trial. Three women dropped out of the study, leaving 29 for final evaluation. Two months of active treatment lowered overall symptom indices significantly and lowered 6 of 9 individual symptom scores by 27% to 57%. Evidence for a slow onset of action and protracted effect was provided by the finding that all symptom indices studied declined significantly (by 48%-88%) in the group that received placebo before Femal (P < 0.01). In contrast, the group that received Femal before placebo showed no significant differences between Femal and placebo, except in sleep quality (P < 0.04). Premenstrual weight gain was reduced 50% by active treatment compared with placebo. There were no reported unwanted or adverse effects during Femal treatment. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the herbal therapy Femal provided substantial symptomatic relief of PMS to the women in this study, with minimal risk of unwanted or adverse effects.

A standardized powder made from rosehips (Rosa canina L.) improves function and reduces pain and the consumption of rescue medication in osteoarthritis

Abstract The effect of a standardized powder made from rosehips on joint pain and stiffness in patients with osteoarthritis has been investigated in several clinical studies. The powder is produced by Hyben Vital, Denmark and has been on the market as an herbal remedy in Scandinavia for more than a decade. Three studies are of particular interest: (i) A study of 94 patients with early stage osteoarthritis as defi ned by the ACR, 1 (ii) a study of 100 patients with end stage osteoarthritis, (patients on a waiting list for hip or knee replacement) 2 and (iii) a study of 112 patients with osteoarthritis of different joints 3 in which a sub-fraction of patients (n=32) had osteoarthritis of the hand. 4

Decreased Platelet Activity Without Change in Fibrinolytic Activity After Low Dosages of Fish Oil

The effects of low-dose (350 mg daily) polyunsaturated fatty acids from fish oil, either in gelatine capsules or microencapsulated, were investigated in a non-blind, randomized, crossover study of 12 healthy male volunteers. The authors measured the incorporation of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) into platelets membranes, platelet aggregability by adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and adrenaline, and fibrinolytic activity as euglobulin lysis time, after two and six weeks of therapy. Both formulations resulted in increased incorporation of EPA into platelet membranes, and the microencapsulated formulation also significantly increased the platelet level of ADP for irreversible aggregation (by about 60%). Fish oil in gelatine capsules had a smaller, non-significant effect in the same direction. Both formulations reduced adrenaline-induced aggregability, but the effects did not attain significance. Neither formulation altered fibrinolysis. The data show that low doses of fish oil in microencapsulated form significantly lower platelet aggregability, without affecting fibrinolysis.

The effect of cigarette smoking and nicotine chewing gum on platelet function and fibrinolytic activity.

1350-6277 C) 1999 Lippincott Williams &Wilkins Introduction There seems to be no doubt that the alkaloid nicotine is the culprit in addicting humans to smoking tobacco, and it is logical to use small quantities of this substance to relieve the unpleasant pangs of the cold turkey syndrome caused by sudden, total withdrawal of tobacco in addicted people. However, the intense activity of nicotine on the autonomic system has many ramifications beyond addiction, and the thrombostatic system with which we are primarily concerned here is not immune to these effects.

Bioactive ingredients of rose hips ( Rosa canina L) with special reference to antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties: in vitro studies

License. The full terms of the License are available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. Permissions beyond the scope of the License are administered by Dove Medical Press Limited. Information on how to request permission may be found at: http://www.dovepress.com/permissions.php Botanics: Targets and Therapy 2016:6 11–23 Botanics: Targets and Therapy Dovepress

The imbalance of coagulation and fibrinolysis in coronary heart disease and its relation to traditional risk factors

Two major hypotheses to explain the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic disease — the thrombogenic and the lipid hypothesis — have dominated in the past century. The thrombogenic theory was postulated by Rokitansky, who in 1844 described intimai thickening resulting from fibrin deposition with subsequent organization by fibroblast and lipid accumulation. He deduced that the deposit derived from the arterial blood, reviving the idea of dyscrasia, which had been popular in antiquity [1]. The lipid theory was proposed by Virchow in 1856, who observed that the intimai thickening in atherosclerosis was located in the subendothelial layer, and therefore could not be derived from surface deposits [2]. Both theories have been integrated into one single multifactorial theory that involves the common step — endothelial dysfunction as a reponse to injury — developed by Ross [3]. One or more risk factors (hyperlipidemia, smoking, obesity, hypertension, diabetes etc.) plus local factors such as shear stress or injury are hypothesized to contribute to the development of endothelial lesions.