Kerstin Landin-Wilhelmsen

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome are often depressed or anxious--a case control study.

OBJECTIVE Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common hyperandrogenic endocrine disorder affecting women of fertile age. The aim of this study was to survey whether the rate of clinical psychiatric disorders in PCOS differs from the normal population. METHOD Women with PCOS (n=49) meeting the Rotterdam criteria for PCOS, and 49 age-matched controls identified from the population registry, were recruited. Trained clinicians used the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview to establish lifetime occurrence of Axis I DSM diagnoses. Serum-testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin were analyzed. RESULTS Women with PCOS had higher lifetime incidence of depressive episodes, social phobia, and eating disorders than controls. Suicide attempts were seven times more common in the PCOS group than in the controls. Current as well as lifetime use of antidepressants and anxiolytic drugs were more common in the PCOS group. CONCLUSIONS Previous studies have found that PCOS is associated with decreased quality of life and self-rated mental symptoms. This study demonstrates that PCOS is also linked to psychiatric syndromes as verified by structured clinical assessments. The clinical implication of this study is that clinicians treating women with PCOS should be aware that these women are a high risk group for common affective and anxiety disorders as well as suicide attempts.

Cardiovascular disease and risk factors in PCOS women of postmenopausal age: a 21-year controlled follow-up study.

CONTEXT Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with the metabolic syndrome and, consequently, with a potentially increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and related mortality later in life. Studies regarding CVD and mortality in PCOS women well into the postmenopausal age are lacking. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to examine whether postmenopausal PCOS women differ from controls regarding cardiovascular risk factors, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke and mortality. DESIGN AND SETTING We conducted, at a university hospital, a prospective study of 35 PCOS women (61-79 yr) and 120 age-matched controls. The study was performed 21 yr after the initial study. PARTICIPANTS Twenty-five PCOS women (Rotterdam criteria) and 68 controls participated in all examinations. Data on morbidity were based on 32 of 34 PCOS women and on 95 of 119 controls. INTERVENTIONS INTERVENTIONS included reexamination, interviews, and data from the National Board of Health and Welfare and from the Hospital Discharge Registry. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Blood pressure, glucose, insulin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high- and low-density lipoprotein, apolipoprotein A1 and B, fibrinogen, and plasminogen activator inhibitor antigen were studied. Incidences of MI, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, cause of death, and age at death were recorded. RESULTS PCOS women had a higher prevalence of hypertension (P = 0.008) and higher triglyceride levels (P = 0.012) than controls. MI, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and mortality prevalence was similar in the two cohorts with similar body mass index. CONCLUSIONS The well-described cardiovascular/metabolic risk profile in pre- and perimenopausal PCOS women does not entail an evident increase in cardiovascular events during the postmenopausal period.

Troponin T Percentiles from a Random Population Sample, Emergency Room Patients and Patients with Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND High-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (cTnT) assays detect small clinically important myocardial infarctions (MI) but also yield higher rates of false-positive results owing to increased concentrations sometimes present in patients without MI. Better understanding is needed of factors influencing the 99th percentile of cTnT concentrations across populations and the frequency of changes in cTnT concentrations >20% often used in combination with increased cTnT concentrations for diagnosis of MI. METHODS cTnT percentiles were determined by use of the Elecsys® hscTnT immunoassay (Modular® Analytics E170) in a random population sample, in emergency room (ER) patients, and in patients with non-ST-elevation MI (NSTEMI). Changes in cTnT concentrations were determined in hospitalized patients without MI. RESULTS The 99th cTnT percentile in a random population sample (median age, 65 years) was 24 ng/L. In ER patients <65 years old without obvious conditions that increase cTnT, the 99th cTnT percentile was 12 ng/L with little age dependence, whereas in those >65 years old it was 82 ng/L and highly age dependent. In hospitalized patients without MI the 97.5th percentile for change in the cTnT concentration was 51%-67%. cTnT remained below the 99th percentile (12 ng/L) in 1% of patients with NSTEMI until 8.5 h after symptom onset and 6 h after ER arrival. CONCLUSIONS Age >65 years was the dominant factor associated with increased cTnT in ER patients. This age association was more prominent in ER patients than in a random population sample. Changes in serial cTnT concentrations >20% were common in hospitalized patients without MI.

Pregnancy rate and outcome in Swedish women with Turner syndrome

Pregnancies occurred in 57 (12%) of 482 Swedish women with Turner syndrome with a liveborn rate of 54% in 124 pregnancies. Spontaneous pregnancies occurred in 40%, mainly in women with 45,X/46,XX mosaicism, and oocyte donation in 53% where miscarriages were less frequent, odds ratio = 0.43 (95% confidence interval 0.17-1.04).

Effect of climate therapy at Gran Canaria on vitamin D production, blood glucose and lipids in patients with psoriasis.

Background  Climate therapy (heliotherapy) of psoriasis is an effective and natural treatment. Ultraviolet radiation (UVB) from the sun improves psoriasis and induces vitamin D3 synthesis.

Impact of Growth Hormone Therapy on Quality of Life in Adults with Turner Syndrome

CONTEXT GH and/or oxandrolone are used to promote growth in Turner syndrome (TS). OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to compare quality of life (QoL) in TS women with controls and determine the impact of growth promoting therapy on QoL in TS women. DESIGN This was a cross-sectional, case-control study. SETTING The study was conducted at an outpatient clinic at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden. PATIENTS PATIENTS included 111 TS women (age range 18-59 yr) and 111 randomly selected, age-matched women (25-54 yr) from the World Health Organization Monitoring Trends and Determinants for Cardiovascular Disease project (Göteborg, Sweden) served as controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES QoL was estimated by the Psychological General Well-Being scale (anxiety, depressed mood, positive well-being, self-control, general health and vitality) and the Nottingham Health Profile (physical mobility, pain, sleep, energy, social isolation, and emotional reactions). RESULTS TS women reported more social isolation than controls (P < 0.001). After age adjustment, significantly less pain (<0.05) was reported attributable to GH treatment within TS. No significant difference in any other subscales used could be shown. In TS, QoL was negatively affected by higher current age and age at diagnosis and positively affected by better body balance, fine motor function, and higher bone mineral density. CONCLUSIONS Social isolation was more commonly reported in the whole TS cohort than in the population. Except for less pain, no significant impact on QoL attributable to GH treatment could be found, despite the mean +5.1 cm final height.

Secular trends in sex hormones and fractures in men and women.

OBJECTIVE To study secular trends in sex hormones, anthropometry, bone measures and fractures. DESIGN A random population sample was studied twice and subjects of similar age group were compared 13 years apart. METHODS X-ray-verified fractures were retrieved from a random population sample of 2400 men and women (participants 1616=67%) aged 25-64 years from the WHO, MONICA Project in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1995 and 2008. Fasting serum hormones and calcaneal ultrasound were measured in every fourth subject. In fertile women, measurements were performed on cycle day interval 7-9. RESULTS In 2008, men had lower serum free testosterone than men of similar age in 1995 (P<0.001). Body composition, physical activity and fracture incidence were similar. In women, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was lower in 2008, 7 vs 28% (P<0.0001), as was serum oestradiol, although use of tranquilisers and leisure time physical activity were higher. In 2008, the fracture incidence was higher in postmenopausal women, 29 vs 17% (P<0.001), and vertebral crush had increased from 8 to 19% of all fractures (P=0.031). Serum cholesterol and triglycerides were lower in all subjects in 2008 compared with that in 1995. CONCLUSIONS Secular trends were observed with lower serum testosterone in men in 2008, but no effect was seen on the fracture incidence of these fairly young men. In postmenopausal women in 2008, there was a higher fracture incidence along with more vertebral compressions. Lower HRT use, lower serum oestradiol and higher fall risk exposure due with more tranquilisers and leisure time physical activity in 2008 may explain the results.