Marjorie Zarebska

Factors determining the use of hormone replacement therapy in recent naturally postmenopausal women participating in the French SU.VI.MAX cohort

The determinants of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were studied in a cohort of recently postmenopausal women participating, in France, in a nutritional study (SU.VI.MAX Study). Analysis was performed-analysis on 592 women aged 45 years or more, who had undergone natural menopause which appeared in the 2 previous years. No differences were observed in education level, socio-professional categories, marital status, geographic residence, smoking habits, physical activity, or past contraceptive practice. Past regular gynecologic follow-up appeared to be the strongest determinant of HRT use (odds ratio [OR]: 3.18). Women who reported having had at least one of the studied pathologies (past history of breast cancer, phlebitis, anger, uterine fibroma, hypertension, diabetes or hypercholesterolemia), past abundant menstrual blood losses, and with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 were less likely to be taking HRT than women free of pathology, with no history of past abundant menstrual blood losses and with low BMI (OR respectively of 0.40, 0.64, 0.62). Women over 51.3 years of age were less likely to use HRT than younger women (OR: 0.92). Finally, in our population, while socio-economic level was not a major determinant of HRT use, the regularity of gynecological follow-up before menopause, overweight, and the existence of a definite or possible contra-indication were strong determinants of HRT use.

Relationship between Serum, Red Cell, Urinary and Dietary Magnesium in a Middle-Aged French Adult Population

Magnesium (Mg) is the second most common intracellular electrolyte; in the body. Few data are available in general population studies on the assessment of Mg status and its relationship to dietary intake. We explored the relationship between several biological Mg surrogates (serum, red cell, and urinary), Mg intake, age, alcohol intake, and mean energy intake in a large sample of French adults issued from the SUVIMAX study. Serum Mg was positively correlated with red cell Mg in men and women (r = 0.17; p < 0.001) whereas no association was found between urinary Mg and red cell Mg nor between urinary Mg and serum Mg. Age was positively correlated with serum and red cell Mg in women (p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with urinary Mg in both genders (p < 0.001). Finally, a negative correlation was found between dietary intake and red cell Mg in women (r = -0.06; p < 0.05). Among the biological Mg surrogates, an association was found between serum Mg and red cell Mg. Further investigations should be conducted in order to determine the role played by dietary Mg intake in the relationship between health status and several biological Mg measurements.

Dietary Iron Intake and Iron Status of French Adults Participating in the SU.VI.MAX Cohort

Dietary iron intakes and iron status were assessed in a national sample of adults living in France and participation in the SU.VI.Max cohort. Biochemical data (serum ferritin and hemoglobin concentrations) were obtained for 6.648 women 35–60 years old and for 3.283 men 45–60 years old. Assessment of iron dietary intakes was realized on a sample of 3.111 women and 2.337 men who reported six 24-h dietary recors during a one year period; 22.7% of menstruating women and 5.3% of post-menopausal women presented a total depletion of iron stores (serum ferritin <15 . g/l). Iron-deficient anemias were found in, respectively, 4.4% and less than 1% of these women. Three-quarters of the anemias were related to iron deficiency in menstruating women. In men, iron depletion and iron deficiency anemia were very rare. Post-menopausal women had much higher serum ferritin levels than menstruating women. In menstruating women, those using intra uterine devices had significantly lower srum ferritin levels than those without contraception, and much lower than those using oral contraception. The frequency of iron depletion reached 28.1% in women using intra uterine devices, but only 13.6% in those using oral contraceptives.