The use of complementary and alternative medicine by women transitioning through menopause in Germany: results of a survey of women aged 45-60 years.

OBJECTIVES: To describe prevalence rates of complementary and alternative medicine therapies (CAM) for the relief of menopausal complaints among German women. Furthermore, to investigate the perceived effectiveness of these therapies. DESIGN: A self-administered questionnaire was sent to 9785 randomly selected women in Germany aged between 45 and 60 years. RESULTS: A total of 1893 (19.3%) questionnaires have been sent back. The mean age of all participants was 52.6±4.3 years. 81% (n=1517) of the responding women stated that they had experienced menopausal complaints at least once. Symptoms ranged from vasomotor symptoms, including hot flushes and night sweats, in 71.2% of cases, to bladder problems in 42.7%. The average symptom score (MRS II total score, range 1-44) among the respondents was 12.76±9.6. More than half (56%; n=1049/1872) of the responding women had used some form of therapy to alleviate their symptoms at least once. The majority of women undertaking a therapy (64.8%; n=679/1049) had used only CAM interventions (either one or more type of CAM), 14.2% (n=149) had used hormone replacement therapy (HRT) only, while 21.1% (n=221/1049) had tried both CAM and HRT. Popular CAM interventions by the respondents were an alteration of lifestyle (28.7%), St. John's wort (18.3%) and homoeopathy (14.9%). An alteration in lifestyle was rated as the most effective CAM treatment with 84.9% (n=457). Other treatments like hormone yoga (79.2%; n=42), homoeopathy (73.7%; n=205) and TCM (59.1%; n=94) were also perceived to be effective. Phytoestrogens were rated as the most ineffective (45.5%; n=50). CONCLUSION: CAM interventions to alleviate menopausal complaints are popular among German women, with 48.2% (n=900/1872) of respondents reporting having used CAM either alone or in combination with HRT. However, the users rated the effects of CAM differently, with some reporting CAM to be highly effective, while others indicate lower effectiveness. Nevertheless, women with a significantly higher symptom scoring tend to use both CAM and a conventional therapy (HRT).

A low-resolution low-temperature neutron diffraction study of myoglobin.

Diffraction data to 5 A resolution were collected on a myoglobin crystal at 80, 130, 180 and 240 K. The linear coefficient of thermal expansion for myoglobin was determined to be 45 x 10(-6) K(-1), based on the measured expansion of the unit-cell parameters. The nature of the hydration layers surrounding the protein in the crystal is described in terms of a shell solvent model, which was used to calculate the coefficient of thermal expansion in reasonable agreement with the measured value. Wilson statistics were calculated and discussed in terms of an averaged disorder model. [F(T(2)) - F(80 K) exp(-iphi)] Fourier maps were calculated where T(2) was taken as 130, 180 and 240 K, respectively. None of these difference maps showed any features above 2.0sigma in the protein region. The 130 and 240 K difference maps showed many small and widely distributed negative difference features and showed very few positive difference features above 2.5sigma in the solvent region. However, the 180 K difference map showed an extensive negative difference feature at the interface between symmetry-related molecules, occurring in the vicinity of residues 40-50 on one molecule and 76-80 on a symmetry-related molecule. These difference neutron Fourier maps indicate a concerted effect at 180 K, which is interpreted in terms of an onset of extended lattice disorder.

Myoglobin solvent structure at different temperatures.

The structure of the solvent surrounding myoglobin crystals has been analyzed using neutron diffraction data, and the results indicate that the water around the protein is not disordered, but rather lies in well-defined hydration shells. We have analyzed the structure of the solvent surrounding the protein by collecting neutron diffraction data at four different temperatures, namely, 80, 130, 180, and 240K. Relative Wilson Statistics applied to low resolution data showed evidence of a phase transition in the region of 180K. A plot of the liquidity factor, Bsn, versus distance from the protein surface begins with a high plateau near the surface of the protein and drops to two minima at distances from the protein surface of about 2.35A and 3.85A. Two distinct hydration shells are observed. Both hydration shells are observed to expand as the temperature is increased.