Homeopathy for infertility treatment: a case series.

Homeopathy has been used in the past for treating a broad aspect of diseases. In gynecology, its use remains limited. Taking under consideration its clinical aspects, the authors attempted to use it for treating female sub fertility problems. With this study, the authors present five cases of female infertility treated successfully with the use of homeopathic treatment in a large obstetrics-gynecology Hospital in Athens.

Recommendations From the 2023 International Evidence-based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

STUDY QUESTION: What is the recommended assessment and management of those with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), based on the best available evidence, clinical expertise, and consumer preference? SUMMARY ANSWER: International evidence-based guidelines address prioritized questions and outcomes and include 254 recommendations and practice points, to promote consistent, evidence-based care and improve the experience and health outcomes in PCOS. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: The 2018 International PCOS Guideline was independently evaluated as high quality and integrated multidisciplinary and consumer perspectives from six continents; it is now used in 196 countries and is widely cited. It was based on best available, but generally very low to low quality, evidence. It applied robust methodological processes and addressed shared priorities. The guideline transitioned from consensus based to evidence-based diagnostic criteria and enhanced accuracy of diagnosis, whilst promoting consistency of care. However, diagnosis is still delayed, the needs of those with PCOS are not being adequately met, evidence quality was low and evidence-practice gaps persist. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: The 2023 International Evidence-based Guideline update reengaged the 2018 network across professional societies and consumer organizations with multidisciplinary experts and women with PCOS directly involved at all stages. Extensive evidence synthesis was completed. Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation-II (AGREEII)-compliant processes were followed. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework was applied across evidence quality, feasibility, acceptability, cost, implementation and ultimately recommendation strength and diversity and inclusion were considered throughout. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: This summary should be read in conjunction with the full Guideline for detailed participants and methods. Governance included a six-continent international advisory and management committee, five guideline development groups, and paediatric, consumer, and translation committees. Extensive consumer engagement and guideline experts informed the update scope and priorities. Engaged international society-nominated panels included paediatrics, endocrinology, gynaecology, primary care, reproductive endocrinology, obstetrics, psychiatry, psychology, dietetics, exercise physiology, obesity care, public health and other experts, alongside consumers, project management, evidence synthesis, statisticians and translation experts. Thirty-nine professional and consumer organizations covering 71 countries engaged in the process. Twenty meetings and five face-to-face forums over 12 months addressed 58 prioritized clinical questions involving 52 systematic and 3 narrative reviews. Evidence-based recommendations were developed and approved via consensus across five guideline panels, modified based on international feedback and peer review, independently reviewed for methodological rigour, and approved by the Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: The evidence in the assessment and management of PCOS has generally improved in the past five years, but remains of low to moderate quality. The technical evidence report and analyses (∼6000 pages) underpins 77 evidence-based and 54 consensus recommendations, with 123 practice points. Key updates include: i) further refinement of individual diagnostic criteria, a simplified diagnostic algorithm and inclusion of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels as an alternative to ultrasound in adults only; ii) strengthening recognition of broader features of PCOS including metabolic risk factors, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, very high prevalence of psychological features, and high risk status for adverse outcomes during pregnancy; iii) emphasizing the poorly recognized, diverse burden of disease and the need for greater healthcare professional education, evidence-based patient information, improved models of care and shared decision making to improve patient experience, alongside greater research; iv) maintained emphasis on healthy lifestyle, emotional wellbeing and quality of life, with awareness and consideration of weight stigma; and v) emphasizing evidence-based medical therapy and cheaper and safer fertility management. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Overall, recommendations are strengthened and evidence is improved, but remain generally low to moderate quality. Significantly greater research is now needed in this neglected, yet common condition. Regional health system variation was considered and acknowledged, with a further process for guideline and translation resource adaptation provided. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: The 2023 International Guideline for the Assessment and Management of PCOS provides clinicians and patients with clear advice on best practice, based on the best available evidence, expert multidisciplinary input and consumer preferences. Research recommendations have been generated and a comprehensive multifaceted dissemination and translation programme supports the Guideline with an integrated evaluation program. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): This effort was primarily funded by the Australian Government via the National Health Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (APP1171592), supported by a partnership with American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Endocrine Society, European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology, and the European Society for Endocrinology. The Commonwealth Government of Australia also supported Guideline translation through the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFCRI000266). HJT and AM are funded by NHMRC fellowships. JT is funded by a Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) fellowship. Guideline development group members were volunteers. Travel expenses were covered by the sponsoring organizations. Disclosures of interest were strictly managed according to NHMRC policy and are available with the full guideline, technical evidence report, peer review and responses (www.monash.edu/medicine/mchri/pcos). Of named authors HJT, CTT, AD, LM, LR, JBoyle, AM have no conflicts of interest to declare. JL declares grant from Ferring and Merck; consulting fees from Ferring and Titus Health Care; speaker's fees from Ferring; unpaid consultancy for Ferring, Roche Diagnostics and Ansh Labs; and sits on advisory boards for Ferring, Roche Diagnostics, Ansh Labs, and Gedeon Richter. TP declares a grant from Roche; consulting fees from Gedeon Richter and Organon; speaker's fees from Gedeon Richter and Exeltis; travel support from Gedeon Richter and Exeltis; unpaid consultancy for Roche Diagnostics; and sits on advisory boards for Roche Diagnostics. MC declares travels support from Merck; and sits on an advisory board for Merck. JBoivin declares grants from Merck Serono Ltd.; consulting fees from Ferring B.V; speaker's fees from Ferring Arzneimittell GmbH; travel support from Organon; and sits on an advisory board for the Office of Health Economics. RJN has received speaker's fees from Merck and sits on an advisory board for Ferring. AJoham has received speaker's fees from Novo Nordisk and Boehringer Ingelheim. The guideline was peer reviewed by special interest groups across our 39 partner and collaborating organizations, was independently methodologically assessed against AGREEII criteria and was approved by all members of the guideline development groups and by the NHMRC.

Health seeking behavior of couples with secondary infertility.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the factors affecting the health-seeking behavior of couples with secondary infertility in Karachi. DESIGN: A descriptive case series. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The data was collected from women attending infertility clinics in five tertiary care hospitals in Karachi from March to June 2003. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All currently married women, between the age of 15-35 years, with at least one previous conception, irrespective of outcome, attending an infertility clinic and consenting to participate in the study, were included. Women with corrective surgery on vagina and uterus, and cases of primary infertility, were excluded. Multiple logistic regression models were used to determine the association of various factors, affecting the health-seeking behavior, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05 for the covariates and the interaction terms between various factors. RESULTS: The women consulted multiple health care providers for treatment of secondary infertility. The main reasons for seeking treatment were couple s wish (54.2%), family pressure (22.6%) and want of a son by husbands or in-laws (20.4%). The most commonly sought providers were physicians (74.7%), Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA, 39.5%), Spiritual healers (26%), Hakeems (23%) and Homeopaths (17.2%). Most of the women who consulted non-physicians were illiterate (69.4%) as compared to those who consulted a physician (37.8%, p-value = 0.00). The non-physicians were more commonly consulted by women belonging to low socioeconomic group. The posttreatment complications were more common among women who consulted non-physicians. CONCLUSION: Pressure from husbands and in-laws compels women for consulting multiple providers. Health seeking behavior for infertility is affected by the literacy and socioeconomic status of the women.

A comparison of the efficacy and tolerability of two recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone preparations in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and tolerability of two recombinant human FSH (r-hFSH) preparations, follitropin-alpha (Gonal-F; Ares Serono, Geneva, Switzerland) and follitropin-beta (Puregon; Organon, Oss, the Netherlands), for superovulation in patients undergoing IVF-ET. DESIGN: Randomized, parallel-group, assessor-blind, single-center trial. SETTING: Outpatient tertiary referral center for assisted reproductive techniques. PATIENT(S): Forty-four infertile women undergoing IVF-ET. INTERVENTION(S): After down-regulation with buserelin acetate, patients were randomized to receive follitropin-alpha or follitropin-beta, 150 IU/d for 6 days; after that, dosages were adjusted according to the ovarian response. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Cumulative dose of r-hFSH; duration of r-hFSH treatment; number of follicles of > or =11 mm and of 14 mm on day 7 of r-hFSH treatment and on the day of hCG administration; number of oocytes retrieved; number of viable embryos; and number of pregnancies (biochemical, ectopic, miscarried) and clinical pregnancies. RESULT(S): There were no statistically significant differences in any efficacy measures between the two preparations. The incidence of systemic adverse events was comparable in the two groups. Local reactions at the injection site were significantly more common and more severe with follitropin-beta than with follitropin-alpha CONCLUSION(S): Follitropin-alpha and follitropin-beta have comparable efficacy in patients undergoing IVF-ET.

Esterilidade por salpingite e tratamento homeopático com nosódio: relato de caso / Sterility caused by salpingitis and nosode homeopathic treatment: case report

A infertilidade em casais frequentemente é multifatorial. Dentre elas alterações tubárias respondem por até 20% dessa causalidade, sendo a histerossalpingografia o exame de escolha para verificarem alterações em sua anatomia, orientando desde a opção por tratamentos mais conservadores até mesmo a salpingectomia com posterior fertilização in vitro. O relato de caso em questão trata de uma mulher que já se encontrava em tratamento para fertilidade há 3 anos e, antes da cirurgia definitiva, optou por buscar o tratamento homeopático como alternativa. Após repertorização chegou-se ao medicamento Sycotic co, um nosódio preparado com Entercococcus faecalis, agente que é um dos principais responsáveis por doenças inflamatórias pélvicas que, por sua vez, encontram-se na etiologia das salpingites. Após trinta dias de utilização a paciente consegue engravidar, demonstrando possivelmente que o organismo recuperou sua capacidade autopoiética (regenerativa) frente ao estímulo ocasionado pela medicação homeopática, embasando novos ensaios capazes de trazer maiores evidências da utilização da homeopatia como possibilidade no tratamento adjuvante da infertilidade. (AU)

Infertility in couples is often multifactorial. Tubal disorders account for up to 20% of causes, and hysterosalpingography is the test of choice to investigate anatomical changes, which orient the option for more conservative treatments or salpingectomy with subsequent in vitro fertilization. The present case report concerns a woman under fertility treatment for 3 years, but choose to seek homeopathic treatment before final surgery. Repertory analysis led to the selection of Sycotic co, a nosode prepared from Enterococcus faecalis, which is one of the main responsible pathogens associated with pelvic inflammatory disease, which is one of the causes of salpingitis. After 30 days of treatment, the patient became pregnant, which possibly shows that her body had regained its autopoietic (regenerative) ability against the stimulus represented by homeopathic medication. These findings support the need to perform new studies to gather further evidence of the use of homeopathy as possible adjuvant treatment for infertility. (AU)

Pregnancy rates in varying age groups after in vitro fertilization: a comparison of follitropin alfa (Gonal F) and follitropin beta (Follistim).

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to assess the efficacy of two recombinant follicle-stimulating hormones, follitropin beta (Follistim, Organon, West Orange, NJ) and follitropin alfa (Gonal F, Serono, Norwell, Mass) on pregnancy rates in varying age groups of women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). STUDY DESIGN: Three hundred sixty-five IVF cycles were retrospectively compared, 233 by use of follitropin beta and 132 by use of follitropin alfa, both after gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist down-regulation. Assignment to each medication was indiscriminate. The primary outcome measured was pregnancy evidenced by fetal heartbeat on ultrasonography. Secondary outcomes included days of stimulation, ampules per patient cycle, estradiol level on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin administration, total follicles present on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin administration, follicles greater than 14 mm, oocytes retrieved, mature eggs, fertilization rate, and embryos transferred. Outcomes were stratified by age, including women less than 36 years old, 36 to 39 years old, and more than 39 years old. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between follitropin beta and follitropin alfa in either the primary or secondary outcomes, although the pregnancy rate was significantly decreased with advancing age. CONCLUSION: Success rates are similar, when stratified by age, in women undergoing IVF with either follitropin beta or follitropin alfa.

Infertilidade e homeopatia / Infertility and homeopathy

Apresenta-se um caso de infertilidade com rapida resposta ao tratamento homeopatico. O caso ressalta a prontidao do efeito dos medicamentos homeopaticos alem de ilustrar a diferenca entre uma medicina vitalista e a abordagem da medicina convencional. (AU)

Les relations de natrum mur / Natrum muriaticum relations

Nous envisagerons dans cet expose les relations de Natrum Mur avec quelques grands remedes de la Matiere Medicale dans l'ordre suivant: La relation Natrum Mur/Phosphorus nous permettra d'etudier les troubles digestifs et nutritionnels. La relations Natrum Mur/Silicea nous conduira a toutes les demineralisations et les deficiences immunitaires. La relation Natrum Mur/Ignatia nous evoquera les remedes tristes. La relations Natrum Mur/Sepia evoquera les troubles de la sexualite, les dysmorphophobies, les desordres surrenaliens. Ces memes desordres surrenaliens nous conduiront a la relation Natrum Mur/Thuya. La relation Natrum Mur/Iodum ce sera les dysthyroidies. Nous finirons avec la relation Natrum Mur/Arsenicum Album qui nous permettra d'evoquer les troubles allergiques

La evidencia de la homeopatía: casos clínicos incurables curados / The evidence of the homeopathy: clinical cases incurable cured

Se analizan en forma detallada las historias clínicas de dos pacientes declarados incurables por la gravedad de las lesiones orgánicas irreversibles que presentan. En ambos casos se pone especial énfasis en la obtención de un stándard de presentación que priorice la rigurosidad en el análisis tanto de la metodología, criterio de aplicación de la ley de similitud utilizado, descripción de los síntomas en que se basó la prescripción, y seguimiento prolongado del caso para evaluar fehacientemente la naturaleza junto a la presentación de la documentación que avale el diagnóstico preciso y los resultados del tratamiento indicado. Se trata de un caso de Estenosis Espinal Severa y otro de Esterilidad por Obstrucción Tubaria Bilateral Completa. El enfoque terapéutico en ambos casos fue diferente, en tanto que el primero se resolvió aplicando la estrategia clásica de similitud sintomática, en el segundo caso se recurrió a la prescripción del medicamento a través del conocimiento de las propiedades fisiopatológicas, de su tropismo y de los resultados de su aplicación clínica por parte del autor