Comparison between the different methods developed for determining the onset of the LH surge in urine during the human menstrual cycle.

PURPOSE: To determine whether an optimal method exists for the detection of the luteinising hormone (LH) surge onset in research datasets of urinary hormonal profiles of menstrual cycles. METHODS: The scientific literature was searched to compare published methodologies for detection of the LH surge onset in urine. Their performance was tested using complete hormonal profiles from 254 ovulatory cycles from 227 women attempting pregnancy (normal regular menstrual cycles; no known infertility). RESULTS: Three major methodologies to determine the onset of the LH surge in urine were identified. The key difference between these methods is how the cycle days that contribute to LH baseline assessment are determined: using fixed days (method #1), based on peak LH day (method #2), based on a provisional estimate of the LH surge (method #3). Method #1 requires no prior cycle information, whereas methods #2 and #3 need to consider complete cycle data. The most reliable method for calculation of baseline LH was using 2 days before the estimated surge day, plus the previous 4/5 days. CONCLUSIONS: Different methods for identification of the urinary LH surge can provide very different determinations of LH surge day, thus care must be taken when comparing between studies that apply different methodologies. The optimal method for determining the onset of the LH surge in urine requires retrospective estimation of day of LH surge to identify the most appropriate part of the cycle to consider as the baseline. This method can be adopted for application in population studies.

Sequential classification of endocrine stages during reproductive aging in women: the FREEDOM study.

OBJECTIVE: Reproductive aging involves complex endocrine changes affecting women's fertility, health, and well-being; however, understanding of the specific changes involved is limited by the lack of detailed quantitative studies. We undertook a thorough study with the aim of characterizing the different endocrine stages involved in female reproductive aging. DESIGN: FREEDOM is a cohort study designed to determine the endocrine changes during reproductive aging in women. Here, we ascertained the different endocrine patterns in a representative population and developed a staging system. In this study, 112 women aged 30 to 58 years collected daily urine samples over a 6- to 18-month period and recorded their menstrual periods. A total of 36,786 samples were analyzed for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone, estrone 3-glucuronide, and pregnanediol 3-glucuronide. RESULTS: A classification of five sequential endocrine stages of reproductive aging was developed: stage 1, regular menstrual cycles with mean initial (day 1-5) FSH less than 5 IU/L; stage 2, regular cycles with FSH greater than 5 IU/L; stage 3, menstrual irregularity (with the appearance of "delayed-response cycles"); stage 4, acyclical ovarian activity with no evidence of ovulation and luteinization; and stage 5, ovarian quiescence and persistently raised gonadotropins. Distinct hormonal characteristics during the follicular and luteal phase were noted at each stage. CONCLUSION: This classification provides a detailed insight into the endocrinology of reproductive aging in women that could be useful for both clinical guidance and personal health care.

Increased live birth rate in twin pregnancies resulting from embryo assistance.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate why the live birth rate per implanted embryo is higher in twin than in singleton pregnancies. METHODS: Data from 1,159 singleton and 523 dichorionic twin pregnancies, obtained after assisted conception, were included. To account for the higher live birth rate observed in twin pregnancies, two possibilities were considered: embryo collaboration and assistance. To test these hypotheses, we compared the observed values for each possible outcome in twin pregnancies (double birth, single birth, double loss) with the expected values regarding as the null hypothesis that the survival of either embryo is independent from the presence of the other. The effect of maternal age was also examined. RESULTS: Live birth rate, per implanted embryo, was higher in twin than in singleton pregnancies: 83% compared with 76% (odds ratio 1.53, 95% confidence interval 1.24-1.88; P<.001). There were significant differences between the observed outcomes in twin pregnancies and those expected assuming no interaction between embryos (P<.001). The number of double births was higher than expected (71.9% observed compared with 57.7% expected), whereas single births were lower to a similar extent (22% observed compared with 36.5% expected). In contrast, observed and expected double losses were similar (6.1% observed compared with 5.8% expected). Although the overall rate of miscarriage was higher for women aged 34 years and older, the difference in live birth rate between twin and singleton pregnancies was 2.4-fold higher than in younger women. CONCLUSION: The higher live birth rate occurring in twin pregnancies can be accounted for by assistance, whereby some embryos that would fail as singletons survive in a twin pregnancy when implanted along with a fit sibling. This effect is more pronounced in older mothers.

Levels of urinary human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) following conception and variability of menstrual cycle length in a cohort of women attempting to conceive.

OBJECTIVES: To define the variability of menstrual cycle length and contribution of follicular and luteal phases to overall cycle variability, and to examine the rise in urinary hCG in early pregnancy. METHODS: Menstrual cycle study. Urine samples from 101 women (recruited from two south-east counties in the UK) were assayed to determine day of luteinising hormone (LH) surge, lengths of follicular and luteal phases and correlations with total menstrual cycle length. HCG study. Daily urine samples collected from 86 women prior to conception until 43 days post-conception were assayed for hCG and examined versus time since LH surge, determined using fertility test kits. RESULTS: Mean menstrual cycle length was 27.7 +/- 3.4 days, mean follicular phase length was 14.5 +/- 3.4 days and mean luteal phase length was 13.2 +/- 1.9 days. Total cycle lengths varied between and within women. There was a significant correlation (r(2) = 0.70) between follicular phase length and total cycle length; luteal phase length was less variable and showed no association with total cycle length. Concentrations of hCG were significantly similar between women when referenced against the day since LH surge. Three thresholds were determined to indicate time since conception as 1-2 weeks, 2-3 weeks and 3+ weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Total cycle length variation is mainly determined by follicular phase variation and predicting menses onset to estimate time of pregnancy testing is unreliable. Evaluating concentrations of hCG relative to LH surge results in consistent increases between women up to 21 days after conception. Therefore, urinary hCG concentration can be used to accurately estimate time since conception.

Relación médico paciente y la eSalud / Doctor-patient relationship and eHealth

Para lograr una excelencia en la atención médica, se debe establecer un principio inviolable, la relación médico-paciente, aspecto más sensible y humano de la medicina. La eSalud, también denominada Cibersalud, es la utilización de las tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones en el apoyo a la salud, incluida la asistencia médica. Se propone una reflexión alrededor de los conceptos de relación médico-paciente, tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones, eSalud y la relación entre estos. Incuestionables son los logros de la esalud (Cibersalud) y las tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones en las ciencias médicas. Este desarrollo impetuoso de la tecnología aplicada a la medicina, si no es controlado racionalmente por el hombre puede convertir la relación médico-paciente en una deshumanizada relación paciente-aparato. Se impone el deber impostergable para todo el personal de salud el cultivar y perfeccionar la relación médico-paciente, principio sagrado en el ejercicio medico(AU)

To achieve healthcare excellence, an inviolable principle should be established: Doctor-patient relationship is the most sensitive and humane aspect of medical practice. EHealth, also known as cyberhealth, is the use of information and communication technologies in support of health programs, including medical care. A discussion is provided about the concepts of doctor-patient relationship, information and communication technologies and eHealth, and about the links between them. EHealth (cyberhealth) and information and communication technologies have achieved undeniable progress in the field of medical sciences. However, such impetuous development of technology applied to medicine should be rationally controlled to prevent doctor-patient relationship from becoming a dehumanized patient-device relationship. Healthcare personnel have the unpostponable duty to cultivate and improve doctor-patient relationship, a sacred principle in medical practice(AU)

Relación médico paciente y la eSalud / Doctor-patient relationship and eHealth

Para lograr una excelencia en la atención médica, se debe establecer un principio inviolable, la relación médico-paciente, aspecto más sensible y humano de la medicina. La eSalud, también denominada Cibersalud, es la utilización de las tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones en el apoyo a la salud, incluida la asistencia médica. Se propone una reflexión alrededor de los conceptos de relación médico-paciente, tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones, eSalud y la relación entre estos. Incuestionables son los logros de la esalud (Cibersalud) y las tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones en las ciencias médicas. Este desarrollo impetuoso de la tecnología aplicada a la medicina, si no es controlado racionalmente por el hombre puede convertir la relación médico-paciente en una deshumanizada relación paciente-aparato. Se impone el deber impostergable para todo el personal de salud el cultivar y perfeccionar la relación médico-paciente, principio sagrado en el ejercicio medico

To achieve healthcare excellence, an inviolable principle should be established: Doctor-patient relationship is the most sensitive and humane aspect of medical practice. EHealth, also known as cyberhealth, is the use of information and communication technologies in support of health programs, including medical care. A discussion is provided about the concepts of doctor-patient relationship, information and communication technologies and eHealth, and about the links between them. EHealth (cyberhealth) and information and communication technologies have achieved undeniable progress in the field of medical sciences. However, such impetuous development of technology applied to medicine should be rationally controlled to prevent doctor-patient relationship from becoming a dehumanized patient-device relationship. Healthcare personnel have the unpostponable duty to cultivate and improve doctor-patient relationship, a sacred principle in medical practice

Comparison between creatinine and pregnanediol adjustments in the retrospective analysis of urinary hormone profiles during the human menstrual cycle.

Measurement of reproductive hormones in urine is a practical way of obtaining large amounts of information; however, there is still controversy on how to overcome problems derived from volume fluctuations between samples. Creatinine adjustment is a widely accepted solution, however, it introduces an extra cost, and large studies involving multiple sequential determinations would benefit from more economical solutions. We determined the value of creatinine adjustment, and compared it with a mathematical method that uses the smoothed profile of pregnanediol (PdG) as a reference to adjust other hormonal markers. To do this, we investigated the effects on three major urinary reproductive hormonal markers (luteinizing hormone (LH), estrone 3-glucuronide (E1G) and PdG) in 17 complete menstrual cycles. Detection of the day of LH peak did not differ between raw and adjusted data. Creatinine adjustment reduced variation in pre-ovulatory E1G levels between individuals, though the effect was negligible within individuals. No significant differences were found regarding post-ovulatory PdG rise. Although creatinine adjustment significantly reduces variability, producing smoother profiles, an equivalent degree of smoothness is obtained using the PdG adjustment. We conclude that under the current technology, for the retrospective study of urinary hormonal profiles in the human menstrual cycle, PdG adjustment is a valid alternative to creatinine.