Complications after pelvic floor repair surgery (with and without mesh): short-term incidence after 1873 inclusions in the French VIGI-MESH registry.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the short-term incidence of serious complications of surgery for urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse. DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal cohort study using a surgical registry. SETTING: Thirteen public hospitals in France. POPULATION: A cohort of 1873 women undergoing surgery between February 2017 and August 2018. METHODS: Preliminary analysis of serious complications after a mean follow-up of 7 months (0-18 months), according to type of surgery. Surgeons reported procedures and complications, which were verified by the hospitals' information systems. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Serious complication requiring discontinuation of the procedure or subsequent surgical intervention, life-threatening complication requiring resuscitation, or death. RESULTS: Fifty-two women (2.8%, 95% CI 2.1-3.6%) experienced a serious complication either during surgery, requiring the discontinuation of the procedure, or during the first months of follow-up, necessitating a subsequent reoperation. One woman also required resuscitation; no women died. Of 811 midurethral slings (MUSs), 11 were removed in part or totally (1.4%, 0.7-2.3%), as were two of 391 transvaginal meshes (0.5%, 0.1-1.6%), and four of 611 laparoscopically placed mesh implants (0.7%, 0.2-1.5%). The incidence of serious complications 6 months after the surgical procedure was estimated to be around 3.5% (2.0-5.0%) after MUS alone, 7.0% (2.8-11.3%) after MUS with prolapse surgery, 1.7% (0.0-3.8%) after vaginal native tissue repair, 2.8% (0.9-4.6%) after transvaginal mesh, and 1.0% (0.1-1.9%) after laparoscopy with mesh. CONCLUSIONS: Early serious complications are relatively rare. Monitoring must be continued and expanded to assess the long-term risk associated with mesh use and to identify its risk factors. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Short-term serious complications are rare after surgery for urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse, even with mesh.

Relationship between achieved personalized glycaemic targets and monitoring of clinical events in elderly diabetic patients.

AIM: Recent guidelines for the management of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in the elderly recommend adjusting the therapeutic target (HbA1c) according to the patient's health. Our study aimed to explore the association between achieving the recommended personalized HbA1c target and the occurrence of major clinical events under real-life conditions. METHODS: The T2DM S.AGES cohort was a prospective multicentre study into which 213 general practitioners recruited 983 non-institutionalized T2DM patients aged>65 years. The recommended personalized HbA1c targets were<7%, <8% and <9% for healthy, ill and very ill patients, respectively. Major clinical events (death from any cause, major vascular events and/or hospitalization) were recorded during the 3-year follow-up. Mixed-effects logistic regression models were used for the analyses. RESULTS: Of the 747 patients analyzed at baseline, 551 (76.8%) were at their recommended personalized HbA1c target. During follow-up, 391 patients (52.3%) experienced a major clinical event. Of the patients who did not achieve their personalized HbA1c target (compared with those who did), the risk (OR) of a major clinical event was 0.95 (95% CI: 0.69-1.31; P=0.76). The risk of death, major vascular event and hospitalization were 0.88 (95% CI: 0.40-1.94; P=0.75), 1.14 (95% CI: 0.7-1.83; P=0.59) and 0.84 (95% CI: 0.60-1.18; P=0.32), respectively. CONCLUSION: Over a 3-year follow-up period, our results showed no difference in risk of a major clinical event among patients, regardless of whether or not they achieved their personalized recommended HbA1c target. These results need to be confirmed before implementing a more permissive strategy for treating T2DM in elderly patients.

Incidence and remission of urinary incontinence at midlife: a cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Urinary incontinence (UI) is often considered to be an age-related disease that develops gradually as women grow older. Much remains to be learnt about factors that promote its incidence or its remission. Our objective was to assess its incidence and risk factors. DESIGN: Longitudinal cohort study. SETTING: French GAZEL cohort. POPULATION: A cohort of 4127 middle-aged women (aged 47-52 years at baseline) over an 18-year period (1990-2008). METHODS: UI was defined as 'difficulty retaining urine'. The question was asked at baseline and repeated every 3 years over an 18-year period. Two groups (UI incidence and remission) were analysed according to status at baseline (continent or incontinent). A multivariable analysis (Cox model) was used to estimate the risk factors for UI incidence and remission. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Annual incidence and remission rates and risk factors for UI incidence and remission. RESULTS: The annual incidence and remission rates for UI were 3.3% and 6.2%, respectively. High educational level (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.28; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 1.05-1.55), parity, i.e. at least one baby versus no baby (HR = 1.64; 95% CI = 1.19-2.27), menopause (HR = 5.44; 95% CI = 4.47-6.63), weight gain, i.e. for each kilogram change in weight (HR = 1.00; 95% CI = 1.00-1.02), onset of depressive symptoms (HR = 1.31; 95% CI = 1.09-1.57) and impairment in health-related quality of life incidence (social isolation dimension [HR = 1.29; 95% CI = 1.04-1.60] and energy dimension [HR = 1.41; 95% CI = 1.17-1.70]) were associated with an increased probability of UI. The factors associated with persistent UI were age (HR = 0.58; 95% CI = 0.55-0.61), weight gain (HR = 0.99; 95% CI = 0.98-0.99) and transition to menopausal status (HR = 1.54; 95% CI = 1.19-1.99). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that, in our population of middle-aged women, age, menopause, weight gain, onset of depression and impaired health-related quality of life may promote UI.

Psychometric properties of the Tunisian-Arabic version of the Women's Health Questionnaire.

OBJECTIVES: The Women's Health Questionnaire has been developed for the assessment of symptom perception in mid-aged women. It explores a range of psychological and physical symptoms and is one of the most used health-related quality of life measures. It was developed in the English language and is available in several other languages. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Tunisian-Arabic version of the questionnaire. METHODS: A Tunisian-Arabic translation of the original version of the Women's Health Questionnaire (36-item WHQ) was produced using the forward-backward translation method recommended by the designers. A total of 1231 women were anonymously recruited from the general population using the quota method of sampling. All women were administered the WHQ as part of a broader questionnaire; 1150 records were finally retained for analysis. Psychometric evaluation was performed for the original version of the WHQ (36 items) and then for the 23-item revised version proposed by the MAPI Research Institute. RESULTS: The acceptability and comprehensibility of the scale were good. The 36-item version showed overall good reliability, but some subscales lacked internal consistency. The validity was explored by principal component analysis and showed significant differences with the original English instrument and some deficiencies in its dimensional structure. The validity of the 23-item revised version was better. Finally, we suggest some adjustments to improve the reliability and validity of the instrument. CONCLUSION: The Tunisian-Arabic version of the WHQ is globally reliable and valid, but we recommend the use of an improved shortened version, more specific to mid-aged women.

[Urinary incontinence and menopause]. / Incontinence urinaire et ménopause.

PURPOSE: The aim of this review was to examine the relationship between menopause and urinary incontinence (UI). MATERIAL: Our work is based on a review of the literature on the epidemiology of UI in women and the effects of hormone therapy on symptoms of urinary leakage. A search of the Medline database between January 2000 and April 2012 was performed by crossing the keywords "urinary incontinence, stress urinary incontinence (SUI), urge incontinence, over active bladder, menopause, estrogen therapy". RESULTS: Twenty-nine articles over the 482 articles were initialy selected. The UI was a common symptom during menopause, with a prevalence of 15 to 30% and an annual incidence of 5 to 10%. The association between UI and menopause was controversial. Indeed, although underpinned by pathophysiological mechanisms such as the sensitivity of tissues of the urogenital sinus to estrogen, the epidemiological data available were contradictory and should be interpreted, if possible, depending on the type of UI. Thus, it remained difficult to distinguish the effect of menopause of the aging. The effects of estrogen on IU differed depending on the route of administration and of the type of UI. Randomized trials showed that oral administration of estrogen after menopause increased the occurrence of UI or SUI. However a vaginal administration of estrogen improved urge urinary incontinence (UUI) and overactive bladder. CONCLUSION: The data of this review were consistent with the French and European guidelines.

Prevalence of breastfeeding in industrialized countries.

BACKGROUND: Given the benefits of breastfeeding (BF), healthcare institutions recommend that a child should be breastfed for the first 6 months of its life. This study provides a review of BF as a function of socioeconomic criteria in various industrialized countries. METHODS: A review was carried out between 1st January 1998 and 1st March 2009, using Medline and the Public Health Database. The papers were selected independently by two persons, using a methodological grid designed to evaluate the quality of the studies. From 1126 initially selected papers, 26 from 16 different countries were retained for further analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of exclusive BF initiation was the highest in Norway, Denmark, and Japan with, respectively, 99, 98.7, and 98.3%. This prevalence was the lowest in the United Kingdom, the United States, and France with, respectively, 70, 69.5, and 62.6%. Women who breastfeed less were most commonly found to be young, single, from a low socioeconomic group, or with a low level of education. Women from immigrant population groups breastfed more than the native-born population during their pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of the sociodemographic distribution of women who breastfeed is essential for the definition of preventive policies, which are needed to reduce health-related social inequalities. An in-depth analysis of existing primary healthcare programs would allow new strategies to be defined.

Do social inequalities in cervical cancer screening persist among patients who use primary care? The Paris Prevention in General Practice survey.

OBJECTIVE: Social inequalities in cervical cancer screening may be related to either lack of access to care or inadequate delivery of preventive care by providers. We sought to characterize social inequalities among women consulting general practitioners with a wide range of social position indicators. METHODS: In 2005-06, 59 randomly recruited general practitioners from the Paris metropolitan area enrolled every woman aged 50-69 years seen during a two-week period. Cervical cancer screening status (overdue if the last cervical cancer screening had been more than 3 years earlier) was analyzed for 858 women in a logistic mixed model that considered: occupational class (in 5 levels, based on last occupation), education, income, characteristics related to family, housing, neighborhood, household wealth (social allocations, perceived financial difficulties in 4 levels, income tax), employment status, supplementary health insurance, and social network (4 levels). RESULTS: The rate of overdue patients did not vary between general practitioners (21%). social position indicators associated with overdue status (odds ratio between 2 adjacent decreasing social levels) were occupational class (1.20, 95% CI: 1.03-1.41), social network (1.52, 95% CI: 1.18-1.94), financial difficulties (1.42, 95% CI: 1.07-1.88), neighborhood safety (2.15, 95% CI: 1.10-4.20), and allocations (3.34, 95% CI: 1.12-9.96). CONCLUSIONS: Even among women visiting general practitioners we observed marked social inequalities that persist above and beyond occupational class.

[Characteristics and determinants of initiation of premenopausal use of oral progestagens in the French E3N cohort]. / Caractéristiques et déterminants de l'initiation d'un traitement progestatif oral dans la cohorte française E3N.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics and determinants of initiation of use of progestagens alone - i.e. without concomitant use of estrogen - among French premenopausal women. METHODS: Forty-one thousand six hundred and three women from the French E3N cohort were included in our analyses. Prevalence of use was calculated from 1992 to 2005. Determinants of progestagens alone initiation were investigated prospectively from 1992 to 2005, using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: Fifty-eight per cent of women who had reached menopause between 1992 and 2005 ever used progestagens alone during their premenopause. Between 1992 and the end of 1990s, the increase in the prevalence of progestagens alone use in our cohort was close to 50%. Initiation of progestagens alone was significantly associated with a high level of education (postgraduate compared to high-school graduate: Hazard ratio [HR]: 1.09 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.18), with a normal body mass index (overweight and obese women compared to normal-weight women: HR=0.84, 95% CI: 0.79-0.90 and HR=0.79, 95% CI: 0.69-0.89 respectively), history of gynecological disorders (mastalgia, benign breast disease and benign uterine or ovarian disease [HR=1.38, 95% CI: 1.27-1.49, HR=1.18, 95% CI: 1.13-1.24 and HR=1.60, 95% CI: 1.52-1.68 respectively]) and with recent gynaecological screening (as measured by recently performed mammogram or Pap smear HR=1.11, 95% CI: 1.05-1.17 and HR=1.38, 95% CI: 1.27-1.49 respectively). CONCLUSION: Since, at least in France, use of progestagens alone at premenopause is common, evaluation of its risks and benefits is of public health importance.

[Alternatives to hormone replacement therapy for menopause: an epidemiological evaluation]. / Les alternatives au traitement hormonal substitutif de la ménopause: le point épidémiologique.

OBJECTIVE: Recent results put into question the risks/benefits ratio of hormone replacement therapy and emphasize the importance of precise knowledge of the effects of other treatments that exist for postmenopausal symptoms or diseases. Our aim is to analyze their effect. METHODS: A review of randomized trials or epidemiological studies was undertaken. RESULTS: Bisphophonates, calcitonin, parathormone, strontium ranelate, calcium and vitamin D have specific effects on bone. The efficacy of bisphophonates for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis has been proven and parathormone and strontium ranelate seem promising. These treatments are useful for women at high risk of osteoporosis who do not suffer from menopausal symptoms. Tibolone, SERMs and phytoestrogens exert effects on various tissues. SERMs are very promising, but they do not improve climacteric symptoms and their long term effects are still unknown. Tibolone has beneficial effects on climacteric symptoms and on bone loss, but recent results concerning its effects on the risk of breast cancer call into question its interest. The beneficial effects of phytoestrogens on bone and on vasomotor symptoms need to be confirmed. CONCLUSION: At this time, none of the existing treatments for postmenopausal symptoms or diseases is ideal. The existence of several options for treatments of symptoms or diseases of the postmenopause is helpful as it affords several choices for physicians and for women who sometimes need to be treated for many years. However several questions remain unanswered concerning the long term effects of these treatments.

[Compliance with hormone replacement therapy in menopausal women: results of a two-year prospective French study comparing transdermal treatment with fixed oral combination therapy]. / Observance du traitement hormonal substitutif de la ménopause: résultats d'une étude prospective française de deux ans, comparant un traitement transdermique et une association fixe par voie orale.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate rates of continuation with hormone replacement therapy (HRT) at 2 years in 2 cohorts of female patients, one of which was treated with a set combination of oral oestradiol valerate and medroxyprogesterone acetate and the other with percutaneous 17 beta-oestradiol gel combined with an oral progestogen selected by the prescribing doctor. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective, randomised, open study, including 885 patients followed for 2 years whose 477 were in the oral HRT cohort and 408 were in the dermal cohort. Randomisation was done by group with prescription of the selected HRT for the cohort. The 2 treatment groups were compared using chi(2) tests and Fisher's exact test for qualitative variables, Student's t test or Wilcoxon's test for qualitative variables and Kaplan-Meier survival curves for continuation of HRT, with comparisons using the log-rank test. The prognostic value of baseline parameters on subsequent continuation of HRT was studied using the Cox model (Wald test, odds ratio). RESULTS; Among the 885 treated patients, 711 received the HRT assigned to their cohort (382 in the oral HRT cohort, 329 in the dermal HRT cohort). After 2 years, 77.9% of the patients in the oral HRT cohort and 73.4% of the patients in the dermal HRT cohort were continuing to take their prescribed HRT (P = 0. 076): 37.9% of patients in the oral HRT cohort and 20.2% of patients in the dermal HRT cohort (P < 0.001) continued taking their treatment without any modification. CONCLUSION: Although there was no significant difference in the level of compliance in the 2 groups, it is nonetheless worth noting that the HRT compliance with a sequential fixed estroprogestogen combination was, in this trial, at least equal to that with the free combination of a transdermal estrogen and a progestogen whose nature, dosage and sequence duration are selected by the prescriber. On the other hand, treatment modifications occurred more frequently in the cutaneous HRT group, which is logical as free combination affords to adapt the treatment to each patient.