Age-related differences in fluctuations in insulin resistance evaluated with HOMA-IR and triglyceride and glucose-based indices during the menstrual cycle, as determined using the NHANES cross-sectional dataset.

OBJECTIVES: To determine how age affects insulin resistance during the menstrual cycle and insulin resistance-associated indices: the Triglyceride-glucose and Triglyceride-glucose-BMI indexes. METHODS: This prospective observational study used fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, triglycerides, body mass index (BMI), and days since the start of the menstrual period collected from the NHANES dataset (1999-2006). Insulin resistance was determined using the Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR). The participants were categorized as young (16-34 years) or older (>35 years). Rhythmicity during the menstrual cycle was analyzed using the Cosinor and Cosinor2 packages for R. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cosine fit curves for insulin resistance during the menstrual cycle and age-associated effects on rhythmicity. RESULTS: Using 1256 participants, rhythmicity was observed for fasting insulin and HOMA-IR (p < 0.05) but not for fasting plasma glucose, the Triglyceride-glucose index, or the Triglyceride-glucose-BMI index. Significant amplitudes for fasting insulin and HOMA-IR were observed when age was considered. Acrophases for fasting insulin and HOMA-IR were significant only for the younger group, and the differences between these groups were significant, suggesting that the changes in scores for insulin resistance for the younger and older groups occur at different times of their menstrual cycle. CONCLUSIONS: Insulin resistance does fluctuate during the menstrual cycle, and it is at a maximum at different times for younger and older women. Since these results are unadjusted, this study is preliminary and further investigation is required.

Anti-COVID-19 Vaccination Alters the Menstrual Cycle and Dose Accumulation Enhances the Effect.

Background and Objectives: New investigations have detected an enhanced probability for women to develop menstrual cycle alterations after anti-COVID-19 vaccination. Moreover, given that the protective immunity provided by anti-COVID-19 vaccination appears to wane quickly, booster vaccination has been recommended. Nonetheless, whether adverse events arise from such repeated immunization has not been studied. Materials and Methods: We studied the incidence of menstrual cycle alterations, the quantity of menstrual cycle alterations per subject, and of altered menstrual cycles in nonpregnant women of fertile age after anti-COVID-19 vaccination in a cohort of vaccinated female subjects by the means of a standardized questionary that was applied via telephone calls each month. Subjects that received up to four doses were studied for 6 months after each dose. We calculated the odds ratio for enhanced incidence, as well as quadratic functions for the tendencies. A sensitivity analysis excluding subjects taking hormonal birth control and those with polycystic ovary syndrome was performed. Results: Anti-COVID-19 vaccination enhanced the probability to develop menstrual cycle alterations (OR 1.52, CI at 95% 1.2-1.8, p < 0.0001) and, interestingly, such a tendency was enhanced when subjects received more doses (R2 = 0.91). Furthermore, the same trends repeated for the quantity of alterations per subject, and of altered cycles. Such an effect was further demonstrated to be independent upon the vaccine brand being applied, the birth control status, and the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome. Conclusions: Vaccination is the most cost-effective measure for primary prevention and is considered to be safe. Nonetheless, in this article, we show data that suggest that repeated vaccination of adult female subjects may lead to an enhanced incidence of menstrual cycle-related adverse events, quantity of alterations per subject, and altered cycles. We therefore think that the development of new vaccine formulations that produce longer-lasting immunity is of paramount importance to reduce the potential for dose accumulation-dependent enhanced risk.

Dismenorrea, un dolor que incapacita / Dysmenorrhea: a disabling pain

La dismenorrea es una afección menstrual común en mujeres de edad reproductiva, caracterizada por dolor pélvico durante el ciclo menstrual. En este artículo, se revisan los factores de riesgo, la clínica y el diagnóstico de la dismenorrea primaria con el objetivo de proponer un enfoque de tratamiento multimodal para esta condición. La dismenorrea primaria es el dolor pélvico asociado al período menstrual sin una patología pélvica subyacente. La dismenorrea secundaria es el dolor pélvico que se presenta como síntoma de otras afecciones ginecológicas. El diagnóstico se basa en la historia clínica, la exploración física y ginecológica, y se pueden realizar pruebas complementarias en casos específicos. El tratamiento de la dismenorrea primaria es multimodal y tiene como objetivo aliviar el dolor y mejorar la calidad de vida de las pacientes. Los fármacos antiinflamatorios no esteroideos son la primera línea de tratamiento, aunque se pueden utilizar otros enfoques terapéuticos(AU)

Dysmenorrhea is a common menstrual condition in women of reproductive age, characterized by pelvic pain during the menstrual cycle. This article reviews the risk factors, clinic and diagnosis of primary dysmenorrhea to propose a multimodal treatment approach for this condition. Primary dysmenorrhea is pelvic pain associated with the menstrual period without underlying pelvic pathology. In contrast, secondary dysmenorrhea refers to pelvic pain that presents as a symptom of other gynecologic conditions. Diagnosis is based on detailed clinical history, physical and gynecological examination, and complementary tests may be performed in specific cases. Treatment of primary dysmenorrhea is multimodal and aims to relieve pain and improve the patient's quality of life. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the first line of treatment, although other therapeutic approaches can be employed(AU)

Menstrual pattern in polycystic ovary syndrome and hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis immaturity in adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze differences in the menstrual pattern, age at menarche, and body mass index (BMI) in adolescents with Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Ovarian (HPO) axis immaturity and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) through a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: The PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Virtual Health Library, Scopus databases were searched using combinations of descriptors. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. For data analysis, the results were grouped into PCOS group and NPCOS group (HPO axis immaturity). We performed a meta-analysis of raw data and the inverse variance method, employing the standardized mean difference, of the age at menarche and BMI of adolescents. RESULTS: Participants totaled 1,718 from nine selected studies. The meta-analysis showed that the PCOS group had a higher BMI than the NPCOS group (SMD 0.334; CI95% 0.073 - 0.595; p = .012). The degree of heterogeneity of the studies was approximately 40%. No significant difference in age at menarche (SMD - 0.027; CI95% -0.227 - 0.172; p = 0.790) and menstrual patterns was found, but amenorrhea was described only in adolescents with PCOS. CONCLUSIONS: The main characteristic in menstrual pattern that differentiated PCOS patients from girls with HPO axis immaturity was amenorrhea. Also, the BMI of PCOS patients was nearly one third higher than that of adolescents with HPO axis immaturity.

Insomnia Symptoms and Menstrual Health: Is There a Link in Women During Reproductive Phase of Life?

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between insomnia severity symptoms and menstrual health, fatigue and anxiety symptoms in women at reproductive age. METHOD: We used data from EPISONO (2007), an epidemiological study from the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Women completed the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), the Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) to obtain information about insomnia, fatigue, and anxiety symptoms. For menstrual health, we collected information using our Institutional Women's Questionnaire about menstrual flow and duration, the presence of pain during menstruation and menstrual cycle regularity. The statistical analysis was performed using ordinal logistic regression, considering p < .05. RESULTS: Of the 1,042 participants, only 282 women met the inclusion criteria to participate in this study. The mean age was 34.4 years (SD ± 8.36), and the body mass index (BMI) was 25.7 (SD ± 5.39). According to the model, a 1-unit higher CFS score increased the odds of having more insomnia symptoms in the ISI (OR = 1.170; 95% CI=[1.073; 1.279]; p < .001). In the same way, a 1-unit higher BAI score increased the chance of presenting insomnia symptoms, according to the ISI (OR = 1.072; 95% CI=[1.042; 1.104]; p < .001). The menstrual variables did not represent statistical significance in the model. CONCLUSIONS: Fatigue and anxiety symptoms were associated with insomnia symptoms; however, no association was observed between menstrual health and insomnia. The need to examine sleep when there are sleep complaints is essential to provide an accurate diagnosis that facilitates appropriate treatment and to provide better sleep quality for women.

Comparison of menstrual cycle irregularities among young women based on coronavirus disease 2019 infection status: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic that has emerged recently has significantly affected and continues to affect our lives. The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 virus has significant effects on women's health due to gender-related physiological differences. The aim of this study was to compare the menstrual cycle status of young women according to their status of having had coronavirus disease 2019. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 220 young women aged between 18 and 25 years who received at least one dose of coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine. The study data were collected as a survey on the online platform. RESULTS: The descriptive characteristics of young women who had had and had not had coronavirus disease 2019 were distributed homogeneously between the groups (p>0.05). Furthermore, there was no statistical difference in terms of menstrual cycle patterns (p>0.05). The mean scores from the Premenstrual Syndrome Scale and its subscales and the mean scores from the COVID Stress Scale and its subscales were similar in both groups, and no statistically significant difference was identified (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Although menstrual cycle irregularities due to coronavirus disease 2019 have been reported, these effects are usually observed during the pandemic. A decrease in stress and anxiety with the end of the pandemic may explain the return of the menstrual cycle to normal.

How do phases of the menstrual cycle affect sleep? A polysomnographic study of the EPISONO database.

PURPOSE: Our study aimed to evaluate the impact of the menstrual cycle stages, especially menses, on sleep, inflammatory mediators, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. METHODS: We used data from the EPISONO study cohort, selecting 96 women who had undergone one-night polysomnography. The women were distributed in three groups according to the time point of the menstrual cycle on the polysomnography night: menses, mid/late follicular phase, and luteal phase. The volunteers completed questionnaires related to sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. Blood samples were collected to analyze interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and C-reactive protein. RESULTS: Sleep efficiency was statistically higher in women in the mid/late follicular group (89.9% ± 9.6) compared to menstrual (83.0% ± 10.8) and luteal (83.7% ± 12.7) groups. The mid/late follicular group presented a statistically significant reduction in sleep onset latency (7.1 ± 7.1 min) compared to the menstrual (22.3 ± 32.4 min) and luteal groups (15.9 ± 14.7 min). No statistical differences among the three groups were observed in other polysomnographic parameters, inflammatory mediators, daytime sleepiness, insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that the mid/late follicular phase might be beneficial for women's sleep, although there were no statistically changes in inflammatory mediators among the groups.

Association between COVID-19 and vaccination on menstrual cycle.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate changes in the menstrual pattern of women of reproductive age infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: A cross-sectional study at the University of Campinas, Brazil using Google questionnaire applied from December 2021 through February 2022, disseminated through snowball technique. Participants responded about characteristics of their menstrual cycle before the pandemic and before COVID-19 vaccination, and then about characteristics of their cycle 3 months after infection with SARS-CoV-2 and 3 months after vaccination. Our primary outcome was a binary indicator of changes in the menstrual cycle. We used multivariate regression analysis to identify factors associated with menstrual changes. RESULTS: We received 1012 completed questionnaires and 735 (72.7%) were from women aged between 20 and 39 years, 745 (73.6%) were White and 491 (48.6%) lived with a partner. A total of 419 (41.6%) of the women reported SARS-CoV-2 infection; however, only two of them were hospitalized, and 995 (98.8%) of women had at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. About menstrual characteristics, 170 (41.3%) reported changes after having COVID-19 and 294 (29.9%) after COVID-19 vaccination, respectively. Few years of schooling, lower income, and non-white ethnicity were related to higher reports of menstrual changes after COVID-19. Menstrual changes after COVID-19 vaccination were associated with not using contraception. Higher body mass index was associated with irregularities in cyclicity and bleeding days, after COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our results corroborated the stability of the menstrual cycle after having COVID-19 or COVID-19 vaccination; however, there is a potential relationship between menstrual changes and socioeconomic factors as well as contraceptive use.

Resting energy metabolism and sweet taste preference during the menstrual cycle in healthy women.

Differences in blood concentration of sex hormones in the follicular (FP) and luteal (LP) phases may influence energy metabolism in women. We compared fasting energy metabolism and sweet taste preference on a representative day of the FP and LP in twenty healthy women (25·3 (sd 5·1) years, BMI: 22·2 (sd 2·2) kg/m2) with regular self-reported menses and without the use of hormonal contraceptives. From the self-reported duration of the three prior menstrual cycles, the predicted FP and LP visits were scheduled for days 5-12 and 20-25 after menses, respectively. The order of the FP and LP visits was randomly assigned. On each visit, RMR and RQ by indirect calorimetry, sweet taste preference by the Monell two-series forced-choice tracking procedure, serum fibroblast growth factor 21 by a commercial ELISA (FGF21, a liver-derived protein with action in energy balance, fuel oxidation and sugar preference) and dietary food intake by a 24-h dietary recall were determined. Serum progesterone and oestradiol concentrations displayed the expected differences between phases. RMR was lower in the FP v. LP (5042 (sd 460) v. 5197 (sd 490) kJ/d, respectively; P = 0·04; Cohen effect size, d rm = 0·33), while RQ showed borderline significant higher values (0·84 (sd 0·05) v. 0·81 (sd 0·05), respectively; P = 0·07; d rm = 0·62). Also, in the FP v. LP, sweet taste preference was lower (12 (sd 8) v. 16 (sd 9) %; P = 0·04; d rm = 0·47) concomitant with higher serum FGF21 concentration (294 (sd 164) v. 197 (sd 104) pg/ml; P < 0·01; d rm = 0·66). The menstrual cycle is associated with changes in energy expenditure, sweet taste preference and oxidative fuel partitioning.

Eficacia y seguridad del uso extendido de anticonceptivos orales combinados / Efficacy and safety of extended use of combined oral contraceptives

Los anticonceptivos orales combinados constituyen hoy en día uno de los métodos anticonceptivos más populares a nivel mundial. Su composición consiste en una combinación de análogos de hormonas sexuales femeninas que se administran en bajas dosis diarias, manteniendo constante su concentración sanguínea y evitando de esta forma los cambios en el eje endócrino que estimulan la ovulación. Con el objetivo de recrear los procesos fisiológicos, la mayoría de las formulaciones comprenden un intervalo de 4 a 7 días libres de hormonas en el cual se genera el sangrado por deprivación.A partir de una viñeta clínica en la que una paciente sana desea posponer su hemorragia por deprivación, y tras realizar una búsqueda bibliográfica que prioriza las investigaciones más recientes y de mejor calidad, la autora revisa la evidencia sobre el uso de hormonas sin intervalo libre, especialmente su efectos sobre la eficacia y la incidencia de efectos adversos. (AU)

Nowadays, combined oral contraceptives are one of the most popular contraceptive methods worldwide. Its composition consists of a combination of similar female sex hormones administered in low daily doses, keeping their blood concentration constant and thus avoiding changes in the endocrine axis that stimulate ovulation. In order to recreate physiological processes, most formulations include an interval of 4 to 7 hormone-free days in which withdrawal bleeding occurs.Starting from a clinical vignette in which a healthy patient desires to postpone her withdrawal bleeding, and after conducting a bibliographic search that prioritizes the most recent and best-quality research, the author reviews the evidence about the use of hormones without free interval, especially their effects on efficacy and the incidence of adverse effects. (AU)

Menstrual Suppression in Adolescent and Young Adult Transgender Males.

OBJECTIVE: To describe time to cessation of menses in adolescent and young adult transgender males with testosterone and/or other hormonal therapies DESIGN: Retrospective chart review SETTING: Tertiary children's hospital PARTICIPANTS: Patients, aged 10-24, who began gender-affirming hormonal therapy between January 2013 and January 2019 (n = 220) INTERVENTION(S): None MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Time to cessation of menses RESULTS: Most patients identified as transgender male or transmasculine (211/220, 95.9%), with an average age of 15.8 (±1.9) years. Approximately 53.6% (118/220) of patients reported regular menstrual cycles; 18.2% (40/220) reported irregular cycles. Median time to cessation of menses for all patients was 182 days. Patients treated with testosterone alone (n = 105) reported a median time to cessation of menses of 151 days. Patients who concurrently began testosterone and norethindrone acetate (NETA) (n = 5) had a median time to cessation of menses of 188 days, compared with 168 days for those on testosterone and depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA, n = 15). In 15 patients who began testosterone, a progestin therapy was later added to induce menstrual suppression, and the median time to cessation of menses was 168 days (+DMPA, n = 4) or 56 days (+NETA, n = 11). Patients treated with NETA (n = 14) or depot leuprolide (n = 11) reported a median time to cessation of menses of 78 days or 77 days, respectively. Considerable variability in prescribing patterns was noted in the remaining 36.4% of patients (n = 80). CONCLUSION: Patients used a variety of different hormonal regimens for menstrual suppression. Less than half achieved cessation of menses within 6 months. NETA and depot leuprolide users reported the most rapid cessation of menses.

Trunk variability and local dynamic stability during gait after generalized fatigue induced by incremental exercise test in young women in different phases of the menstrual cycle.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify how generalized fatigue along with hormonal changes throughout the menstrual cycle affects trunk variability and local dynamic stability during gait. Methods: General fatigue was induced by an incremental test on a treadmill, and the menstrual cycle was divided into three phases: follicular, ovulatory, and luteal. Twenty-six healthy, young volunteers (aged 18 to 28 years) who did not use oral contraceptives or other hormonal drugs with a regular menstrual cycle participated in the study. They walked on the treadmill for 4 min at the preferred speed, before the incremental test, followed by four sets of 4 min alternating between walking, also at preferred speed, and resting. From trunk kinematic data, the following were extracted: the mean of the standard deviation along strides, as a measure of variability, and the maximum Lyapunov exponent, as a measure of local dynamic stability (LDS). Results: After the incremental test, variability increased, and LDS decreased. However, they showed a tendency to return to the initial value faster in women compared to previous results for men. In the follicular phase, which has less hormonal release, the volunteers had an almost complete recovery in LDS soon after the first rest interval, suggesting that female hormones can interfere with fatigue recovery. Nevertheless, concerning the LDS, it was significantly lower in the luteal phase than in the follicular phase. Conclusion: Women that are not taking oral contraceptives should be aware that they are susceptible to increased gait instabilities in the pre-menstrual phase after strenuous activities.

Vacuna contra la COVID-19 y menstruación, desde el desconocimiento a la información: revisión sistemática / Vaccine against COVID-19 and menstruation, from ignorance to information: a systematic review

La creación de una vacuna para enfrentar la pandemia de COVID-19 conllevó un vacío de información sobre las posibles alteraciones del ciclo menstrual. El objetivo fue verificar las posibles alteraciones que se pudiesen haber generado en el ciclo menstrual de las mujeres posterior a la inoculación de la vacuna contra la COVID-19. Se realizó una revisión sistemática en las bases bibliografías Medline, Medline Complete, LILACS, CINAHL y ScIELO, utilizando los descriptores “Women”, “Woman”, “Fertile period”, “Vaccination”, “Mass vaccination”, “Immunization”, “COVID-19 vaccines”, “SARS-CoV-2 infection”, “COVID-19”, “Menstrual cycle”, “Menstruation”, “Endometrial cycle”, “Dysmenorrhea” y “Menstruation disturbances”. Mediante la utilización del protocolo PRISMA, de los 319 artículos localizados, 17 fueron incluidos en el análisis. La mayoría de los estudios incluyeron, principalmente, las vacunas Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca y Johnson&Johnson/Janssen con una a tres dosis administradas. El porcentaje de ciclos menstruales alterados fue del 8,0% al 77,8%, y la alteración con mayor frecuencia referida fue la duración del ciclo menstrual, que fue desde 0,3 hasta 12 días de retraso de la menstruación. Todos los estudios refieren cambios en el ciclo menstrual con diversas prevalencias, con y sin significación estadística; sin embargo, también concluyen que estas alteraciones son reversibles y en un corto periodo de tiempo.

The creation of a vaccine to face the COVID-19 pandemic, led to an information gap on possible alterations of the menstrual cycle. The objective was to verify the possible alterations that could have been generated in the menstrual cycle of women, after the inoculation of the vaccine against COVID-19. A systematic review was carried out in the Medline, Medline Complete, LILACS, CINAHL and ScIELO bibliographic databases, using the descriptors “Women”, “Woman”, “Fertile period”, “Vaccination”, “Mass vaccination”, “Immunization”, “COVID-19 vaccines”, “SARS-CoV-2 infection”, “COVID-19”, “Menstrual cycle”, “Menstruation”, “Endometrial cycle”, “Dysmenorrhea” and “Menstruation disturbances”. Using the PRISMA protocol, of the 319 articles located, 17 were included in the analysis. Most of the studies mainly included the Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson&Johnson/Janssen vaccines with one to three doses administered. The percentage of altered menstrual cycles ranged from 8.0% to 77.8%, and the most frequently reported alteration was the length of the menstrual cycle, which occurred from 0.3 to 12 days late in menstruation. All the studies refer to changes in the menstrual cycle with different prevalences, with and without statistical significance; however, the same studies also conclude that these alterations are reversible and in a short period of time.

Low doses of fluoxetine for the treatment of emotional premenstrual syndrome: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: The neuroactive metabolite of progesterone, allopregnanolone (ALLO), has been implicated in premenstrual syndrome (PMS) physiopathology and preclinical studies suggested that low doses of fluoxetine increase the ALLO brain concentration. OBJECTIVES: To assess which low dose of fluoxetine (2 mg/d, 5 mg/d or 10 mg/d), administered exclusively during the luteal phase of menstrual cycle, has a potential effect for preventing or mitigating emotional PMS symptoms. METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study, we followed 40 women (mean age = 29.7 +/- 7.4 years) with emotional PMS, during two menstrual cycles: cycle 1, without pharmacological intervention; and cycle 2, with pharmacological intervention. Participants took capsules, on average, seven days preceding the likely date of menses. We assessed the severity of PMS symptoms in both cycles using the Daily Record of Severity of Problems scale (DRSP). RESULTS: There was an increase in the DRSP scores during the late luteal phase of cycle 1, confirming the diagnosis of emotional PMS. Low doses of fluoxetine (5 mg/d: 33.5%; 10 mg/d: 48.4%) reduced DRSP total score in the day before menses (day-1) at cycle 2 compared with day-1 at cycle 1. Fluoxetine 10 mg/d had the most consistent decline in emotional PMS symptoms; 70% of the participants reported a reduction greater than 40% in the DRSP score. CONCLUSIONS: Low doses of fluoxetine, which may have no or few effect on the serotonergic system, but may interfere in the progesterone metabolization, seem to have some potential to mitigate emotional PMS symptoms. While the 10 mg/d of fluoxetine had the best performance on reducing emotional PMS symptoms, the 5 mg/d dose also seems to have some effect on emotional PMS symptoms. Further larger studies will help establish the lowest effective dose of flouxetine for PMS treatment.

Influence of photobiomodulation therapy on the physical performance of women during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle: A double-blind Sham-controlled randomized clinical trial.

To evaluate the effects of photobiomodulation on the physical performance of healthy women, considering the menstrual cycle. 27 physically active healthy women (age 25.68 ± 3.99 years; mass 63.76 ± 12.77 kg; height 1.65 ± 0.59 cm) during the initial follicular phase (FF1 and FF2) of the menstrual cycle underwent performance evaluations, through a supramaximal test, subjective perception of exertion, blood lactate, and evaluations in the isokinetic dynamometer. Photobiomodulation (PBM) (200J) and Sham (0J) therapy were applied 10 min before the performance evaluations on the quadriceps femoris, hamstrings, and triceps surae muscles. A significance level of 5% was adopted and the effect size was calculated by Cohen's d. It was not possible to observe a significant difference (p > 0.05) in any of the performance variables evaluated in the comparison between groups, only small effects for total distance, final subjective perception of exertion, lactate peak and lactate delta in the PBM group. PBM did not improve muscle performance, resistance to fatigue, perceived exertion, and blood lactate concentrations during a predominantly anaerobic test in healthy women during the FF of the menstrual cycle.

Anillo vaginal anticonceptivo (MyRing®): estudio multicéntrico en mujeres venezolanas / Contraceptive vaginal ring (MyRing®): multicenter study in Venezuelan women

Objetivo: Evaluar los factores asociados al uso del anillo vaginal en mujeres venezolanas en edad reproductiva, con deseo de anticoncepción y con vida sexual activa. Métodos: Estudio observacional - descriptivo, multicéntrico. La muestra fue de tipo no probabilística, deliberada y de voluntarias. Se les proporcionó el anillo vaginal por tres ciclos y las consultas de seguimiento se realizaron al final del primer y tercer ciclo menstrual. Se evaluó la aceptabilidad, tolerabilidad, cumplimiento, control de ciclo menstrual y la presencia de efectos adversos. Resultados: Se incluyeron 140 mujeres, con edad promedio de 31,01 años ± 8,14. Los motivos de selección del anillo vaginal fueron: evita embarazo de manera efectiva (69,29 %), fácil de usar (68,57 %), uso mensual (65,71 %). El patrón de sangrado fue reportado como regular en 95 % de las mujeres en la segunda consulta y en 92,8 % en la tercera; 88,57 % reportó ausencia de sangrado intermenstrual. Hubo cumplimiento adecuado en 97,86 %; 96,43 % expresó que era fácil de usarlo y 92,86 % comodidad a nivel sexual. No hubo diferencias estadísticas significativas en el peso promedio en la segunda y tercera consulta (p > 0,05), ni en la tensión arterial sistólica y diastólica (p > 0,05). No hubo eventos adversos en 77 %, cuando los hubo, los más frecuentes fueron cefalea, náuseas y mastodinia; no hubo eventos adversos serios, ni embarazo. Conclusión: El anillo vaginal anticonceptivo es una opción bien tolerada con excelente aceptación, satisfacción sexual y general, segura, con escasos eventos adversos(AU)

Objective: To evaluate the factors associated with the use of the vaginal ring in Venezuelan women of reproductive age, with a desire for contraception and with an active sexual life. Methods: Observational - descriptive, multicenter study. The sample was non-probabilistic, deliberate and voluntary. The vaginal ring was provided for three cycles and follow-up visits were made at the end of the first and third menstrual cycles. Acceptability, tolerability, compliance, menstrual cycle control, and the presence of adverse effects were evaluated. Results: A total of 140 women were included, whose mean age was 31.01 ± 8.14 years. The reasons for selecting the vaginal ring were: effectively prevents pregnancy (69.29 %), easy to use (68.57 %), method of monthly use (65.71 %). The bleeding pattern was reported as regular in 95% of the women in the second consultation and in 92.8% in the third; 88.57% reported absence of intermenstrual bleeding. There was adequate compliance in 97.86%; 96.43% expressed that it was easy to use and 92.86% comfortable at a sexual level. There were no statistically significant differences in the average weight at the second and third consultation (p > 0.05), nor in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (p > 0.05). There were no adverse events in 77%, when there were, the most frequent were headache, nausea and mastodynia; there were no serious adverse events or pregnancy. Conclusion: The contraceptive vaginal ring is a well-tolerated option with excellent acceptance, sexual and general satisfaction, safe, with few adverse events(AU)