Association of religiosity with mental health and quality of life in women with chronic pelvic pain.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated religiosity and its association with mental health, quality of life, and the intensity of pelvic pain in women with chronic pelvic pain. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 100 women with chronic pelvic pain. Religiosity was investigated using the Duke University Religion Index. Quality of life was evaluated using the abbreviated version of the World Health Organization's quality of life instrument. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, while pain intensity was evaluated using a visual analog scale. RESULTS: Almost half the participants attended religious services at least once a week and 62% prayed, meditated, or studied the Bible at least once a day. There was no association between religiosity and anxiety or depression. The intrinsic religiosity score was lower for women with mixed anxiety-depressive disorder compared to those without mixed anxiety-depressive disorder. There was a positive association between intrinsic religiosity and the psychological health domain of the quality of life instrument. There was no association between religiosity and pain intensity. CONCLUSIONS: Women with chronic pelvic pain were strongly religious. Women with mixed anxiety-depressive disorder had lower levels of intrinsic religiosity. On the other hand, intrinsic religiosity was positively associated with quality of life in women with chronic pelvic pain. Religiosity was not associated with the intensity of pelvic pain. These data suggest that health-care professionals should take religiosity into account when treating women with chronic pelvic pain.

Glycosaminoglycan profile in bladder and urethra of castrated rats treated with estrogen, progestogen, and raloxifene.

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to evaluate the action of conjugated equine estrogens alone, medroxyprogesterone, the combination of these estrogens with progestogens, and of raloxifene on the glycosaminoglycan profile in the bladder and urethra of adult oophorectomized rats in comparison with noncastrated rats. STUDY DESIGN: Sixty adult rats, of which 50 were submitted to bilateral oophorectomy, were studied. After 4 days, the latter were assigned to five groups of 10 animals each. For 30 consecutive days the following treatments were given: group 1, conjugated equine estrogens; group 2, conjugated equine estrogens combined with medroxyprogesterone acetate; group 3, medroxyprogesterone; group 4, raloxifene; and group 5, placebo. Thereafter the bladders and urethras of the animals were removed, processed to yield a dry powder of which the sulfated glycosaminoglycan content was determined by densitometry after agarose gel electrophoresis and that of hyaluronic acid by a fluorimetric assay. RESULTS: Glycosaminoglycans found in the bladder and urethra were dermatan sulfate, heparan sulfate, and hyaluronic acid. In the bladder, hypoestrogenism or replacement with estrogens led to a lower sulfated glycosaminoglycan content. Replacement with estrogens and/or medroxyprogesterone reverted this effect. Hypoestrogenism decreased the dermatan sulfate/heparan sulfate ratio and reduced hyaluronic acid content. Estrogen therapy reverted this alteration and medroxyprogesterone addition annulled the estrogenic effect. In the urethra, castration did not alter hyaluronic acid content and sulfated glycosaminoglycan content, but raloxifene decreased the latter. CONCLUSION: Castrated rats had a decrease in sulfated glycosaminoglycans and hyaluronic acid content in the bladder. Hormonal replacement altered the quantity and quality of glycosaminoglycans. In the urethra, raloxifene reduced sulfated glycosaminoglycans.