The impact of cell-based therapy on female sexual dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is a complex issue affecting women of all ages; it involves several overlapping body systems and profoundly affects quality of life. The use of cell-based therapy, such as mesenchymal stem cells, has recently been investigated as a potential treatment for FSD. OBJECTIVES: This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to assess FSD outcomes following cell-based therapy. METHODS: We evaluated peer-reviewed articles from multiple online databases through November 2022 to identify studies that used cell-based therapy and reported sexual function outcomes in women. We performed a meta-analysis using data pooled from 3 clinical trials at our institution: CRATUS (NCT02065245), ACESO (NCT02886884), and CERES (NCT03059355). All 3 trials collected data from the Sexual Quality of Life-Female (SQOL-F) questionnaire as an exploratory outcome. RESULTS: Existing literature on this topic is scarce. Five clinical studies and 1 animal study were included in the systematic review, and only 2 clinical studies were considered good quality: 1 reported significant SQOL-F improvement in women 6 months after cell therapy, and 1 reported posttherapy sexual satisfaction in all women. When individual patient data were pooled in a meta-analysis from 29 women across 3 trials at our institution, the SQOL-F was not significantly improved. CONCLUSION: Despite growing interest in cell-based therapy for women's sexual health, this important issue is understudied in the literature. The optimal route, source, and dose of cell therapy to produce clinically meaningful change have yet to be determined, and further research is needed in larger randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials.

Efficacy of mindfulness to regulate induced emotions in the laboratory: A systematic review and meta-analysis of self-report and biobehavioral measures.

A substantial part of the research on the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions on mood regulation is conducted in the laboratory. Nevertheless, a systematic review of the results is lacking. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effects of mindfulness as an emotion regulation (ER) strategy when using mood induction procedures. A systematic search of databases was conducted and a total of 43 studies were included in the meta-analysis. We found a small significant overall effect size of mindfulness [g= -0.15 (95% CI [-0.30, -0.01], p = 0.04)], which became non-significant after removing outliers (g=-0.15, p = 0.06). We also found high levels of heterogeneity which was not explained by the moderating variables analyzed. Thus, there is limited meta-analytic evidence of the efficacy of mindfulness strategies in down-regulating or preventing heightened or chronic effects of induced mood states in well-controlled laboratory settings. We propose that this could be partially due to some limitations in laboratory methodologies and suggest some guidelines to overcome them in future primary research.

Updating Beliefs under Perceived Threat.

Humans are better at integrating desirable information into their beliefs than undesirable information. This asymmetry poses an evolutionary puzzle, as it can lead to an underestimation of risk and thus failure to take precautionary action. Here, we suggest a mechanism that can speak to this conundrum. In particular, we show that the bias vanishes in response to perceived threat in the environment. We report that an improvement in participants' tendency to incorporate bad news into their beliefs is associated with physiological arousal in response to threat indexed by galvanic skin response and self-reported anxiety. This pattern of results was observed in a controlled laboratory setting (Experiment I), where perceived threat was manipulated, and in firefighters on duty (Experiment II), where it naturally varied. Such flexibility in how individuals integrate information may enhance the likelihood of responding to warnings with caution in environments rife with threat, while maintaining a positivity bias otherwise, a strategy that can increase well-being.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The human tendency to be overly optimistic has mystified scholars and lay people for decades: How could biased beliefs have been selected over unbiased beliefs? Scholars have suggested that although the optimism bias can lead to negative outcomes, including financial collapse and war, it can also facilitate health and productivity. Here, we demonstrate that a mechanism generating the optimism bias, namely asymmetric information integration, evaporates under threat. Such flexibility could result in enhanced caution in dangerous environments while supporting an optimism bias otherwise, potentially increasing well-being.

Factores de riesgo para la enfermedad coronaria temprana en mujeres / Risk factors for premature coronary disease in women

Introducción. La enfermedad coronaria es la causa principal de muerte en las mujeres; por esta razón, es prioritario el control del riesgo cardiovascular. Los estudios recientes sugieren una relación entre las alteraciones de la gestación y la enfermedad coronaria; sin embargo, esta hipótesis no ha sido evaluada en la población de mujeres latinoamericanas.Objetivo. Identificar la asociación de riesgo que existe entre la enfermedad coronaria prematura y las alteraciones de la gestación en una población de mujeres colombianas. Materiales y métodos. Es un estudio de casos y controles. Se consideraron casos a las mujeres menores de 55 años sometidas a nueva irrigación quirúrgica o percutánea, y los controles fueron mujeres menores de 55 años con diagnóstico de coronarias sanas por angiografía. Resultados. Se incluyeron 200 pacientes, 100 con coronarias sanas y 100 con enfermedad coronaria, con edad promedio de 46,5±4,3 y 49,5±3,7 años, respectivamente. El análisis univariado mostró asociación entre la enfermedad coronaria y los antecedentes de preeclampsia, partos prematuros, recién nacidos de bajo peso, diabetes mellitus, dislipidemia y tabaquismo. El análisis multivariado mostró persistencia de la asociación con partos pretérmino (OR=6,05; IC95% 2,3-15; p=0,00), dislipidemia (OR=4,09; IC95% 2,1-7,8; p=0,00) y tabaquismo (OR=1,7; IC95% 0,93-3,2; p=0,08). La práctica de actividad física regular se encontró como factor protector (OR=0,5; IC95% 0,27-0,97; p=0,04). Conclusiones. El presente estudio sugiere asociación entre la presencia de enfermedad coronaria prematura y el antecedente de alteraciones de la gestación.

Introduction. Coronary disease is the leading cause of death in women, and consequently, identification of cardiovascular risk factors must be a priority. Recent studies have linked pregnancy disturbances and coronary disease, but this hypothesis has remained unproved in Hispanic women.Objective. The association of traditional risk factors and pregnancy disturbances with coronary heart disease was assessed in a sample of women with premature coronary disease. Materials and methods. The case control study included only women <55 years old, who had undergone a coronary angiography. Two hundred women were included, 100 without and 100 with coronary disease, and with mean ages of 46.5±4.3 and 49.5±3.7 years, respectively. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between risk factors and coronary disease. Crude and multivariate adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Results. Univariate analysis showed an association between coronary disease and the past medical history of preeclampsia, premature delivery, low birth weight, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and smoking habit. Logistic regression analysis showed an association of premature delivery (OR=6.0, 95%CI 2.3-15.0, p<0.01), hypercholesterolemia (OR=4.1, 95%CI 2.1-7.8, p<0.01) and smoking habit (OR=1.7, 95%Ci 0.9-3.2, p=0.08). The practice of regular physical activity was identified as a protection factor (OR=0.5, 95%CI 0.3-1.0, p=0.04).Conclusion. Pregnancy disturbances and traditional risk factors were related to an increased risk of coronary artery disease in a Hispanic population of women with premature coronary disease.

[Risk factors for premature coronary disease in women]. / Factores de riesgo para la enfermedad coronaria temprana en mujeres.

INTRODUCTION: Coronary disease is the leading cause of death in women, and consequently, identification of cardiovascular risk factors must be a priority. Recent studies have linked pregnancy disturbances and coronary disease, but this hypothesis has remained unproved in Hispanic women. OBJECTIVE: The association of traditional risk factors and pregnancy disturbances with coronary heart disease was assessed in a sample of women with premature coronary disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The case control study included only women <55 years old, who had undergone a coronary angiography. Two hundred women were included, 100 without and 100 with coronary disease, and with mean ages of 46.5±4.3 and 49.5±3.7 years, respectively. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between risk factors and coronary disease. Crude and multivariate adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS: Univariate analysis showed an association between coronary disease and the past medical history of preeclampsia, premature delivery, low birth weight, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and smoking habit. Logistic regression analysis showed an association of premature delivery (OR=6.0, 95%CI 2.3-15.0, p<0.01), hypercholesterolemia (OR=4.1, 95%CI 2.1-7.8, p<0.01) and smoking habit (OR=1.7, 95%Ci 0.9-3.2, p=0.08). The practice of regular physical activity was identified as a protection factor (OR=0.5, 95%CI 0.3-1.0, p=0.04). CONCLUSION: Pregnancy disturbances and traditional risk factors were related to an increased risk of coronary artery disease in a Hispanic population of women with premature coronary disease.