BackgroundMiddle-aged women experience various menopausal symptoms during the menopause. These symptoms can affect their quality of life and health. Several epidemiological studies reported that obesity associates with menopausal symptoms. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the associations between obesity and multiple menopausal symptoms at different stages of menopause in middle-aged Korean women.MethodsThe study population included women aged 44–56 years who visited a tertiary referral hospital for medical check-ups between November 2012 and March 2013 and were free from serious illness, could comprehend a questionnaire. The Menopause-Specific Quality of Life (MENQOL) questionnaire was used to assess the prevalence of menopausal symptoms. Overweight and obesity were defined as body mass index (BMI) of 23–24.9 and ≥25 kg/m2, respectively.ResultsOf the 2204 middle-aged women, 929 met the eligibility criteria. Of these, 533 (57.4%) and 396 (42.6%) were in perimenopause and postmenopause, respectively. In perimenopause, obese women were significantly more likely to have moderate/severe physical symptoms (MENQOL domain score ≥ 5) than normal or overweight women. In postmenopause, obese women were significantly more likely to have moderate/severe vasomotor symptoms. Multiple linear regression with adjustment for confounders showed that relative to normal weight, obesity in perimenopause and postmenopause associated independently with physical symptoms (beta coefficient = 0.35; P = 0.023) and vasomotor symptoms (beta coefficient = 0.68; P = 0.003), respectively. Overweight did not associate with menopausal symptoms. BMI did not associate significantly with psychosocial or sexual symptoms at either stage of menopause.ConclusionsObese women had more frequent menopausal symptoms than normal or overweight women but the associated menopausal symptom differed depending on the menopausal stage. Further studies are required to confirm this result and identify the underlying mechanisms.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12905-017-0487-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Alcohol consumption before or during pregnancy poses serious health risks to the fetus; however, the underlying mechanisms involved remain obscure. Here, we investigated whether ethanol consumption before pregnancy affects maternal or fetal health and whether pharmacological inhibition of CYP2E1, a major ethanol oxidation enzyme, by 4-methylpyrazole (4-MP) has therapeutic effects. We found that ethanol consumption (5%) 2 weeks before pregnancy resulted in a decrease in the number of viable fetuses and abnormal fetal development, and these effects were accompanied by impaired maternal glucose homeostasis and hepatic steatosis during pregnancy. neonates of ethanol-fed mice had postnatal macrosomia and significantly decreased growth rates during the lactation period. However, treatment with 4-MP, a CYP2E1 inhibitor, markedly ameliorated the reduction in insulin action and glucose disposal responsiveness in the livers of ethanol-fed mice. Blockage of CYP2E1 significantly reduced the alteration in hepatic lipid deposition, fatty acid oxidation, mitochondrial energy status, and macrophage infiltration observed in ethanol-fed mice. Finally, there was a positive correlation between postnatal macrosomia or growth retardation and increased inflammatory responses. Collectively, our study suggests that even moderate ethanol intake may be detrimental to fetal development and may cause growth retardation through maternal metabolic disorders.

Background: Caffeine can easily cross the placenta, and maternal caffeine intake, thus, has an effect on fetal growth. However, it is still unclear whether coffee consumption is an independent risk factor for bleeding in early pregnancy. The objective of this study was to examine the association between pre-pregnancy coffee consumption patterns and the risk of bleeding in early pregnancy. Methods:A cross-sectional analysis was conducted among 3510 pregnant women from the Korean Pregnancy Outcome Study who underwent baseline examination and for whom the results of the pregnancy were available. Coffee consumption patterns before pregnancy were examined using a questionnaire. The participants were classified according to the frequency of coffee consumption into seldom (< 1 cup/week), light (< 1 cup/day), moderate (1 cup/day), and heavy coffee drinker (≥2 cups/day) groups. Bleeding in early pregnancy was defined as the occurrence of vaginal bleeding in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. Multiple logistic regression models were applied to examine the association between pre-pregnancy coffee consumption and the risk of bleeding in early pregnancy, after adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure, cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption behavior, previous and current physical activity levels, stress levels, history of depression, antenatal depressive symptoms during the first trimester, type of emesis, parity, and the number of livebirths, stillbirths, miscarriages, and abortions.Results: Women who were light, moderate, and heavy coffee drinkers before pregnancy had adjusted ORs of 1.086, 1.225, and 1.358, respectively, for bleeding in early pregnancy. In a fully adjusted model, heavy coffee drinkers showed a significantly higher risk of bleeding in early pregnancy, even in women aged 35 years and younger (OR 1.680) and in those with a normal body mass index (OR 1.389), who were at relatively low risk for pregnancy-related complications. Conclusions: Our results showed that heavy coffee drinking was independently associated with a higher risk of bleeding in early pregnancy among pregnant Korean women, suggesting that caffeine intake before conception and during pregnancy should be reduced. Our study highlights the need for nutritional interventions for healthy coffee drinking among pregnant women in Korea.

Background: The Korean Pregnancy Outcome Study (KPOS) was established to investigate the determinants of adverse pregnancy outcomes among Korean women. Methods: We recruited 4,537 pregnant women between 2013 and 2017 from two tertiary centers located in Seoul, Korea, and a total of 4,195 Korean women met inclusion criteria in the baseline analysis. A range of data on socio-demographics, past medical histories, reproductive information, health-related behaviors, psychological health and clinical information were obtained using interviewer-based questionnaires and clinical assessment at 12, 24, and 36 gestational weeks (GW), delivery and 6-8 weeks postpartum. Blood samplings were performed at 12, 24 and 36 GW, and placental tissues were obtained after delivery. The main outcome of this study was pregnancy-related complications including gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), gestational hypertension, and screening positive for peripartum depression. Depression was assessed using the Korean version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and a score of ≥10 indicated a positive screen for depression. Results: Among 4,195 eligible pregnant women with a median age of 33.0 years, 3,565 (85.0%) pregnancy outcomes were available in this study, including 30 miscarriages, 16 stillbirths, and 3,519 deliveries. Mean gestational age was 38.8 GW, and mean birth weight was 3,236 gram. The prevalence of pregnancy complications of GDM, hypertensive disorders, and screening positive of depression during pregnancy and postpartum was 7.0%, 1.4%, 27.8%, and 16.6%, respectively. Conclusions: We designed KPOS to identify the determinants of pregnancy-related outcomes, and it may provide effective strategies for the prevention of pregnancy complications in Korean pregnant women.