Brazilian Women's Health after 65 Years of Age

Abstract

Keywords► aging ► menopause ► vasomotor symptoms ► body mass index ► sexual intercourse AbstractPurpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the health aspects of Brazilian women older than 65 years of age. Design This was a retrospective study that included 1,001 Brazilian women cared for in the gynecological geriatric outpatient office of our institution. We report a crosssectional analysis of female adults aged over 65 years, including data on demographics, clinical symptoms such as vasomotor symptoms, associated morbidities, physical examination and sexual intercourse. We used the chi-squared test to assess the data. Results The age of the patients on their first clinic visit ranged from 65 to 98 years, with a mean age of 68.56 AE 4.47 years; their mean age at the time of natural menopause was 48.76 AE 5.07 years. The most frequent clinical symptoms reported during the analyzed period were hot flashes (n ¼ 188), followed by arthropathy, asthenia, and dry vagina. The most frequent associated morbidities after 65 years of age were systemic arterial hypertension, gastrointestinal disturbance, diabetes mellitus, and depression, among others. The assessment of the body mass index (BMI) found decreases in BMI with increased age. At the time of the visit, 78 patients reported sexual intercourse. The majority of women reporting sexual intercourse (89.75%, n ¼ 70) were between 65 and 69 years of age, 8.97% (n ¼ 7) were between 70 and 74 years of age, and only 1.28% (n ¼ 1) of those were aged older than 75 years. Conclusions Our findings suggested that vasomotor symptoms can persist after 65 years of age. There was a significant decrease in sexual intercourse with increased age. The cardiovascular disturbances in our study are health concerns in these women. ResumoObjetivo Avaliar os aspectos de saúde das mulheres brasileiras após os 65 anos de idade. Métodos O estudo foi retrospectivo, e incluiu 1.001 mulheres brasileiras atendidas no ambulatório de ginecologia geriátrica de nossa instituição. Foi feita uma análise transversal de mulheres com idade acima de 65 anos, incluindo dados demográficos, sintomas clínicos (sintomas vasomotores), morbidades associadas, bem como

Is there a beneficial effect of gamma-linolenic acid supplementation on body fat in postmenopausal hypertensive women? A prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial

“…This also increases the risk of CVD. In addition, these women are also more predisposed to climacteric symptoms 7,17-20 . Obesity can increase CVD risks as well as affect the quality of life.…”

“…In addition, these women are also more predisposed to climacteric symptoms. 7,[17][18][19][20] Obesity can increase CVD risks as well as affect the quality of life. Supplementation with gamma-linolenic acid reduces blood pressure and body fat in the waist and hip regions, which can be considered a beneficial effect from a cardiovascular point of view.…”

Women health: holistic view

“…It should be noted that women often gain weight and may develop endothelial dysfunction that would result in systemic arterial hypertension or other cardiovascular diseases. In the study by Fonseca et al 12 , 70% of the women were overweight or obese at the first gynecological consultation during the climacteric. Therefore, there is a need for a multidisciplinary team to face and treat the repercussions of weight gain and the risk of cardiovascular disease, which can have a silent evolution in this period and manifest abruptly with acute myocardial infarction or stroke.…”

“…At the same time, regular physical exercise should be encouraged, as at least 150 min of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week reduces the incidence of cardiovascular disease and improves cognition, muscle strength, and quality of life. This aspect is important for women to reach senectude in a healthier way 11 , 12 .…”

“…In this phase, the state of hypoestrogenism is more consolidated, leading to hot flashes, sweating, insomnia, and other correlated symptoms that can determine an important impact on the woman's life. This period is also an opportunity to screen for neoplasms, such as cervical cancer and breast cancer, and also provide guidance on healthy lifestyle practices and even initiate therapies to correct carbohydrate disorders and dyslipidemia, which can promote cardiovascular diseases 4,5,[11][12][13] . It should be noted that women often gain weight and may develop endothelial dysfunction that would result in systemic arterial hypertension or other cardiovascular diseases.…”