Neurovegetative disorders of perimenopausal women treated with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 625 mg)

Abstract

The study evaluated the effect of DHA 625 mg in women who experience menopausal symptoms, on sexuality and quality of life (QoL), and on the auditory brainstem response (ABR). Forty-two perimenopausal women were enrolled. The Kupperman Index (KI) was used to evaluate menopause symptoms. The Short Form-36 (SF-36), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and the Female Sexual Distress Scale (FSDS) were used to assess QoL, sexual function, and sexual distress, respectively. Auditory evoked potentials to measure the ABR. The study had one follow-up at 6 months. The women reported an improvement in the KI total score (p < .001). Moreover, women reported QoL improvements in all the psychological categories (p < .001), but not in physical categories (p = NS). FSFI and FSDS total scores increased (p < .01) and the FSDS score decreased (p < .01), mainly due to arousal (p < .03) and lubrication (p < .05) sexual aspects. The ABR wave latencies were lower than the baseline values (p < .05). DHA could be effective in modulating some perimenopausal symptoms in women and, consequently could contribute to improve their QoL and sexual life. Finally, DHA seems to have a direct activity on the neuronal conduction time into the audiological system.

Hearing Performance in the Follicular-Luteal Phase of the Menstrual Cycle

“…For example, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 625 mg) can be effective in modulating some perimenopausal symptoms in women and consequently can contribute to improve their quality of life. It seems to have a direct activity on the neuronal conduction time into the audiological system [16]. Another study done in this regard was conducted to determine the effects of the monophasic oral contraceptive containing 30 mcg ethinylestradiol and 3 mg drospirenone on the nasal respiratory epithelium in premenopausal women, which showed that maturation index of the nasal respiratory epithelium seems to depend on the variation of the ovarian steroids during the menstrual cycle and on the iatrogenic effects of oral contraception [17].…”