Sex hormones and skin collagen content in postmenopausal women.

Abstract

1337amenable to blocking of the local nerves.7 Rectal indomethacin with its systemic effect was shown to be a more efficient analgesic agent, providing a broader degree of pain control. On all the variables we measured rectal indomethacin had a stronger analgesic effect than cryoanalgesia. The combination of rectal indomethacin and cryoanalgesia produced an additive effect. The ease of administration of rectal indomethacin, with its simplicity in use, its absence of noted side effects, and its low cost, has much to commend it in thoracic surgery. Its potential benefit in other branches of surgery is apparent. We should like to add a cautionary note, however, concerning the concurrent administration of subcutaneous heparin: before conducting this trial we saw several cases of persistent bleeding after surgery, but no such cases occurred after we stopped the routine use of subcutaneous heparin.Of the available methods for effectively controlling pain after thoracotomy, the epidural route, although effective, has much against it in terms of possible complications and the need for specialised staff, while a cryoprobe is simple to use provided that the equipment is available. Similarly, continuous intravenous infusions of opiate are effective2 3 but require an infusion pump and trained medical staff to start and supervise treatment, while intramuscular injection of opiate, in sufficient dosage to produce satisfactory analgesia, may produce appreciable respiratory depression. Indomethacin administered rectally has none of these drawbacks. We recommend its use after thoracotomy, both alone and as an adjuvant to other analgesic regimens. We found it singularly efficacious in reducing pain on movement, and it could thus make a considerable contribution to effective physiotherapy and earlier mobilisation.It is difficult to produce useful objective data on the influence of analgesics on changes in respiratory function after thoracotomy. We were impressed with the way in which peak flow values mirrored the other variables and provided useful information.We conclude that rectal indomethacin provides good, safe, simply administered analgesia after thoracotomy and has an additive effect when used as an adjuvant to conventional analgesia such as cryoanalgesia. Sex hormones and skin collagen content in postmenopausal women M BRINCAT, C F MONIZ, J W W STUDD, A J DARBY, A MAGOS, D COOPER Abstract Skin biopsy specimens were taken from 29 postmenopausal women who had not been given hormone replacement therapy and from 26 women who had been treated with oestrogen and testosterone implants for two to 10 years. The mean hydroxyproline content and therefore the mean collagen content in the skin was found to be 48% greater in the treated than the untreated women, who were matched for age. This difference was significant (p < 001).The implication of this finding is that oestrogen or testosterone, or both, prevents the decrease in skin collagen content that occurs with aging and protects skin in the same way as it protects bone in postmeno...

Effect of a novel dietary supplement on skin aging in post-menopausal women

“…For women particularly in the post-menopausal years, acceleration of chronologic aging is enhanced by the loss of estrogen, which causes a rapid loss of collagen during the first 5 years after menopause (Brincat et al, 1983;Brincat et al, 1985;Brincat et al, 1987;Brincat, 2000). It is assumed that phytoestrogens such as soy isoflavones may mimic the effects of estrogen in skin and reduce skin changes in postmenopausal women.…”

A higher aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage incidence in women prior to menopause: a retrospective analysis of 4,895 cases from eight hospitals in China

“…The arteries could undergo postmenopausal connective tissue changes (22). The collagen wasting commonly observed in bone and skin in the postmenopausal period due to decreased estrogen levels could possibly be responsible for the formation of cerebral aneurysms (23)(24)(25)(26). Estrogen has been found to improve lipid profiles and thus may reduce the risk for arteriosclerosis, which has been considered a risk factor for aneurysm formation (27,28).…”

The effect of oestradiol on vaginal collagen metabolism in postmenopausal women with genuine stress incontinence

“…Oestrogen administration has also been reported to be beneficial in the management of postmenopausal urinary stress incontinence, although this is controversial 2,13,14 . Brincat et al 15 reported that postmenopausal women receiving oestrogen implants for two to 10 years have 48% more collagen in their skin than age-matched women who had not received such therapy and other studies have been able to show replacement of depleted skin collagen by prospective treatment with hormone replacement therapy for three to 12 months 16 -18 . On the other hand Holland et al 19 reported that while oestrogen therapy of late postmenopausal women inhibited further collagen loss there was no evidence of de novo collagen synthesis; the 12 months of therapy led to increased collagen stability due to collagen cross-link maturation.…”