• Journal of Menopausal Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.139-145
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• 2017

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) and complicated vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) are frequently occurring vaginal infections in postmenopausal women, caused by an imbalance in vaginal microflora. Postmenopausal women suffer from decreased ovarian hormones estrogen and progesterone. A normal, healthy vaginal microflora mainly comprises Lactobacillus species (spp.), which act beneficially as a bacterial barrier in the vagina, interfering with uropathogens. During premenopausal period, estrogen promotes vaginal colonization by lactobacilli that metabolizing glycogen and producing lactic acid, and maintains intravaginal health by lowering the intravaginal pH level. A lower vaginal pH inhibits uropathogen growth, preventing vaginal infections. Decreased estrogen secretion in postmenopausal women depletes lactobacilli and increases intravaginal pH, resulting in increased vaginal colonization by harmful microorganisms (e.g., Enterobacter, Escherichia coli, Candida, and Gardnerella). Probiotics positively effects on vaginal microflora composition by promoting the proliferation of beneficial microorganisms, alters the intravaginal microbiota composition, prevents vaginal infections in postmenopausal. Probiotics also reduce the symptoms of vaginal infections (e.g., vaginal discharge, odor, etc.), and are thus helpful for the treatment and prevention of BV and VVC. In this review article, we provide information on the intravaginal mechanism of postmenopausal vaginal infections, and describes the effectiveness of probiotics in the treatment and prevention of BV and VVC.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.7
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• pp.1112-1121
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate intake status and recognition of health functional foods by pre- and post-menopausal women in Seoul and Gyeonggi province. Survey questions were administered to 400 women around menopausal period, and data analysis was completed using the SPSS window program. Thirty-three percent of women recognized that they are healthy, and 47.1% of respondents are concerned with maintaining their health. However, respondents showed a low level of knowledge about the definition of menopause and health functional foods. Health concerns of respondents were significantly affected by marital status and level of education (P<0.05). Purchasing and intake of health functional foods was also significantly affected by health concerns and menopause symptoms (P<0.05). Twenty-nine percent of participants had taken health functional foods to prevent disease. However, most of them (85.9%) showed no knowledge of the main components of functional foods. In addition, knowledge associated with menopause and functional foods was affected by the level of education. The respondents' health concern, and thus purchase and intake frequencies of health functional foods, were affected by level of education. 'Effect of functional foods' was a top priority when respondents purchased health functional foods. The respondents answered black bean and pomegranate as foods that relieve menopause symptoms. However, they actually showed high intake frequency of black beans than pomegranate due to the high accessibility of black beans. The results of this study show that educational support for dietary guidelines is needed for middle-aged woman to be healthy after menopause.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.235-239
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• 1999

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the difference of depressive symptoms and attention between estrogen user and non-user in postmenopausal women. Methods : 30 Estrogen users and 30 non-users were participated in this study. They were all menopausal for at least 1 year and have 12 or more education years. We used BDI(Beck depression inventory), digit span and digit symbol to evaluate depressive symptoms and attention in both groups. We also measured the plasma estradiol level and identified the correlation between estradiol level and BDI, digit span and digit symbol. Results : The demographic data was not different between both groups. Estrogen users scored higher than non-users in digit span(forward) and lower than non-users in BDI. The correlation between estradiol level and BDI, digit span and digit symbol was not significant. Conclusion : Estrogen replacement therapy was effective in alleviating depressive symptoms but ineffective in improving attention in postmenopausal women.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.320-329
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• 2013

Objectives We carried out this study to know that there is any differences on the health condition of the middle aged women between Sasang coustitution. We used Diagnosis System of Oriental Medicine(DSOM) for diagnosis and determining pattern identification. Methods This research was approved by the Dongeui University Oriental Hospital Institutional Review Board (certificate no. 2011-06). From March 2012 to October 2012, we examined Kupperman's index, the MENQOL, DSOM, and Sasang Constitution of 291 women from the general population, with ages ranging from 40 to 60 years. And we compared the results statistically by the chi-square test and F-test. Results and Conclusions We excluded 4 Taeyangin to analyze because they were few, and analyzed 287 subjects which were 53 Soyangin, 131 Taeeumin, and 103 Soeumin. 1. The pathogenic factors that showed significant differences were deficiency of qi, insufficiency of Yin, heat on the frequency of the output and deficiency of qi, heat, phlegm on the mean of pathogenic factor score. Deficiency of qi was higher in Soeumin, insufficiency of Yin and heat were higher in Taeeumin, and phlegm was higher in Taeeumin and Soeumin. Overall, Soyangin tended to be lower than others on both the frequency of the output and the mean of pathogenic factor score. 2. The middle aged women with ages ranging from 40 to 60 years tended to be dryness, kidney, damp and became to be blood-deficiency, stagnation of qi, heart easily. Soyangin was more health than others, Taeeumin tended to be heat, phlegm, insufficiency of Yang, and Soeumin tended to be deficiency of qi.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.80-94
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• 2020

Objectives: The purpose of this review is to analyze the domestic study trends of clinical use of Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI) as a diagnosis instrument on obstetrics and gynecological diseases in Korean literature. Methods: We searched for clinical studies using DITI in the journal of Korean obstetrics & gynecology, National Digital Science Library, Research Information Sharing Service, Korean Medical Database up to May 2020. After searching studies, we selected studies and analyzed according to disease. Results: 18 clinical studies were published in two kinds of academic journals. There were 4 studies about dysmenorrhea and menopausal symptoms, 2 studies about postpartum disease and hypercryalgesia, 1 study about amenorrhea, premenstrual syndrome, leukorrhea, infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome and hot flush. Conception vessel was frequently used for DITI measurement, followed by stomach meridian. The temperatures of abdomen (CV4, CV12), face (HN3), upper and lower limb (PC8, LU4, LR3, ST32) were commonly measured. Conclusions: This study shows that DITI could be one of effective diagnosis instrument for obstetrics and gynecological diseases. More well-designed clinical studies using DITI will be needed.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.138-142
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• 2014

Burning mouth syndrome is characterized by intra-oral burning sensation without any organic abnormalities. This syndrome is associated with various etiological factors such as neuropathy, malnutrition, menopause and depression. Several medications have been tried for the treatment. Those are analgesics, hormones, anticonvulsants and antidepressants. However, optimal effective pharmacologic treatment remains still unknown. The purpose of this case study is to report the clinical effectiveness of gabapentin in the treatment of burning mouth syndrome in postmenopausal women with comorbid depression. We report two menopausal women. Antidepressants were effective for improving depressive symptoms, but it had no effects on intra-oral burning sensation. Gabapentin reduced intra-oral burning sensation effectively for all two patients. One patient reported 55% reduction(a decrease from 9 to 4 on VAS), the other patient reported 35% reduction(from 8 to 5) of the intra-oral burning sensation during 16 weeks. The minimal effective daily dose of gabapentin was 300mg. This study suggests that gabapentin might be a useful, effective therapeutic option for treating burning mouth syndrome in postmenopausal women with comorbid depression. Further prospective clinical studies are needed to investigate the effectiveness of gabapentin in patients with burning mouth syndrome.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.83-96
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• 2007

Purpose: Ligustri Lucidi Fructus and Ecliptae Herba has long been used for clinical therapy associated especially with menopausal symptoms in Korea. To provide a scientific rationale for such use, we have investigated the antioxidant and vasorelaxant effects of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus, Ecliptae Herba and its mixture. Methods: The antioxidant activity of the extracts from Ligustri Lucidi Fructus, Ecliptae Herba and its mixture were evaluated and compared with that of BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), vitamin C and vitamin E, using the ${\alpha}$,${\alpha}-diphenyl-{\beta}-picrylhydrazyl$ (DPPH) radical scavenging method. Results: Antioxidant activity of all extracts using the DPPH radical scavenging method decreased in the order vitamin C>BHA>vitamin E>Ligustri Lucidi Fructus>Ligustri Lucidi Fructus:Ecliptae Herba(1:1)>Ecliptae Herba>BHT. The vasorelaxant effects of extracts were investigated on the vasomotor tone of the rat thoracic aorta in an organ bath. All of the extracts elicited along-term relaxing response in the endothelium-intact as well as endothelium-denuded rat aorta contracted with norepinephrine. This relaxant effect was abolished by Precontraction with 72 mM KCI. Thus, it is suggested that the mechanism of vasorelaxant effect of extracts not involve voltage-operated $Ca^{2+}$ channel blocking but receptor-mediated route. Conclusion: These antioxidant and vasorelaxant effecs of the extracts may contribute to the beneficial effects in postmenopausal women.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.89-106
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• 1998

The Health Promotion Model by Pender(l987) was used as the conceptual framework for analyzing the health promotion behaviors. The purposes of this study were to describe health promoting life style behaviors in 245 women between the ages of 35 and 59 living in Seoul and other cities and to find their predictive factors. Data were collected from 1st to 23th. June. 1998. The tool used for this study was structured questionnaire with consisted of 8 items on general characteristics. 5 items on health related characteristics. 43 items on health promoting life style. 28 items on menopausal symptoms. 5 items on family support. and 28 items on self-efficacy. The collected data were analyzed using the SAS. yielding descriptive statistics. ANOVA. Pearson's Correlation. stepwise multiple regression. The findings of this study are as follows. 1) The mean score of health promotion behavior(3.25) is not high. The mean scores of this self actualization (3.73). interpersonal support (3.68). and nutrition (3.57). regulation of stress (3.22) in domains are higher than health responsibility (2.90). exercise (2.63). 2) The results of the comparison between the health promotion behaviors and general variables showed a statistically significant difference in education (P=.0061), domestic economy status(P=.0001). perception of health status(P=.0001) but. age. state of menstruation. perception of weight is not significant difference. 3) The correlation between health promoting life style and self-efficacy(P=.0001). family support(P=.0001) is significant. But. there is no correlation between health promoting life style and age. number of family. perception of weight. 4) In the cognitive-perceptual factors. self-efficacy (P=.0001) is very significant predictor (accounted for $39.7\%$) and in the modifying factors. family support(P=.0001) is very significant (accounted for $9.0\%$). It is same to other research results.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.21 no.2 s.60
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• pp.47-56
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• 2006

This study was to investigate relationship between osteoporosis and various factors. We compared the result in 390 women with under -2.5 bone mineral density (BMD, T-scores) with those in 370 women with over -1.0 BMD. According to WHO criteria, women with -2.5 BMD are regarded as patient with osteoporosis, while with above -1.0 BMD are healthy. We obtained the BMD(T-scores) data of 9.704 adult women over 20 year old. The following are the results of this study: The mean age of interviewed women was 45.7 years and their menopausal age was 48.6 years. Means of height and weight were 157.3cm and 56.9Kg respectively. The BMD was the highest in 30-34 year-old women, an average ranges were in the 35-44 year old group. The BMD decreased after 45 year-old. The early sixties women began to experience thiness of the BMD and the mid-sixties showed symptoms of osteoporosis. The formular showing the relationship between age and BMD can be represented as $Y=9.71X^2-2.71X+0.06$ (p<0.001). The bone mineral density decreased significantly with increases of age(p<0.001) and decreases of weight(p<0.001) in multiple regression analysis using age, weight, menopause age, height, number of pregnancies, number of children, and age as independent variables.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.527-537
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• 2020

Panax ginseng, a medicinal plant, has been used as a blood-nourishing tonic for thousands of years in Asia, including Korea and China. P. ginseng exhibits adaptogen activity that maintains homeostasis by restoring general biological functions and non-specifically enhancing the body's resistance to external stress. Several P. ginseng effects have been reported. Korean Red Ginseng, in particular, has been reported in both basic and clinical studies to possess diverse effects such as enhanced immunity, fatigue relief, memory, blood circulation, and anti-oxidation. Moreover, it also protects against menopausal symptoms, cancer, cardiac diseases, and neurological disorders. The active components found in most Korean Red Ginseng varieties are known to include ginsenosides, polysaccharides, peptides, alkaloids, polyacetylene, and phenolic compounds. In this review, the identity and bioactivity of the non-saponin components of Korean Red Ginseng discovered to date are evaluated and the components are classified into polysaccharide and nitrogen compounds (protein, peptide, amino acid, nucleic acid, and alkaloid), as well as fat-soluble components such as polyacetylene, phenols, essential oils, and phytosterols. The distinct bioactivity of Korean Red Ginseng was found to originate from both saponin and non-saponin components rather than from only one or two specific components. Therefore, it is important to consider saponin and non-saponin elements together.