Publications by authors named "Anna Clara Spetz Holm"

Background: Most women experience vasomotor symptoms (VMS) during the menopausal transition. A 15-week resistance training intervention (RTI) significantly reduced moderate-to-severe VMS (MS-VMS) and improved health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and cardiovascular risk markers in postmenopausal women. Whether a short RTI could have long-term effects is unknown.

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Background: Menopausal vasomotor symptoms (VMS) are increasingly emphasized as a potentially important cardiovascular risk factor, but their role is still unclear. We assessed the association between VMS and subclinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in peri- and postmenopausal women.

Methods And Results: Using a cross-sectional study design, questionnaire data were collected from a population-based sample of women aged 50 to 64.

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Background: Tinzaparin, a low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH), has shown anti-neoplastic properties in animal models and in in vitro studies of human cancer cell lines. The reduction of CA-125 levels during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) co-varies with the prognosis; the larger the decrease in CA-125, the better the prognosis.

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the potential anti-neoplastic effects of tinzaparin by investigating changes in serum CA-125 levels in advanced EOC patients who receive NACT.

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Objective: To investigate the use of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) in premenopausal women after bilateral oophorectomy.

Design: Retrospective register-based cohort study.

Setting: Sweden.

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Objective: To investigate if abdominal adipose tissue volumes and ratios change after a 15-week structured resistance training intervention in postmenopausal women with vasomotor symptoms (VMS).

Study Design: Sixty-five postmenopausal women with VMS and low physical activity were randomized to either three days/week supervised resistance training or unchanged physical activity for 15 weeks. Women underwent clinical anthropometric measurements and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at baseline and after 15 weeks.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study analyzes trends in menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) usage among Swedish women aged 45-69 from 2000 to 2021, using individual-level data for 2.5 million women and aggregated sales volumes.
  • Key findings show that MHT use decreased by over 80% for women aged 50-54 until 2010, then stabilized, with a significant increase in incidence starting in 2017, especially among those nearing menopause.
  • The research concludes that an 18-month run-in period is effective for identifying first-time MHT users, highlighting that incidence rates are more responsive than prevalence rates or DDD in detecting prescription trend changes.
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Background: Student-led clinics (SLC) have been described, but not in gynecology. Gynecology is a subject typically covered in the last terms of medical training, however it includes few opportunities for students to tackle all phases of a consultation and a shortage of opportunities to perform gynecological examinations. Therefore, we started a student-led clinic for cervical cancer screening (SLC-CCS) in Linköping, Sweden and aimed to evaluate students' views on the progression of learning, the quality of the Papanicolaou (Pap) smear, and women´s experiences of the visit, using mixed methodology.

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Article Synopsis
  • Resistance training can help improve menopausal symptoms and enhance the quality of life for postmenopausal women, but many do not engage in regular workouts.
  • The study involved 15 low-active postmenopausal women who participated in a 15-week resistance training program and shared their experiences through interviews, revealing key themes that influenced their motivation.
  • Findings showed that while initial motivation stemmed from wanting symptom relief, it evolved into a desire for overall well-being, indicating that support and accountability were crucial in maintaining their commitment to exercise.
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Article Synopsis
  • Vasomotor symptoms (VMS) are common in menopause, and resistance training reduced these symptoms by 50% compared to a control group in a study involving 65 postmenopausal women.
  • The study aimed to explore the mechanism behind the reduction in VMS through resistance training, specifically examining changes in luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH).
  • The results indicated a significant decrease in LH levels in the resistance training group, while FSH also decreased but not significantly, and there was no direct link between hormonal changes and the reduction of VMS.
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Investigation of the effect on accuracy and precision of different parameter settings is important for quantitative MRI. The purpose of this study was to investigate T1 bias and precision for muscle fat infiltration (MFI) measurements using fat-referenced chemical shift MFI measurements at flip angles of 5° and 10°. The fat-referenced measurements were compared with fat fractions, which is a more commonly used measure of MFI.

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Physical inactivity and the onset of menopause increase the risk of cardiovascular disease amongst postmenopausal women. We aim to investigate the effect of resistance training (RT) on plasma levels of selected cytokines, adipokines, myokines, and sex hormones in postmenopausal women with vasomotor symptoms. This was a sub-study of a randomised controlled trial investigating the effects of RT on vasomotor symptoms in postmenopausal women.

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Background: Cervical cancer is a highly preventable disease. To not attend an organized cervical cancer screening program increases the risk for cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer. The aim was to investigate the participation rate in three different intervention groups for non- attendees in the Swedish national program for cervical screening.

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The objective of this study was to determine if 15 weeks of resistance training (RT) can alter the levels of blood lipids, body iron status, and oxidative stress in postmenopausal women with vasomotor symptoms. Postmenopausal women enrolled in a randomised controlled trial were allocated to either a sedentary control group (n = 29) or a RT group (n = 26). Blood samples were taken at week-0 and week-15 for all participants.

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Objectives: To investigate the effect of 15 weeks of resistance training on the frequency of moderate to severe hot flushes in postmenopausal women.

Study Design: Postmenopausal women with at least 4 moderate or severe hot flushes or night sweats per day day were randomized to a 15-week resistance training intervention or unchanged physical activity. Participants did not exercise regularly at baseline and had not used any therapy for hot flushes two months prior to study entry.

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Objectives: To assess how women in Sweden with breast cancer (BC), endometrial cancer (EC), and/or pulmonary embolism (PE) were dispensed menopausal hormone therapy (HT).

Study Design: A retrospective study of Swedish women aged 40 years or more on 31 December 2005 (n = 2,863,643), followed through to December 2011. The study analysed three mandatory national healthcare registries: the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register, the National Inpatient Register and the Cancer Register.

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Hot flushes are common and troublesome symptoms of menopause. The neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is increased in plasma during hot flushes but it has not been clear if CGRP is causally involved in the mechanism underpinning the flushes. Here, we examined the effect of interventions with CGRP in a mouse model of hot flushes based on flush-like temperature increases triggered by forced physical activity in ovariectomized mice.

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Objectives: To determine precision of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based fat and muscle quantification in a group of postmenopausal women. Furthermore, to extend the method to individual muscles relevant to upper-body exercise.

Materials And Methods: This was a sub-study to a randomized control trial investigating effects of resistance training to decrease hot flushes in postmenopausal women.

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Objectives: Hot flushes and night sweats affect 75% of all women after menopause and is a common reason for decreased quality of life in mid-aged women. Hormone therapy is effective in ameliorating symptoms but cannot be used by all women due to contraindications and side effects. Engagement in regular exercise is associated with fewer hot flushes in observational studies, but aerobic exercise has not proven effective in randomized controlled trials.

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Internet-delivered therapies have a short history and promising results have been shown for several health problems, particularly for psychiatric conditions. This study was a first attempt to evaluate whether Internet-delivered applied relaxation for hot flushes in postmenopausal women may be useful. Due to a high drop-out rate the study was prematurely terminated after inclusion of approximately two thirds of calculated women.

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Objective: Menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats may persist for 10 to 20 years or even longer. Information about the extent to which older women use hormone therapy is limited. The aim of this study was to determine the use of hormone therapy in Swedish women aged 80 years or older.

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Purpose: Acupuncture has been suggested as therapy for hot flashes in women with breast cancer and men with prostate cancer. In this systematic review, we sought to evaluate the long-term effects on vasomotor symptoms after the end of a defined treatment period of acupuncture in women with breast cancer and men with prostate cancer.

Methods: A literature search revealed 222 articles within the field.

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Unlabelled: Symptoms of testosterone deficiency and concentrations of testosterone (T) and bioavailable testosterone (BT) were studied in 35- and 45-year-old men.

Methods: A questionnaire, was sent to all 35- and 45-year-old men in Linköping, Sweden (n=1998). The questionnaire has earlier been used for 55- to 75-year-old men and included demographic data, medical history, different symptoms possibly of T deficiency and the 10 questions from the "ADAM-questionnaire".

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The mechanisms behind hot flashes in menopausal women are not fully understood. The flashes in women are probably preceded by and actually initiated by a sudden downward shift in the set point for the core body temperature in the thermoregulatory center that is affected by sex steroids, β-endorphins, and other central neurotransmitters. Treatments that influence these factors may be expected to reduce hot flashes.

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Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) seems to be involved in hot flushes in women and in castrated men. Therefore, we studied whether the plasma concentrations of CGRP changed during flushes in a group of healthy aging men. Twelve men (49-71 years) with no history of current or former prostate cancer or hormonal treatment reporting ≥ 20 flushes/week were investigated.

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Aim: Symptoms of late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) are often unspecific, and the existence of a male climacteric has been much debated. In this study, we investigate aging men's thoughts about, and beliefs, in a 'male climacteric'.

Methods: A questionnaire was developed including background demographic data, symptoms possibly related to LOH and questions about men's thoughts and beliefs in a 'male climacteric'.

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