Glucocorticoid therapy as a significant risk factor for osteoporosis and fractures in an Italian postmenopausal population.

Objective: To analyze the potential effects of glucocorticoid treatment without an osteoporosis prevention strategy and to precociously identify patients at high risk of osteoporosis and fragility fractures in the postmenopausal period.

Methods: A total of 382 postmenopausal patients, 177 exposed and 205 not exposed to glucocorticoid therapy, were studied using a standard questionnaire. Epidemiological as well as clinical data that included the most recent absorptiometry test results were examined.

Assessment of insulin sensitivity from measurements in the fasting state and during an oral glucose tolerance test in polycystic ovary syndrome and menopausal patients.

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and menopausal subjects are characterized by an increased cardiovascular and type 2 diabetes mellitus risk, at least partially related to insulin disturbances. The evaluation of insulin resistance in these patients could be useful as primary prevention. The aim of the study was to verify the validity of several indexes of insulin sensitivity in PCOS and menopausal subjects by comparing the data obtained by these indexes to those of euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp studies.

Estrogen treatment and body fat distribution are involved in corticotropin and cortisol response to corticotropin-releasing hormone in postmenopausal women.

To assess the effect of transdermal estrogen substitution on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responsiveness/sensitivity and the impact of the antrophometric characteristics on these parameters, 20 postmenopausal women seeking treatment for the relief of postemenopausal symptoms were studied. They received transdermal 50 microg/d estradiol for 12 weeks (estrogen replacement therapy [ERT]). Patients were classified as low waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) (peripheral fat distribution women; n = 12) and high WHR (central fat distribution women; n = 8) according to the cut-off value of 0.