Single-monthly-dose vitamin D supplementation in elderly patients.

Objective: To determine the serum levels of calcidiol and calcitriol in 2 men and in 21 postmenopausal, primarily elderly women receiving hormone replacement therapy, orally administered calcium citrate, and an additional supplement of 50,000 IU of vitamin D (1.25 mg of cholecalciferol) once monthly for various periods.

Methods: We determined plasma calcidiol and calcitriol levels at various times, ranging from -1 to +60 days after intake of a single dose of 1.

The truth about oral contraceptives and venous thromboembolism.

In the last decade, the contribution of the progestin component of oral contraceptives (OCs) to the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) has come under scrutiny. The publication of 4 papers in late 1995 and early 1996 led to many women discontinuing OCs containing desogestrel and gastodene, the so-called third-generation OCs. This "pill scare" was the result of study findings that the third-generation OCs were associated with a higher risk of VTE than were OCs containing older progestins, primarily levonorgestrel.

Venous thromboembolism. A review.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) includes deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). A number of factors can increase VTE risk, including aging, smoking, immobility, pregnancy and a hereditary thrombophilia. Presenting symptoms are not definitive for DVT or PE, and objective testing is necessary for an accurate diagnosis.

Natural family planning: suitability of the CUE method for defining the time of ovulation.

The purpose of this study was to compare the CUE method for family planning with the Ovulation Detection Method for defining the fertile phase of the menstrual cycle. We evaluated 42 cycles from 10 women in Monterrey, Mexico, who were monitored by basal body temperatures, urinary LH, pelvic ultrasound, and the CUE monitor. The fertile phase of the cycle was adequately defined in all cycles using the CUE method, and in 35 cycles (83.

When is it safe to switch from oral contraceptives to hormonal replacement therapy?

Women may continue to use oral contraceptives (OCs) into their 40's and 50's, but to date no method has been evaluated to ascertain their ovarian status, i.e., whether fertility and estrogen production have diminished sufficiently so they could be safely switched to hormonal replacement therapy.

Oral contraceptive side effects: where's the beef?

The initial report is reviewed, as well as the results of subsequent investigations, and the current status of the following side effects attributed to the use of oral contraceptives: subjective symptoms such as mood and libido changes, also headache; melanoma; gallbladder disease; liver tumors, sickle cell disease exacerbation; teratogenesis; "post-Pill" amenorrhea; atherogenesis; and diminished carbohydrate tolerance. In many instances a cause-and-effect relationship appears to be incorrect or highly improbable. In other instances the side effects are clinically insignificant or so rare as to be of minimal importance.

Variations in bone status of contralateral and regional sites in young athletic women.

To determine if volleyball (VB), basketball (BB), soccer (SO) and swimming (SW) programs were associated with site-specific differences in contralateral, regional, and total body bone mineral density (BMD), 62 eumenorrheic female athletes [BB (N = 7), VB (N = 11), SO (N = 9), and SW (N = 7)] and controls participated in the study. The controls were categorized as either moderately active control (MOD) (N = 17) or sedentary control (SED) (N = 11) based on fitness and activity assessments. Contralateral, total body, lumbar (L2-L4), and femur BMD were measured (Lunar DPX).

Are low-dose oral contraceptives safer and better?

It is widely believed that the use of low-dose oral contraceptives decreases thrombotic risks, compared with higher-dose oral contraceptives. Two recent epidemiologic studies infer a lower risk with 30 to 35 mcg than with 50 mcg estrogen oral contraceptives. However, as with prior studies from which similar conclusions were drawn, these studies have major flaws, the worst being that all 50 mcg oral contraceptives are lumped together, whereas 50 mcg mestranol oral contraceptives are actually bioequivalent to 35 mcg ethinyl estradiol oral contraceptives, thus confounding all such studies.

Sexual behavior, contraception and the risk of contracting HIV.

Recently, concern has been expressed on a possible association between the use of oral contraceptive pills (OCs) and an increased risk of contracting the HIV infection. As a consequence it has been postulated that a low prevalence of condom use due to widespread utilization of oral contraceptive pills would result in an acceleration of the spread of AIDS. The International Committee for Research in Reproduction (ICRR) a group of eleven experts in the field of gynecology, endocrinology and contraception, wishes to comment on the concerns raised about OC use and AIDS.

Selected aspects of polycystic ovarian disease.

Although there is general agreement about the polycystic ovary as an anatomic entity, a classic description of an associated syndrome remains elusive. This lack of definition, however, has not impeded clinical investigation. This article focuses on the diagnosis, pathogenesis, hypotheses, and treatment of polycystic ovarian disease.

Qualitative differences in estrogenic/antiestrogenic effects of clomiphene and zuclomiphene.

Depending upon the rat assay end point, the estrogenic or antiestrogenic activity of clomiphene (CC) or its isomer, zuclomiphene (Zu), varies considerably. For uterine/body weight ratio, Zu = estradiol greater than CC; for the estrogenic effect on uterine epithelium, Zu greater than estradiol = CC; higher CC doses were antiestrogenic. For endometrial stroma, Zu = estradiol much greater than CC.

A short-term comparison of the effects of clomiphene citrate and conjugated equine estrogen in menopausal/castrate women.

An attempt was made to assess the potential role for an antiestrogen in the hormone replacement therapy of menopausal women who have a contraindication to estrogen use. Two groups of menopausal or castrate women were given either conjugated equine estrogen or clomiphene citrate in a cyclic manner for 25 days each month for 3 months. The effects were measured after 3 months and compared with baseline values.