Vasomotor hot flashes and cardiac repolarization: a randomized placebo-controlled trial of postmenopausal hormone therapy.

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the effects of different hormone therapies on cardiac repolarization in recently postmenopausal women with and without hot flashes.

Methods: We recruited 150 healthy women: 72 with and 78 without hot flashes. They were randomized and treated for 6 months with transdermal estradiol (1 mg/day), oral estradiol (OE) alone (2 mg/day) or combined with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA; 5 mg/day), or placebo.

Unique Exercise Lactate Profile in Muscle Phosphofructokinase Deficiency (Tarui Disease); Difference Compared with McArdle Disease.

Introduction: Glycogen storage disease V (GSDV, McArdle disease) and GSDVII (Tarui disease) are the most common of the rare disorders of glycogen metabolism. Both are associated with low lactate levels on exercise. Our aim was to find out whether lactate response associated with exercise testing could distinguish between these disorders.

Cardiac repolarization in recently postmenopausal women with or without hot flushes.

Objective: Menopausal hot flushes are associated with elevated activity of the sympathetic nervous system and may be related to increased risk for cardiovascular events. Sympathetic activation may trigger severe arrhythmias by modulating cardiac repolarization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of hot flushes on cardiac repolarization in postmenopausal women with and without hot flushes.

[Vascular health of the ageing woman].

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality in both men and women, but in women these diseases manifest at a later age. After menopause, the decline in estrogen levels accelerates key atherogenic processes, including dyslipidemia, endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffening, increasing the risk for cardiovascular events. In the healthy vasculature, estrogen has several structural and functional protective effects.

Premenstrual symptoms in fertile age are associated with impaired quality of life, but not hot flashes, in recently postmenopausal women.

Objective: Because premenstrual symptoms in fertile age resemble menopausal symptoms, many women with premenstrual symptoms fear that they have an increased risk for developing vasomotor symptoms in menopause. We investigated the impact of premenstrual symptoms on the occurrence and severity of menopausal vasomotor symptoms and quality of life.

Methods: One hundred fifty recently postmenopausal healthy women recorded hot flashes prospectively (23, none; 34, mild; 30, moderate; 63, severe), and their quality of life was assessed using the Women's Health Questionnaire.

Menopausal hot flushes do not associate with changes in heart rate variability in controlled testing: a randomized trial on hormone therapy.

Objective: To compare in controlled cardiovascular autonomic function tests the effects of hormone therapy (HT) on heart rate variability (HRV) responses in postmenopausal women with and without pretreatment hot flushes.

Design: A randomized placebo-controlled trial.

Setting: Finland, Helsinki University Central Hospital.

Effect of hot flushes on cardiovascular autonomic responsiveness: a randomized controlled trial on hormone therapy.

Objectives: To compare the responses of heart rate and blood pressure to various autonomic tests in women with and without pre-treatment hot flushes during estradiol and estradiol+medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) use.

Study Design And Main Outcome Measures: Hundred and fifty recently postmenopausal women (72 with and 78 without hot flushes) were randomized to receive transdermal estradiol (1mg/day), oral estradiol (2 mg/day) alone or in combination with MPA (5mg/day), or placebo for six months. Cardiovascular responsiveness was comprehensively assessed with controlled and deep breathing, active orthostatic test, Valsalva maneuver and handgrip test.

Vasomotor hot flashes and heart rate variability: a placebo-controlled trial of postmenopausal hormone therapy.

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the responses of heart rate variability (HRV) with hormone therapy in recently postmenopausal women with and without vasomotor hot flashes.

Methods: Seventy-two women with and 78 women without hot flashes were randomized to receive transdermal estradiol gel (1 g/day), oral estradiol alone (2 mg/day), oral estradiol combined with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA; 5 mg/day), or placebo for 6 months. Time- and frequency-domain measures of HRV were assessed using 24-hour electrocardiographic recordings at baseline and after hormone therapy.

Magnetic-stimulation-related physiological artifacts in hemodynamic near-infrared spectroscopy signals.

Hemodynamic responses evoked by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can be measured with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). This study demonstrates that cerebral neuronal activity is not their sole contributor. We compared bilateral NIRS responses following brain stimulation to those from the shoulders evoked by shoulder stimulation and contrasted them with changes in circulatory parameters.

Cardiovascular autonomic responsiveness in postmenopausal women with and without hot flushes.

Objectives: During menopausal transition autonomic balance is known to shift towards sympathetic dominance, but the role of vasomotor hot flushes in this phenomenon is not understood. We compared cardiovascular autonomic responsiveness between women with and without hot flushes.

Study Design And Main Outcome Measures: One hundred fifty recently postmenopausal healthy women with varying degree of hot flushes (none, mild, moderate, severe) underwent comprehensive cardiovascular autonomic nervous testing (controlled and deep breathing, active orthostatic test, Valsalva manoeuvre and handgrip test) assessing both sympathetic and parasympathetic activity.

Comparison of QT peak and QT end interval responses to autonomic adaptation in asymptomatic LQT1 mutation carriers.

Background:   LQT1 subtype of long QT syndrome is characterized by defective I(Ks) , which is intrinsically stronger in the epicardium than in the midmyocardial region. Electrocardiographic QT peak and QT end intervals may reflect complete repolarization of epicardium and midmyocardial region of the ventricular wall, respectively. Repolarization abnormalities in LQT1 carriers may therefore be more easily detected in the QT peak intervals.

Vasomotor hot flushes and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure in normotensive women: A placebo-controlled trial on post-menopausal hormone therapy.

Background: Blood pressure (BP) is one of the most powerful determinants of cardiovascular risk in women. This risk may differ between post-menopausal women with and without vasomotor hot flushes, possibly indicating different vascular responses to hormone therapy (HT). Thus, we compared in a clinical trial the effect of HT on ambulatory BP in normotensive, recently post-menopausal women with or without severe hot flushes.

Vasomotor hot flushes and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure in recently post-menopausal women.

Background: Menopausal hot flushes may be a marker for a difference in vascular function. We studied the associations between hot flushes of varying severity and ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR).

Methods: A total of 147 women with onset of menopause within the preceding 6-36 months reported no hot flushes (n = 23) or mild (n = 33), moderate (n = 30), or severe (n = 61).

Association between vasomotor hot flashes and heart rate variability in recently postmenopausal women.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether cardiovascular autonomic reactivity and risk profile are associated with the frequency and severity of hot flashes in recently postmenopausal women.

Methods: A total of 150 postmenopausal women with varying degrees of severity of hot flashes (none, mild, moderate, or severe) underwent 24-hour electrocardiographic recording. The function of the autonomic nervous system was assessed via heart rate variability in time and frequency domains.

Effect of hot flushes on vascular function: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To compare the vascular responses to hormone therapy in women with and without hot flushes.

Methods: We randomly assigned 143 healthy, recently postmenopausal women (mean age 52.4+/-0.

Evidence for a role of hot flushes in vascular function in recently postmenopausal women.

Objective: Observational studies indicate that postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) prevents cardiovascular disease, but randomized clinical trials have not confirmed this effect. Hot flushes were more likely to be present in women starting HT in observational studies, whereas these symptoms were mild or absent among women attending randomized clinical trials. We hypothesized that vascular function may differ in women with and without vasomotor hot flushes.

Electrocardiographic ventricular repolarization during cardiovascular autonomic function testing in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Objectives: Patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) experience exercise-related malignant arrhythmias possibly based on delayed repolarization in the diseased right ventricle (RV). Autonomic interventions might unveil repolarization abnormalities in RV.

Design: We recorded 25-lead electrocardiograms from nine symptomatic ARVC patients and nine controls during rest, Valsalva maneuver, mental stress, handgrip and supine exercise.

Electrocardiographic interventricular dispersion of repolarization during autonomic adaptation in LQT1 subtype of long QT syndrome.

Objectives: In LQT1 subtype of inherited long QT syndrome, repolarization abnormalities originating from defective I(Ks) render patients vulnerable to ventricular arrhythmia during sudden sympathetic activation. Experimental studies show lower I(Ks) density and longer action potential duration in left (LV) than in right (RV) ventricle. We studied interventricular dispersion of repolarization in patients with I(Ks) defect during autonomic tests.

Ventricular repolarization and heart rate responses during cardiovascular autonomic function testing in LQT1 subtype of long QT syndrome.

Background: In the most prevalent LQT1 form of inherited long QT syndrome symptoms often occur during abrupt physical or emotional stress. Sympathetic stimulation aggravates repolarization abnormalities in experimental LQT1 models. We hypothesized that autonomic function tests might reveal the abnormal repolarization in asymptomatic LQT1 patients.

Effect of physical training on ventricular repolarization in type 1 long QT syndrome: a pilot study in asymptomatic carriers of the G589D KCNQ1 mutation.

Aims: High-intensity physical exercise and competitive sports have been traditionally avoided in long QT syndrome. However, endurance training increases vagal activity and thus may improve cardiac electrical stability in healthy subjects. We hypothesized that controlled submaximal endurance training would not adversely affect ventricular repolarization in asymptomatic carriers of a KCNQ1 gene mutation of type 1 long QT syndrome (LQT1).