The validity of oral glucose tolerance test after 36 weeks' gestation.

Objective: Secretion of anti-insulin hormones plateaus near term, questioning the validity of OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test) during that period. We aimed at assessing the feasibility of OGTT near term as compared to OGTT at 26-32 weeks.

Patients And Methods: One thousand four hundred and eighty seven pregnant women were screened by GCT (glucose challenge test), and 282 (19%) of them performed an OGTT at 26th-32nd weeks ("early" OGTT) after meeting the threshold value for GCT.

Vaginal ring delivering estradiol and progesterone: a possible alternative to relieve climacteric symptoms.

Background: Relief of climacteric symptoms is currently the main role of hormone therapy. However, vaginal bleeding complicating this therapy is among the leading causes for its early discontinuation.

Objectives: To assess the effect of a vaginal ring delivering estradiol and progesterone in postmenopausal women and to determine whether continuous administration can relieve climacteric symptoms, produce an acceptable pattern of vaginal bleeding and control endometrial proliferation.

Mifepristone does not induce cervical softening in non-pregnant women.

Background: Many techniques have been developed to soften the cervix to reduce complications following surgical dilatation. Progesterone inhibits myometrial contractility and its secretion during pregnancy ensures cervical competence. We used the progesterone antagonist mifepristone as a cervical ripening agent and evaluated its effect prior to office hysteroscopy.

[The effectiveness of estrogen replacement therapy to reduce ischemic heart disease--revaluation].

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death of postmenopausal women in developed countries. One of the main reasons for providing hormone treatment for women was the possible prevention of ischemic heart disease (IHD). There are many cellular and molecular studies showing the effectiveness of estrogen in reducing risk factors of IHD, but none of these studies deal directly with the reduction of IHD.