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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Semen Quality In Fertile Men In Relation To Psychosocial Stress, A. Gollenberg, F. Liu, C. Brazil, E. Drobnis, D. Guzick, J. Overstreet, J. Redmon, Amy Sparks, C. Wang, S. Swan Jun 2013

Semen Quality In Fertile Men In Relation To Psychosocial Stress, A. Gollenberg, F. Liu, C. Brazil, E. Drobnis, D. Guzick, J. Overstreet, J. Redmon, Amy Sparks, C. Wang, S. Swan

Amy E.T. Sparks

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between stressful life events and semen parameters. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis in a pregnancy cohort study. SETTING: Prenatal clinics in five U.S. cities. PATIENT(S): Fertile men (n = 744) in the Study for Future Families, a cohort study of pregnant women and their partners. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Sperm concentration, percent motile, and percent normal morphology and classification above/below World Health Organization (WHO) cutoffs for semen quality. RESULT(S): After adjusting for confounders, men reporting 2+ recent stressful life events had an increased risk of being classified below WHO thresholds for "normal" defined by concentration, motility, …


Serum Inhibin-B In Fertile Men Is Strongly Correlated With Low But Not High Sperm Counts: A Coordinated Study Of 1,797 European And Us Men, N. Jorgensen, F. Liu, A. Andersson, M. Vierula, D. Irvine, J. Auger, C. Brazil, E. Drobnis, T. Jensen, P. Jouannet, J. Overstreet, J. Redmon, Amy Sparks, J. Toppari, C. Wang, N. Skakkebaek, S. Swan Jun 2013

Serum Inhibin-B In Fertile Men Is Strongly Correlated With Low But Not High Sperm Counts: A Coordinated Study Of 1,797 European And Us Men, N. Jorgensen, F. Liu, A. Andersson, M. Vierula, D. Irvine, J. Auger, C. Brazil, E. Drobnis, T. Jensen, P. Jouannet, J. Overstreet, J. Redmon, Amy Sparks, J. Toppari, C. Wang, N. Skakkebaek, S. Swan

Amy E.T. Sparks

OBJECTIVE: To describe associations between serum inhibin-b and sperm counts, adjusted for effect of time of blood sampling, in larger cohorts than have been previously reported. DESIGN: Cross-sectional studies of spermatogenesis markers. SETTING: Four European and four US centers. PATIENT(S): Fertile men (1,797) were included and examined from October 1996-February 2005. INTERVENTION(S): The study was observational and therefore without any intervention. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Associations between inhibin-b and semen variables controlled for time of blood sampling and other covariates. RESULT(S): Inhibin-b decreased about 2.00% per hour from 8 am-12 pm and then about 3.25% per hour from 12 pm-4 pm. …


Pilot Data: Association Between Gluteus Medius Weakness And Low Back Pain During Pregnancy, K. Bewyer, D. Bewyer, D. Messenger, Colleen Kennedy May 2013

Pilot Data: Association Between Gluteus Medius Weakness And Low Back Pain During Pregnancy, K. Bewyer, D. Bewyer, D. Messenger, Colleen Kennedy

Colleen Kennedy Stockdale

This cross-sectional study examines whether there is an association between gluteus medius weakness in the presence of low back pain in pregnant women at any stage of gestation. Prevalence of low back pain during pregnancy is high, and identifying potential etiologies and targeted interventions is lacking. Thus, identification of an association between specific muscle weakness and pain would have clinical relevance. Initial pilot data suggests that weakness of the gluteus medius is strongly associated with the presence of low back pain during pregnancy.


Pelvic Floor Symptoms And Lifestyle Factors In Older Women, Catherine Bradley, Colleen Kennedy, I. Nygaard May 2013

Pelvic Floor Symptoms And Lifestyle Factors In Older Women, Catherine Bradley, Colleen Kennedy, I. Nygaard

Colleen Kennedy Stockdale

OBJECTIVES: To measure the prevalence of pelvic floor symptoms in noncare-seeking older women and the association between symptoms and lifestyle factors. METHODS: Women enrolled at one site of the Women's Health Initiative Hormone Therapy clinical trial completed a questionnaire, modified from the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory, on bladder, bowel, and prolapse symptoms. Individual symptoms and symptom groups were examined in a cross-sectional analysis. RESULTS: In the 297 women who participated, mean age was 68.2 years, mean body mass index (BMI) was 30.2 kg/m(2), and median vaginal parity was 3. The median number of symptoms endorsed was 3 (range 0-18). The …


Urinary Incontinence, Depression And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Women Veterans, Catherine Bradley, I. Nygaard, M. Mengeling, J. Torner, Colleen Stockdale, B. Booth, A. Sadler May 2013

Urinary Incontinence, Depression And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Women Veterans, Catherine Bradley, I. Nygaard, M. Mengeling, J. Torner, Colleen Stockdale, B. Booth, A. Sadler

Colleen Kennedy Stockdale

OBJECTIVE: To study associations between urinary incontinence (UI) symptoms, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder in women veterans. STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study enrolled women 20 to 52 years of age registered at 2 midwestern US Veterans Affairs Medical Centers or outlying clinics within 5 years preceding study interview. Participants completed a computer-assisted telephone interview assessing urogynecologic, medical, and mental health. Multivariable analyses studied independent associations between stress and urgency UI and depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. RESULTS: Nine hundred sixty-eight women mean aged 38.7 +/- 8.7 years were included. Of these, 191 (19.7%) reported urgency/mixed UI and 183 (18.9%) stress …


Bladder And Bowel Symptoms Among Women With Vulvar Disease: Are They Universal?, Colleen Kennedy, I. Nygaard, Catherine Bradley, R. Galask May 2013

Bladder And Bowel Symptoms Among Women With Vulvar Disease: Are They Universal?, Colleen Kennedy, I. Nygaard, Catherine Bradley, R. Galask

Colleen Kennedy Stockdale

OBJECTIVE: To compare the prevalence of painful bladder syndrome, recurrent urinary tract infections, urinary leakage and irritable bowel syndrome between women with specific vulvar disorders and controls. STUDY DESIGN: Women with a primary diagnosis of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (dysplasia), vulvar vestibulitis (vestibulitis), contact vulvitis, atrophic vulvovaginitis, lichen simplex, lichen sclerosus and lichen planus, were compared to women presenting for annual examinations. RESULTS: As compared to controls, painful bladder syndrome was more prevalent among subjects with dysplasia, vestibulitis and contact vulvitis; a history of recurrent urinary tract infection was more prevalent among subjects with contact vulvitis; and urinary incontinence was less …


Vaginal Microbiota Of Women With Frequent Vulvovaginal Candidiasis, X. Zhou, R. Westman, R. Hickey, M. Hansmann, Colleen Kennedy, T. Osborn, L. Forney May 2013

Vaginal Microbiota Of Women With Frequent Vulvovaginal Candidiasis, X. Zhou, R. Westman, R. Hickey, M. Hansmann, Colleen Kennedy, T. Osborn, L. Forney

Colleen Kennedy Stockdale

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is an insidious infection that afflicts a large proportion of women of all ages, and 5 to 8% of affected women experience recurrent VVC (RVVC). The aim of this study was to explore the possible importance of vaginal bacterial communities in reducing the risk of RVVC. The species composition and diversity of microbial communities were evaluated for 42 women with and without frequent VVC based on profiles of terminal restriction fragment polymorphisms of 16S rRNA genes and phylogenetic analysis of cloned 16S rRNA gene sequences from the numerically dominant microbial populations. The data showed that there were …


Risk Factors For Painful Bladder Syndrome In Women Seeking Gynecologic Care, Colleen Kennedy, Catherine Bradley, R. Galask, I. Nygaard May 2013

Risk Factors For Painful Bladder Syndrome In Women Seeking Gynecologic Care, Colleen Kennedy, Catherine Bradley, R. Galask, I. Nygaard

Colleen Kennedy Stockdale

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to report risk factors for painful bladder syndrome in women. We surveyed 645 women presenting for care to general gynecology clinics and a vulvar specialty clinic using a standardized questionnaire and validated outcome measures. We used two definitions for painful bladder syndrome, based on the O'Leary-Sant interstitial cystitis symptom and problem indices. Of those women surveyed, 29.5% met broader criteria and 8.5% met more restrictive criteria for painful bladder syndrome. After adjusting for confounders, bladder pain was significantly associated with current smoking, irritable bowel syndrome, and a generalized pain disorder. Tobacco use, the …


Embryo Transfer Practices In The United States: A Survey Of Clinics Registered With The Society For Assisted Reproductive Technology, E. Jungheim, Ginny Ryan, E. Levens, A. Cunningham, G. Macones, K. Carson, A. Beltsos, R. Odem May 2013

Embryo Transfer Practices In The United States: A Survey Of Clinics Registered With The Society For Assisted Reproductive Technology, E. Jungheim, Ginny Ryan, E. Levens, A. Cunningham, G. Macones, K. Carson, A. Beltsos, R. Odem

Ginny L. Ryan

OBJECTIVE: To gain a better understanding of factors influencing clinicians' embryo transfer practices. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Web-based survey conducted in December 2008 of individuals practicing IVF in centers registered with the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART). PATIENT(S): None. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Prevalence of clinicians reporting following embryo transfer guidelines recommended by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), prevalence among these clinicians to deviate from ASRM guidelines in commonly encountered clinical scenarios, and practice patterns related to single embryo transfer. RESULT(S): Six percent of respondents reported following their own, independent guidelines for the number of embryos …


Abnormal Glucose Screening In Pregnancy In Patients With Normal Oral Glucose Tolerance Tests As A Screening Test For Fetal Macrosomia, F. Witter, Jennifer Niebyl May 2013

Abnormal Glucose Screening In Pregnancy In Patients With Normal Oral Glucose Tolerance Tests As A Screening Test For Fetal Macrosomia, F. Witter, Jennifer Niebyl

Jennifer R Niebyl

Minor abnormalities of carbohydrate metabolism in pregnancy are a risk factor for delivery of a macrosomic infant. However, the 50-g 1-h oral glucose screen at 28 weeks is not a useful screening test for macrosomia in pregnant patients with normal glucose tolerance tests, because a positive screen does not raise the probability of delivering a macrosomic infant sufficiently to warrant intervention.


Pelvic Organ Prolapse In Older Women: Prevalence And Risk Factors., Ingrid Nygaard, Catherine Bradley, Debra Brandt Apr 2013

Pelvic Organ Prolapse In Older Women: Prevalence And Risk Factors., Ingrid Nygaard, Catherine Bradley, Debra Brandt

Catherine S. Bradley

OBJECTIVE: We sought to estimate the prevalence of pelvic organ prolapse in older women using the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification examination and to identify factors associated with prolapse. METHODS: Women with a uterus enrolled at one site of the Women's Health Initiative Hormone Replacement Therapy randomized clinical trial were eligible for this ancillary cross-sectional study. Subjects underwent a Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification examination during a maximal Valsalva maneuver and in addition completed a questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors for each of 2 definitions of prolapse: 1) Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification stage II or greater and …


Vaginal Wall Descensus And Pelvic Floor Symptoms In Older Women, Catherine Bradley, I. Nygaard Apr 2013

Vaginal Wall Descensus And Pelvic Floor Symptoms In Older Women, Catherine Bradley, I. Nygaard

Catherine S. Bradley

OBJECTIVE: To understand the clinical significance of early pelvic organ prolapse in older women, we studied associations between vaginal descensus and pelvic floor symptoms. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 270 women enrolled at one site of the Women's Health Initiative clinical trial completed a questionnaire modified from the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory on pelvic floor symptoms and underwent a Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) examination. We tested associations between symptoms (individual and grouped) with anterior, posterior, uterine, and maximum vaginal descensus. RESULTS: Mean age was 68 years. Ninety-six percent had POP-Q stages I or II. Only obstructive urinary symptoms and …


Urinary Incontinence, Depression And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Women Veterans, Catherine Bradley, I. Nygaard, M. Mengeling, J. Torner, Colleen Stockdale, B. Booth, A. Sadler Apr 2013

Urinary Incontinence, Depression And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Women Veterans, Catherine Bradley, I. Nygaard, M. Mengeling, J. Torner, Colleen Stockdale, B. Booth, A. Sadler

Catherine S. Bradley

OBJECTIVE: To study associations between urinary incontinence (UI) symptoms, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder in women veterans. STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study enrolled women 20 to 52 years of age registered at 2 midwestern US Veterans Affairs Medical Centers or outlying clinics within 5 years preceding study interview. Participants completed a computer-assisted telephone interview assessing urogynecologic, medical, and mental health. Multivariable analyses studied independent associations between stress and urgency UI and depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. RESULTS: Nine hundred sixty-eight women mean aged 38.7 +/- 8.7 years were included. Of these, 191 (19.7%) reported urgency/mixed UI and 183 (18.9%) stress …


Bladder And Bowel Symptoms Among Women With Vulvar Disease: Are They Universal?, Colleen Kennedy, I. Nygaard, Catherine Bradley, R. Galask Apr 2013

Bladder And Bowel Symptoms Among Women With Vulvar Disease: Are They Universal?, Colleen Kennedy, I. Nygaard, Catherine Bradley, R. Galask

Catherine S. Bradley

OBJECTIVE: To compare the prevalence of painful bladder syndrome, recurrent urinary tract infections, urinary leakage and irritable bowel syndrome between women with specific vulvar disorders and controls. STUDY DESIGN: Women with a primary diagnosis of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (dysplasia), vulvar vestibulitis (vestibulitis), contact vulvitis, atrophic vulvovaginitis, lichen simplex, lichen sclerosus and lichen planus, were compared to women presenting for annual examinations. RESULTS: As compared to controls, painful bladder syndrome was more prevalent among subjects with dysplasia, vestibulitis and contact vulvitis; a history of recurrent urinary tract infection was more prevalent among subjects with contact vulvitis; and urinary incontinence was less …


Risk Factors For Painful Bladder Syndrome In Women Seeking Gynecologic Care, Colleen Kennedy, Catherine Bradley, R. Galask, I. Nygaard Apr 2013

Risk Factors For Painful Bladder Syndrome In Women Seeking Gynecologic Care, Colleen Kennedy, Catherine Bradley, R. Galask, I. Nygaard

Catherine S. Bradley

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to report risk factors for painful bladder syndrome in women. We surveyed 645 women presenting for care to general gynecology clinics and a vulvar specialty clinic using a standardized questionnaire and validated outcome measures. We used two definitions for painful bladder syndrome, based on the O'Leary-Sant interstitial cystitis symptom and problem indices. Of those women surveyed, 29.5% met broader criteria and 8.5% met more restrictive criteria for painful bladder syndrome. After adjusting for confounders, bladder pain was significantly associated with current smoking, irritable bowel syndrome, and a generalized pain disorder. Tobacco use, the …


The "Costs" Of Urinary Incontinence For Women, L. Subak, J. Brown, S. Kraus, L. Brubaker, F. Lin, H. Richter, Catherine Bradley, D. Grady Apr 2013

The "Costs" Of Urinary Incontinence For Women, L. Subak, J. Brown, S. Kraus, L. Brubaker, F. Lin, H. Richter, Catherine Bradley, D. Grady

Catherine S. Bradley

OBJECTIVE: To estimate costs of routine care for female urinary incontinence, health-related quality of life, and willingness to pay for incontinence improvement. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study at 5 U.S. sites, 293 incontinent women quantified supplies, laundry, and dry cleaning specifically for incontinence. Costs were calculated by multiplying resources used by national resource costs and presented in 2005 United States dollars (2005). Health-related quality of life was estimated with the Health Utilities Index. Participants estimated willingness to pay for 25-100% improvement in incontinence. Potential predictors of these outcomes were examined using multivariable linear regression. RESULTS: Mean age was 56 +/- …


An Exploratory Study Of The Variables Impacting Preterm Birth Rates In New Mexico, K. Gwin, R. Schrader, K. Peters, A. Moreno, K. Thiel, Kimberly Leslie Feb 2013

An Exploratory Study Of The Variables Impacting Preterm Birth Rates In New Mexico, K. Gwin, R. Schrader, K. Peters, A. Moreno, K. Thiel, Kimberly Leslie

Kimberly K. Leslie

BACKGROUND: Preterm birth (PTB) is a substantial health problem that accounts for significant infant morbidity and mortality and poses an economic burden to both individuals and the state of residence. The goal of this study was to identify maternal risk factors for PTB in New Mexico, a poor state with a unique ethnic background, in order to identify populations at increased risk that would benefit from intervention. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional retrospective exploratory analysis of 377,770 singleton live births in the state of New Mexico from 1991-2005. Gestational age of less than 37 weeks was defined as PTB. The …