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Amos Pines

Publications and source records attributed to Amos Pines.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Climacteric medicine: European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS) statements on postmenopausal hormonal therapy.

Hormonal therapy (HT) is one of the most frequently prescribed drug regimens for women after the age of 50 years. HT has been developed progressively since the 1960s to provide estrogen to those women (a) who require relief of symptoms which have resulted from reduced circulating estrogen or (b) to act as an anti-resorptive agent to counteract the effect of the increased bone turnover which occurs with falling menopausal estrogen levels and which results in loss of bone mass leading to postmenopausal osteoporosis. However, a large number of women pass through the menopausal transition without experiencing distress as a result of the natural fall in estrogen hormone levels and since the introduction HT has been thought to be associated with a number of health benefits that have been tested in clinical trials but not substantiated. In women experiencing distressing climacteric symptoms double-blind randomised controlled clinical trials with a variety of HT regimens have shown that HT of any type provides symptom relief with no alternative treatment of similar effect. The dose and regimen of HT need to be individualised and in general the appropriate dose is dependent on the menopausal age. Women experiencing urogenital estrogen deficiency symptoms require long-term treatment which is most easily achieved with local estrogen. With the perspective provided by the most recent epidemiological findings not least from the estrogen only arm of the Women's Health Initiative Study (WHI) EMAS supports research activities generating HT with new compositions including lower doses and a wider range of progestins in order to positively affect the balance of clinical benefit and risk. Currently, however, individualized and appropriate prescription of the available HT products together with life-style management will sustain possibilities for beneficial effects on climacteric symptoms, quality of life and degenerative diseases after the menopause.

Estrogen Replacement Therapy↗
PubMed2004

[What is the actual lesson from the WHI study upon its completion?].

The issue of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in postmenopausal women has been influenced recently by negative attitudes of the media and health authorities, based on misinterpretation of the results of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). This atmosphere led to the discontinuation of HRT in women with menopausal symptoms, because of fear and anxiety created by overestimated harmful effects of hormones. Careful evaluation of the data in the estrogen-progestin arm shows that the reported risk for breast cancer and cardiovascular events was at the most minute, in the order of 0.1% (1 thousandth) excess in risk for every year of use. No risk was observed for women younger that 60 years of age. Preliminary data of the estrogen-only arm points at a non-significant reduction in risk for both coronary events and breast cancer. While the WHI study recruited women in their late 60's who were assigned to receive a standard dose of HRT, the typical woman who seeks consultation at the menopause clinic is much younger in age and usually suffers from menopause symptoms. Therefore, the results of the WHI study simply do not apply to the usual clinical set-up at the menopause clinic in Israel.

Estrogen Replacement Therapy↗
PubMed2003

Month 3 and month 6 measurements of bone mineral density predict the annual outcome in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis in whom alendronate was added to long-term HRT.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the predictive value of bone mineral density measurements done as early as months 3 and 6 after initiation of alendronate therapy (10 mg daily) in osteoporotic women already using long-term hormone replacement therapy. METHOD: Lumbar spine and femoral neck bone density (DPX by Lunar) were performed at baseline, 3, 6, 12 months of combined therapy. The study group included 45 women at baseline, but 2 dropped-out at day 67 and at month 6 because of gastric complaints, leaving 43 women for analyses. RESULTS: Group characteristics at baseline were as follows: mean age 61+/-5 years, mean duration of HRT use 7+/-3 years, lumbar spine bone density 0.863+/-0.089 g/cm(2), with a t-score of -2.75+/-0.8 S.D., and femoral neck density 0.706+/-0.085 g/cm(2) with a t-score of -2.28+/-0.7 S.D. Bone density increased during 1 year of combined therapy, totaling a 3.2% gain for the spine and a 2.4% gain for the femur. Most of the annual change was already observed at month 3: 2.1% for the spine and 1.4% for the femur. Moreover, the baseline to month 6 percentage difference showed a very good correlation with the yearly outcome (r=0.74, P<0.001 for both spine and femur). When different arbitrary cut-off definitions for a successful treatment (1%, 1.5% or 2% gain in density) were used in analyses, in the majority of cases the bone density at 1 year, whether elevated or not, could be predicted by months 3 and 6 results. Although urine deoxypyridinoline decreased throughout the study period, demonstrating a significant time trend (P=0.001), the baseline to month 3 changes did not correlate with baseline to annual bone density results. CONCLUSIONS: In specific clinical settings when patients or physicians are looking for a good way to anticipate whether additional alendronate in hormone users would turn out to be beneficial, bone density measurements performed as early as 3-6 months after initiation of therapy might give the answer.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed2003

Critical comments.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2003

ACE Inhibition with moexipril: a review of potential effects beyond blood pressure control.

ACE inhibitors induce metabolic changes and exert cardioprotective and vasoprotective properties, some of which cannot be attributed to their antihypertensive effect per se. Moexipril is an ACE inhibitor with a lipophilicity in the same range as quinapril, benazepril or ramipril, and so can readily penetrate lipid membranes and thus target tissue ACE in addition to plasma ACE. Evidence from animal studies shows similar and significant (p < 0.05) reductions in tissue ACE activity for moexipril and quinapril. Moexipril may improve endothelial dysfunction; moexiprilat and ramiprilat have demonstrated greater activity than captopril, enalaprilat and quinaprilat in isolated endothelium-denuded segments of the rabbit jugular vein where bradykinin elicits a constrictor response, mediated by activation of the bradykinin B(2) receptor. ACE inhibitors, including moexipril, may exert neuroprotective effects. Moexipril promoted neuronal survival in vitro and it is thought that this neuroprotective effect is due to free radical scavenging properties of the drug. ACE inhibitors can also decrease progression of renal insufficiency in patients with various underlying renal diseases. Moexipril may also have a renoprotective effect as it increased the ultrafiltration coefficient and normalized urinary protein excretion in rat models. Preclinical studies indicate that the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system may play a role in the regulation of bone resorption and moexipril had no adverse effects on bone metabolism in animal models and the drug did not hamper the osteoprotective effects of estrogen. Reduction in left ventricular mass with moexipril in patients with hypertension was similar in magnitude to the effect of other ACE inhibitors. When investigated in hypertensive patients with an elevated cardiovascular risk, moexipril increased arterial distensibility and demonstrated antioxidative properties in addition to efficiently controlling blood pressure. Moexipril does not adversely affect serum levels of uric acid, lipids, blood glucose levels and plasma insulin levels and can be co-administered with hormone replacement therapy. Moreover, quality-of-life data suggest favorable effects of moexipril treatment in a patient population at high cardiovascular risk.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors↗
PubMed2003

[Lessons from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) using hormone replacement therapy with regard to heart disease--the dream that has been broken?].

The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial studying the effects of continuous combined estrogen-progestin regimen (CEE 0.625 mg plus 2.5 mg MPA daily), was stopped prematurely on the basis of a slight increase in the risk of invasive breast cancer, myocardial infarction and stroke. The study was not planned to examine other important aspects of HRT treatment, such as menopausal symptoms and quality of life, since the CEE only arm of the study was not terminated, it is possible that the specific drug tested in the study had different effects on outcome than other preparations available in the market. One should remember that many previous observational studies actually demonstrated cardiovascular benefits in women using other types or regimens of hormones. There seems to be a consensus on the interpretation of the WHI trial: 1) hormones are the best treatment for symptomatic women since there are no real alternatives; 2) women who use HRT for more than 5 years should discuss the latest data with their physician, in order to consider their individual risk-benefit equation; 3) it is logical to prefer hormones, which are different from CEE plus MPA daily.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed2002

Hormone therapy and the cardiovascular system.

The cardiovascular effects of female sex steroids have many faces and are very complex. To make this situation even more complicated different disease situations, different target organs and different therapeutic regimens may exhibit different effects of estrogens and progestines. Furthermore, the interpretation of population studies may be problematic by itself, in view of so many confounders and biases involved and methodological flaws that sometimes are discovered only post-hoc. It seems, therefore, that in such a complicated situation making definite conclusions and guidelines is almost an impossible task. My suggestion to clinicians is to try and follow the main stream of clinical data, looking at the general picture rather than the small details, and try to individualize therapy in order to maximize the benefits and minimize the adverse reactions and risks. This article discusses the current knowledge on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and the cardiovascular system. It is not an overview, because my intention was not to pump in as much data as possible. Rather, the article presents current ideas and trends in this field to be used by people who practice menopause medicine for their own clinical decisions.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed2002

Systemic hypertension in postmenopausal women: a clinical approach.

Gender-specific differences in the incidence of cardiovascular disease have long been known, and estrogens have been considered to be responsible for this dissimilarity. Recently, the steep increase in cardiovascular risk in the no longer fertile woman has become evident. The postmenopausal metabolic syndrome is very frequent, with obesity, insulin resistance, and hyperinsulinemia, which convey increased sodium reabsorption, stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, and smooth muscle growth. The clinical corollary of these overall changes is hypertension. Gender differences in components of the renin-angiotensin system have been shown to exist, and may play a central role in blood pressure control. In normotensive populations, plasma renin activity is significantly higher in men than in women, and is higher in postmenopausal versus premenopausal women. Two angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, ramipril and moexipril, have undergone trials aimed specifically at older people with cardiovascular risk and with postmenopausal hypertension, and could be the first therapeutic choice. However, a comprehensive treatment should include nonpharmacologic measures with strong emphasis on weight normalization and regular physical activity, prevention of osteoporosis, as well as decisions on the use of estrogen replacement therapy and treatment of the menopausal metabolic syndrome. Finally, education of both patients and physicians on the nature and prognosis of untreated hypertension is crucial.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Neither long-term treatment with raloxifene nor hormone replacement therapy modulate cardiac function in healthy postmenopausal women: two randomized, placebo-controlled, 2-year studies.

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to investigate the long-term effects of raloxifene, compared with opposed and unopposed estrogen replacement therapy, on echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular systolic function in healthy postmenopausal women. A total of 157 women were studied in 2 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2-year studies. STUDY DESIGN: In study I, 60 postmenopausal women who had undergone hysterectomy received daily raloxifene, 60 mg (n = 15); raloxifene, 150 mg (n = 15); conjugated equine estrogens (CEE), 0.625 mg (n = 15); or placebo (n = 15). In study II, 97 postmenopausal women who had not undergone hysterectomy received daily raloxifene, 60 mg (n = 24); raloxifene, 150 mg (n = 24); CEE, 0.625 mg, plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), 2.5 mg (n = 24); or placebo (n = 25). M-mode, quantitative 2-dimensional and Doppler echocardiographic measurements were performed at baseline and after 1 and 2 years. RESULTS: Neither after 1 year nor after 2 years of treatment were echocardiographic parameters found to differ from baseline in both raloxifene groups, as well as in the unopposed CEE and the CEE/MPA groups, compared with the placebo group. CONCLUSION: Within 2 years of raloxifene treatment, no effect on echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular systolic function was found. Unopposed CEE or CEE/MPA also showed no effect.

Double-Blind Method↗
PubMed2000

Exercise Radionuclide Cineangiography for Predicting Long Term Prognosis in Elderly Post Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Patients.

ISSUE: The immediate benefits of coronary artery bypass grafting may only be transient. Recent studies which showed that exercise radionuclide cineangiography studies may predict cardiac events and survival had evaluated post coronary artery bypass grafting patients of all ages. This prospective study was done on an elderly subgroup. METHODS: The results of exercise radionuclide cineangiography performed early (4-8 months) post coronary artery bypass grafting were correlated over six years of follow up with mortality, major surgical and nonsurgical cardiac events, and cardiac event free survival in 87 consecutive patients at or above 65 years. RESULTS: The rest to peak exercise difference in left ventricular ejection fraction correlated with later cardiac death and the need for surgical interventions, while rest left ventricular ejection fraction correlated only with the latter parameter. CONCLUSIONS: Assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction at rest and at exercise has prognostic values after coronary artery bypass grafting in elderly patients. Exercise radionuclide cineangiography carried out soon after coronary artery bypass grafting might be considered an useful tool to assess patient prognosis. The efficacy of exercise radionuclide cineangiography carried out soon after coronary artery bypass grafting should be confirmed in larger and more varied patient subgroups. (c) 2000 by CVRR, Inc.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

Rehabilitation in Older Coronary Patients.

Modern medicine dictates a more active therapeutic approach in the geriatric population. This review summarizes relevant data on cardiac rehabilitation in patients aged 65 years or older. The cardiovascular risk factors in the elderly are similar to those in younger people; thus, treating hypertension or hypercholesterolemia, cessation of smoking, and changing of life style and proper diet are recommended regardless of age. Cardiovascular function gradually declines with age, and the incidence of atherosclerotic heart disease increases. Rehabilitation programs for elderly patients with postmyocardial infarction should be specifically designed, particularly for exercise training. Special attention should be paid to warm-up and cool-down periods, upgrading the intensity of exercise, and programming the muscular conditioning component. On the whole, cardiac rehabilitation in the elderly is cost-effective. It should consider the individual's general health, risk factor profile, cardiac status, and mental response.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Menopause and ischaemic stroke: basic, clinical and epidemiological considerations. The role of hormone replacement.

Stroke is a leading cause of disability and death in women, despite progress in its prevention and treatment. As with coronary artery disease, the incidence of stroke rises after the menopause, in parallel with metabolic changes that add up to create an unfavourable risk factor profile for cardiovascular disease. The menopause metabolic syndrome, which includes weight gain and changes in lipids, insulin resistance, endothelial dysfunction, increased levels of homocysteine, lipoprotein (a) and several coagulation factors, may in part be attributable to estrogen deficiency, and may be reversible with hormone replacement therapy (HRT). As for blood pressure, a major detrimental risk factor for stroke, it is probably not affected by either the menopause per se or by HRT. Abundant experimental data exist indicating that estrogens have both anti-atherosclerotic and neuroprotective effects. The width or thickness of the carotid wall is a good indicator of carotid atherosclerosis; it increases after the menopause transition, and decreases with HRT. Estrogens may enhance cerebral blood flow and reduce vascular resistance. In animal models of stroke, estrogen induced anti-ischaemic effects. Several large-scale epidemiological studies have verified the concept of primary protection of stroke by HRT, though others have failed to do so. In light of these contradictory data, several recent reports were highly significant (Nurses' Health Study, HERS Study, Cancer Prevention II Trial, WEST Trial). Despite the known neural and vascular benefits of estrogen, it is uncertain whether HRT is associated with stroke protection. At present, prevention of stroke should involve proven risk reduction strategies.

Adult↗