Displaying all 13 publications

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  1. Yip CH, Taib NA
    Climacteric, 2014 Dec;17 Suppl 2:54-9.
    PMID: 25131779 DOI: 10.3109/13697137.2014.947255
    Breast cancer is one of the leading cancers world-wide. While the incidence in developing countries is lower than in developed countries, the mortality is much higher. Of the estimated 1 600 000 new cases of breast cancer globally in 2012, 794 000 were in the more developed world compared to 883 000 in the less developed world; however, there were 198 000 deaths in the more developed world compared to 324 000 in the less developed world (data from Globocan 2012, IARC). Survival from breast cancer depends on two main factors--early detection and optimal treatment. In developing countries, women present with late stages of disease. The barriers to early detection are physical, such as geographical isolation, financial as well as psychosocial, including lack of education, belief in traditional medicine and lack of autonomous decision-making in the male-dominated societies that prevail in the developing world. There are virtually no population-based breast cancer screening programs in developing countries. However, before any screening program can be implemented, there must be facilities to treat the cancers that are detected. Inadequate access to optimal treatment of breast cancer remains a problem. Lack of specialist manpower, facilities and anticancer drugs contribute to the suboptimal care that a woman with breast cancer in a low-income country receives. International groups such as the Breast Health Global Initiative were set up to develop economically feasible, clinical practice guidelines for breast cancer management to improve breast health outcomes in countries with limited resources.
  2. Hasan SS, Ahmadi K, Santigo R, Ahmed SI
    Climacteric, 2014 Aug;17(4):456-64.
    PMID: 24228772 DOI: 10.3109/13697137.2013.864269
    OBJECTIVES:
    To examine the validity and reliability of the Menopause-specific Quality of Life (MENQOL) questionnaire in a sample of women with diabetes in Malaysia, with the secondary aim of determining whether MENQOL domain scores were associated with depression and diabetes.

    METHODS:
    A total of 337 postmenopausal women (241 with diabetes, 96 controls) were evaluated. Construct validity was evaluated using principal components analysis (PCA) and comparing scale items against the mental component score of the Short Form-12 (SF-12 MCS), and against the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale 10 (CES-D 10). Consistency assessment was conducted using Cronbach's α.

    RESULTS:
    The internal consistencies for the physical (PHS), psychosocial (PS), sexual (VSS) and vasomotor domains were 0.86, 0.79, 0.79 and 0.70, and 0.90 for the full scale of MENQOL. PCA revealed a four-factorial model. Diabetes and non-diabetes subjects experienced their first period (13.25 vs. 13.10 years, p = 0.680) and achieved menopause around the same age (49.35 vs. 48.87 years, p = 0.426). We found significant variations in the MENQOL's PHS and PS domain scores that could be explained by SF-12 PCS (25%) and SF-12 MCS (20%) sub-scales. The validity of the MENQOL domains was demonstrated through significant associations with the equivalent SF-12 MCS and PCS subscales. The PS domain of the MENQOL also predicted the likelihood of symptoms of depression (1.42, 95% confidence interval 1.01-2.02).

    CONCLUSIONS:
    This study confirms the validity and internal consistency of the MENQOL questionnaire for measuring quality of life in postmenopausal women with diabetes, suggesting that the instrument can be used to screen people for menopausal symptoms.

    KEYWORDS:
    DIABETES; MENOPAUSE; QUALITY OF LIFE; VALIDITY
  3. Singh DK, Rajaratnam BS, Palaniswamy V, Raman VP, Bong PS, Pearson H
    Climacteric, 2013 Feb;16(1):141-6.
    PMID: 22640573 DOI: 10.3109/13697137.2012.664832
    The prospective pre-post control study was designed to evaluate the effect of introducing balance-focused interactive virtual-reality games to community-dwelling older women to improve their agility, balance and functional mobility.
  4. Syed Alwi SA, Lee PY, Awi I, Mallik PS, Md Haizal MN
    Climacteric, 2009 Dec;12(6):548-56.
    PMID: 19905907 DOI: 10.3109/13697130902919519
    OBJECTIVES:
    To document the common menopausal symptoms and quality of life in indigenous women of Sarawak in Malaysia.

    METHODS:
    A face-to-face interview using the Menopause-specific Quality of Life questionnaire was conducted with 276 indigenous Sarawakian women aged 40-65 years to determine the mean age of menopause and common symptoms (divided into vasomotor, psychosocial, physical and sexual domains) associated with menopause.

    RESULTS:
    The mean age at menopause of postmenopausal women was 50.78 +/- 2.47 years (range 47.3-58.2 years). The most common symptoms reported were aching in muscles and joints (82.6%), lack of energy (77.5%) and low backache (77.2%). The typical menopausal symptoms of hot flushes, night sweats, sweating and vaginal dryness were experienced by 42.4%, 34.8%, 29.7% and 49.3%, respectively of the women studied. Perimenopausal women (n = 114) experienced the most physical and psychosocial symptoms, while postmenopausal women (n = 102) experienced most sexual symptoms. Perimenopausal and postmenopausal women were reported to suffer more than premenopausal women (p < 0.001) within the four domains of symptoms (vasomotor, psychosocial, physical and sexual).

    CONCLUSIONS:
    The menopausal symptoms in this study correspond to those in other studies on Asian women but the prevalence of typical and classical menopausal symptoms was lower compared to studies on Caucasian women. The perimenopausal women had the most significant decrease in quality of life, followed by postmenopausal women and premenopausal women. Vasomotor symptoms had a predominant influence on the quality of life.
  5. Alwi SA, Rubiah ZS, Lee PY, Mallika PS, Haizal MN
    Climacteric, 2010 Dec;13(6):553-60.
    PMID: 19958163 DOI: 10.3109/13697130903470319
    To determine the usage of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and knowledge about HRT among women of Sarawak in Malaysia.
  6. Haines C, Yu SL, Hiemeyer F, Schaefers M
    Climacteric, 2009 Oct;12(5):419-26.
    PMID: 19479489 DOI: 10.1080/13697130902748967
    To compare the effect of micro-dose transdermal estradiol and placebo on the incidence and severity of menopausal symptoms and well-being in postmenopausal Asian women with vasomotor symptoms.
  7. Dhillon HK, Singh HJ, Mahmood NM, Ghaffar NA
    Climacteric, 2008;11(6):518-24.
    PMID: 18991079 DOI: 10.1080/13697130802491031
    OBJECTIVE:
    Documentation of self-care actions for vasomotor complaints by some postmenopausal women in Kelantan.

    METHODS:
    A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 326 naturally menopausal women to determine the prevalence and types of self-care actions taken for vasomotor complaints.

    RESULTS:
    Fractionally more women took self-care actions for night sweats than hot flushes. The choice of self-care action depended upon the area of residence and the educational level. The most common action taken for night sweats was to sleep either in an air-conditioned room or under a ceiling fan. About one-quarter of the complainants used hormone replacement therapy, the majority of who were urban-living and with secondary education. Only a small fraction used traditional remedies.

    CONCLUSION:
    A large proportion of women complaining of vasomotor complaints took self-care actions and the choice of self-care actions depended on the area of residence and educational level. The use of modern remedies and less of the traditional remedies was more common amongst the more affluent and educated women than women in rural areas who either did nothing or resorted to the more simple type of self-care actions. Contrary to our expectations, the use of traditional remedies was low.
  8. Raymundo N, Yu-cheng B, Zi-yan H, Lai CH, Leung K, Subramaniam R, et al.
    Climacteric, 2004 Sep;7(3):312-8.
    PMID: 15669556
    We investigated the effects of 2 months of treatment with topical estrogens on atrophic vaginitis and gynecological health in Asian women.
  9. Choo SB, Saifulbahri A, Zullkifli SN, Fadzil ML, Redzuan AM, Abdullah N, et al.
    Climacteric, 2019 04;22(2):175-181.
    PMID: 30556740 DOI: 10.1080/13697137.2018.1540563
    OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and severity of menopausal symptoms and their associated risk factors among postmenopausal breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant endocrine therapy.

    METHODS: Postmenopausal breast cancer patients on endocrine therapy were recruited at three hospitals in Malaysia. Presence and severity of menopausal symptoms were determined using the Menopause Rating Scale. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected from medical records.

    RESULTS: A total of 192 patients participated in this study. Commonly reported symptoms were musculoskeletal pain (59.9%), physical and mental exhaustion (59.4%), and hot flushes (41.1%). Multivariate analyses indicated that increasing number of years after menopause until the start of endocrine therapy was significantly associated with less likelihood of reporting menopausal symptoms and musculoskeletal pain. Patients with primary or secondary education levels reported significantly less menopausal urogenital symptoms compared to patients with a tertiary education level. Patients using aromatase inhibitors were twice as likely to experience musculoskeletal pain compared to patients using tamoxifen (odds ratio, 2.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-4.50; p 

  10. Chua Y, Limpaphayom KK, Cheng B, Ho CM, Sumapradja K, Altomare C, et al.
    Climacteric, 2017 Aug;20(4):367-373.
    PMID: 28453308 DOI: 10.1080/13697137.2017.1315091
    OBJECTIVES: The Pan-Asian REVIVE survey aimed to examine women's experiences with genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) and their interactions with health-care professionals (HCPs).

    METHODS: Self-completed surveys were administered face-to-face to 5992 women (aged 45-75 years) in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand.

    RESULTS: Of 638 postmenopausal women with GSM symptoms, only 35% were aware of the GSM condition, most of whom first heard of GSM through their physician (32%). The most common symptoms were vaginal dryness (57%) and irritation (43%). GSM had the greatest impact on sexual enjoyment (65%) and intimacy (61%). Only 25% had discussed their GSM symptoms with a HCP, and such discussions were mostly patient-initiated (64%) rather than HCP-initiated (24%). Only 21% had been clinically diagnosed with GSM and only 24% had ever used treatment for their symptoms. Three-quarters of those who had used treatment for GSM had discussed their symptoms with a HCP compared to only 9% of those who were treatment-naïve.

    CONCLUSION: GSM is underdiagnosed and undertreated in Asia. As discussion of GSM with HCPs appears to be a factor influencing women's awareness and treatment status, a more active role by HCPs to facilitate early discussions on GSM and its treatment options is needed.

  11. Chadha N, Chadha V, Ross S, Sydora BC
    Climacteric, 2016;19(1):17-26.
    PMID: 26653073 DOI: 10.3109/13697137.2015.1119112
    Every woman experiences the menopause transition period in a very individual way. Menopause symptoms and management are greatly influenced by socioeconomic status in addition to genetic background and medical history. Because of their very unique cultural heritage and often holistic view of health and well-being, menopause symptoms and management might differ greatly in aboriginals compared to non-aboriginals. Our aim was to investigate the extent and scope of the current literature in describing the menopause experience of aboriginal women. Our systematic literature review included nine health-related databases using the keywords 'menopause' and 'climacteric symptoms' in combination with various keywords describing aboriginal populations. Data were collected from selected articles and descriptive analysis was applied. Twenty-eight relevant articles were included in our analysis. These articles represent data from 12 countries and aboriginal groups from at least eight distinctive geographical regions. Knowledge of menopause and symptom experience vary greatly among study groups. The average age of menopause onset appears earlier in most aboriginal groups, often attributed to malnutrition and a harsher lifestyle. This literature review highlights a need for further research of the menopause transition period among aboriginal women to fully explore understanding and treatment of menopause symptoms and ultimately advance an important dialogue about women's health care.
  12. Zahran MH, Fahmy O, El-Hefnawy AS, Ali-El-Dein B
    Climacteric, 2016 Dec;19(6):546-550.
    PMID: 27649461
    OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of radical cystectomy and urinary diversion on female sexual function.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: A Medline search was conducted according to the PRISMA statement for all English full-text articles published between 1980 and 2016 and assessing female sexual function post radical cystectomy and urinary diversion. Eligible studies were subjected to critical analysis and revision. The primary outcomes were the reporting methods for female sexual dysfunction (FSD), manifestations of FSD, and factors associated with FSD, postoperative recoverability of FSD, and awareness level regarding FSD.

    RESULTS: From the resulting 117 articles, 11 studies were finally included in our systematic review, with a total of 361 women. Loss of sexual desire and orgasm disorders were the most frequently reported (49% and 39%). Dyspareunia and vaginal lubrication disorders were reported in 25% and 9.5%, respectively. The incidence of sexual dysfunction was 10% in 30 patients receiving genital- or nerve-sparing cystectomy vs. 59% receiving conventional cystectomy.

    CONCLUSION: Although female sexual function is an important predictor of health-related quality of life post radical cystectomy and urinary diversion, the available literature is not enough to provide proper information for surgeons and patients.

  13. Mark JKK, Samsudin S, Looi I, Yuen KH
    Climacteric, 2024 Feb 06.
    PMID: 38318859 DOI: 10.1080/13697137.2024.2306892
    The issue of vaginal dryness in genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) and its pervasive impact on women's quality of life is often overlooked. Extensive surveys conducted worldwide reveal limited understanding of vaginal dryness among public and health-care providers. Physician knowledge on menopause medicine varies globally, highlighting the need for standardized training. Effective communication between physicians and patients plays a crucial role in diagnosing and treating GSM symptoms. There are multiple treatment options to improve vaginal lubrication, including hormonal and non-hormonal therapies, along with lifestyle modifications. Tailoring treatments to individual patient preferences is crucial for compliance. Overall, GSM is multifaceted, from the prevalence of vaginal dryness to the nuances of treatment preferences. The urgency of widespread education and awareness of this matter must be underscored to meet the aim of enhancing the well-being and quality of life for women.
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