Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0011570 (depression)
 172,036 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Sixty-four patients with severe menopausal symptoms completed a four month double-blind placebo trial with conjugated equine oestrogens (premarin). Using a graphic rating scale system of assessment, a statistically significant improvement with premarin was observed in 12 psychological and symptomatic scores (Table 3). From a comparison between these results and the results of the 20 patients without vasomotor symptoms it would appear that many of these symptomatic improvements result from the relief of hot flushes (i.e. a domino effect). However, the improvement in memory and reduction of anxiety in these 20 patients suggest that oestrogens have a direct tonic effect on the mental state which is independent of vasomotor symptoms. Sixty-one patients with less severe menopausal symptoms completed the second twelve month double-blind placebo trial and, as assessed by graphic rating scales, a significant improvement with premarin was observed in five psychological and symptomatic scores (Table 3). In both the twelve and four month studies the marked placebo effect of "youthful skin appearance", and on skin greasiness in the twelve month study, indicate that no reliance can be placed on patient judgement of skin texture and appearance. Despite the lessening of the domino effect there was a slight improvement with premarin over placebo in 15 of the remaining 16 symptoms and it is likely that the cumulative effect of these small improvements results in an overall enhancement of well-being. The relief of atrophic vaginitis by premarin did not result in an improvement in libido and this suggests that the ability and the desire to have sexual intercourse are not related. The strength and duration of the placebo effect were well demonstrated in the three standard psychiatric scoring systems, the Beck score (for depression), the General Health Questionnaire and the Eysenck Personality Index (formula: see text) (for neuroticism). We observed a highly significant placebo effect extending for six months in all three, the improvement with premarin over placebo being non-significant. We must conclude that these tests are not sufficiently sensitive to assess psychological or symptomatic changes in menopausal women and that these changes are best assessed by the graphic rating scales. The number of side-effects and complications was assessed in the 61 patients in the long study. A higher incidence of minor side-effects was observed during premarin therapy; this was most marked in relation to leg cramps but radio-isotope scanning revealed no evidence of leg vein thrombosis in these patients or indeed in any patient in the study. Premarin caused no elevation of systolic or diastolic blood pressure; indeed there was a progressive fall in blood pressure throughout the study with no significant difference between premarin and placebo...
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PMID:Oestrogen therapy and the menopausal syndrome. 32 5

Treatment of acute urinary incontinence should be directed toward the underlying cause, such as infection, medication side effect, atrophic vaginitis, anxiety, depression and restricted mobility. Pharmacologic treatment depends on identification of one of the four subtypes of chronic urinary incontinence: stress, urge, overflow or mixed. Stress incontinence responds to alpha-adrenergic agents, which increase sphincter tone. Urge incontinence is the most common type of incontinence in the elderly; it can be treated with anticholinergic agents, smooth muscle relaxants, estrogen replacement therapy in women and, possibly, calcium antagonists. Overflow incontinence is caused by neurologic deficits, such as diabetes, or outflow obstruction, such as from prostatic enlargement, urethral stricture and tumors. Anticholinergic agents and alpha-adrenergic agents should be considered only after existing outflow obstruction is surgically corrected or intermittent catheterization is unsuccessful.
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PMID:Urinary incontinence in the elderly: pharmacologic therapies. 821 3

Urinary incontinence affects a large percentage of persons over age 65 and predisposes them to social isolation, depression, and premature nursing home placement. Transient incontinence may be precipitated by such factors as delirium, infection, atrophic vaginitis/urethritis, medication use, and restricted mobility. Persistent incontinence may be of the urge, stress, overflow, or functional type. The patient history and simple tests such as bedside urodynamics generally isolate the cause. In this first part of a two-part article, we discuss the primary care evaluation of the older patient with urinary incontinence. In part 2 (page 37), we discuss a primary care management strategy.
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PMID:Urinary incontinence in the aged, Part 1: Patient evaluation. 159 66

Symptoms due to estrogen deficiency begin in the perimenopausal years and progress as serum levels of this hormone decrease Vasomotor instability, manifested by hot flushes or night sweats, may persist for several months to a few years. Psychologic symptoms include anxiety, tension, depression, insomnia, palpitations, and headaches. Atrophy of the genital epithelium may result in senile vaginitis with symptoms of irritation, burning, pruritus, dyspareunia, and even vaginal bleeding. Even the lower urinary tract mucosa is dependent upon estrogen. Postmenopausal osteoporosis affects 25 to 50% of older women and increases the risk for vertebral, hip, and other fractures. Estrogen therapy for menopausal complaints has received adverse publicity because several reports have indicated that unopposed estrogens increase the risk of endometrial cancer. Added progestogen not only negates this risk but reduces the incidence of endometrial adenocarcinoma in estrogen-progestogen users to less than that observed in untreated women. Estrogen replacement therapy does not increase the risk of breast cancer; the incidence of this malignancy, however, was also less in the estrogen-progestogen users when compared with either the untreated women or from that expected from the national cancer surveys. In evaluating postmenopausal women for hormone replacement, the benefits of estrogen-progestogen therapy must be weighed against possible risks.
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PMID:The menopause. 351 23