Neurokinin Receptor Antagonists for the Treatment of Menopausal Symptoms
About 80% of women experience vasomotor symptoms (VMS) – hot flashes and night sweats — as they transition into the menopause phase. For most, the symptoms are manageable, but for a sizeable subset of midlife women, these symptoms can negatively affect sleep, mood, and quality of life. While clinical guidelines suggest that menopausal vasomotor symptoms (VMS) typically last from 6 months to 2 years, new research suggests that for many women, [...]
Weekly Roundup for OCTOBER 11, 2019: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
Most women experience a spectrum of symptoms as they transition into the menopause. These symptoms may be mild, but many women experience significant symptoms which persist and affect functioning over many years. Given concerns regarding the long term use of hormone replacement therapy, many women are reluctant to pursue hormonal treatments to manage their symptoms. Gabapentin and serotonergic antidepressants have been helpful for managing vasomotor symptoms; however, options for the management [...]
Antidepressants and Gestational Diabetes: Maybe, but Not for Commonly Used SSRIs
A recent study looks at the risk for gestational diabetes in women taking antidepressants during pregnancy. In this study from Quebec, women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) diagnosed after the 20th week of pregnancy were identified. A group of controls, matched for gestational age at the time of GDM diagnosis and the year of pregnancy, was chosen. Antidepressant (AD) exposure was defined as filling at least one AD prescription between [...]
Iron-Deficiency Anemia During Pregnancy Affects Child’s Brain Development
We often talk about the importance of planning for pregnancy. In these discussions, we emphasize the importance of supplementation with folic acid as a means of decreasing risk for birth defects and improving neurodevelopmental outcomes in children. A recent study indicates that adequate levels of iron may also play an important role in fetal brain development and that children born to mothers with anemia during pregnancy may have worse neurodevelopmental [...]
Zulresso: Hope and Lingering Questions
Publish date: September 10, 2019 By Lee S. Cohen, MD The last decade has brought increasing awareness of the need to effectively screen for postpartum depression, with a majority of states across the country now having some sort of formal program by which women are screened for mood disorder during the postnatal period, typically with scales such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS).In addition to effective screening is a pressing need [...]
Depression and Anxiety in Women with Recurrent Pregnancy LossÂ
In a recent study, Chinese researchers looked at the prevalence of depression and anxiety among women who had experienced recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL, defined as 3 or more losses). The study included 1138 non-pregnant women (20 - 40 years old) who were attempting to conceive; participants completed completed a Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and a Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). This cohort included 782 women with RPL, 218 women with one [...]