Metformin, a medication used to treat diabetes, has been successful in treating PCOS. Metformin may also reduce risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. …
COORDINATORS MESSAGE
We just returned from the National Conference for Natural Family Planning
Coordinators hosted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Diocesan Development Program for Natural Family Planning It was a
wonderful four-day seminar that included a variety of issues from the
latest technologies in NFP to heartening messages regarding the dignity of
the human person
From our perspective, the closing remarks made by Bishop Victor Galeone
from the diocese of St Augustine, FL held the most inspiration Bishop
Galeone is the seventh of eight children He realized at an early age his
priestly voca-tion and spent his childhood looking forward to the day of
his ordination Bishop also shared with the group that he has a very
special bond with his younger sister
Bishop Galeone revealed to us that he was grateful that his parents chose
to have his younger sister even though it meant more financial strife He
mused what it would have been like if his parents had chosen to stop at
seven children and not had the eighth He stated boldly to all of us, even
if having another sibling would have meant that I would not have had
the
resources to go to the seminary and become a priest, I would still have
wanted my baby sister more than my priesthood
His message - Be generous to life because it is what truly matters in this
world
NFP INSIGHTS
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Once thought to be a benign condition, medical professionals have recently
come to understand Polycyctic Ovarian Syndrome PCOS as a complex disorder
affecting several body systems
Common symptoms of PCOS include high androgen male hormone levels,
insulin resistance, cysts pockets of fluid on the ovaries, excessive
growth of body hair, severe acne, obesity and irregular or absent
menstruation, with infertility
PCOS is a common endocrine disorder, with approximately 625,000 new cases
each year Most women experience menstrual symptoms related to high
androgen levels NFP charts will show irregular cycle length, continuous or
patchy mucus, and shallow temperature shifts with few high temperatures
before menstruation or no shift at all Menses, when it does occur, may be
unusually heavy or last longer than a week
In addition to cycle problems and infertility, recent research
has shown
that about 35 of women with PCOS have insulin resistance This causes
difficulty in moving glucose into body cells for use as energy The
pancreas compensates by producing more insulin, which is a factor in
developing diabetes, and in increasing the androgen levels further As the
process spirals, women experience weight gain, high cholesterol and blood
pressure levels, and increased risk for heart disease, making PCOS a multi-
system disease with a potential for long-term health risks
Getting proper treatment requires accurate diagnosis NFP friendly health
care providers will look at charted cycle patterns Others will typically
ask for a general cycle history Pelvic exam and ultrasound may reveal
cysts on the ovaries, although not all women with PCOS have cysts, and
about 22 of women with typical cycles have ovarian cysts but not PCOS
Ultrasound may also show a thickened endometrial lining, typical of PCOS
Standard medical practice recommends combination oral contraceptives to
treat the symptoms of high androgen levels, and to promote regular shedding
of the endometrium Alternatives to contraceptive pills would be anti-
androgen medications, or a cyclic regimen of
natural progesterone Cyclic
progesterone will also help with regular shedding of the endometrium
Metformin, a medication used to treat diabetes, has been successful in
treating PCOS It reduces androgens and increases glucose usage by muscles
This promotes a return to regular fertility and results in weight loss in
some women Metformin may also reduce risk factors for heart disease and
diabetes
Lifestyle changes can improve symptoms as well Regular exercise, low
carbohydrate, high fiber diet, and weight loss in obese women have proved
valuable in combating PCOS Hair removal and acne treatment tend to make
women feel better about their appearance during treatment Through it all,
the value of a supportive spouse cannot be overemphasized
FAMILY NEWS
First and Best
In recent months, many parents of pre-teens or teens have called to ask
what they can do to help keep their children sexually pure until marriage
My first suggestion is always to pray for their child and ask that God keep
him or her safe from all injury and harm Practically, I add this
suggestion: Be home when your children come home from school
This may
sound rather odd until you know that nine out of ten teens 91
engaging in sexual activity are doing so in their own home after school
Sexually active teens know that from 3-6PM they are unsuper-vised and have
little to know risk of being caught by their parents or the parents of
their partner
According to a study reported in the December, 2002 journal of Pediatrics,
only 23 of youth come home to a parent present Instead, one out of every
two youth are left alone for up to four hours every day, Monday through
Friday The article goes on to state that for every 10 hours of non-
supervision each week the risk of sexual activity increases dramatically
This report should give every parent pause How important is it for you to
be there for your kids each day?
Think how fortunate children are who come home to a parent willing to talk
and listen Ponder the goodness that happens when a parent is the first one
to hear about the school day - both the good and the bad Consider how a
parents supervision and direction can keep a child safe and secure
Remember, you are the first and best educator for your child Be there
when it counts
RESEARCH UPDATES
Menstrual Cycle May Influence Timing of Acute Coronary Events
According to a study reported in the American Journal of Medicine, the
most likely time for a perimenopausal woman to have an acute coronary event
is within 6 days after the onset of her menses
Dr Paul Poirier of the Quebec Heart Institute, Canada studied 27 women
with a mean age of 43 and a mean menstrual cycle of 26 days All the women
had been hospitalized for an acute coronary event In all cases the event
took place either during menstruation or immediately following
The investigators found that levels of 17 beta-estradiol were low during
menses and the days following and this low level may be the trigger needed
for the acute coronary event
American Journal of Medicine 2003: 114: 559-601
New Guidelines for Breastfeeding Guidelines
In the May-June2003 issue of CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, new
breast cancer screening guidelines were published These guidelines
recommend self and clinical breast examinations at earlier ages,
mammography for older and high-risk women and new technologies
Here are the major recommendations:
For women at average risk:
Begin
mammography at age 40 years
For women in their 20s and 30s, do clinical breast examination at least
every three years
Asymptomatic women ages 40 years and older should continue to receive a
clinical breast examination as part of a periodic health examination,
preferably annually
Beginning in their 20s, women should be told about the benefits and
limitations of breast self-examination BSE, including the importance of
prompt reporting of any new breast symptoms
Women who choose to do BSE should receive instruction and have their
technique reviewed on the occasion of a periodic health exam
Women may choose not to do BSE or to do BSE irregularly Women should be
informed about the benefits, limitations, and potential harms associated
with regular screening
For older women:
Consider the potential benefits and risks of mammography in the context
of current health status and estimated life expectancy As long as a
woman is in reasonably good health and would be a candidate for
treatment, she should continue to be screened with mammography
For high-risk women:
Earlier initiation of screening, shorter screening intervals, or the
addition of
screening modalities other than mammography and physical
examination, such as ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging, should be
considered But the evidence currently available is sufficient to justify
recommendations for any of these screening approaches
CA Cancer J Clin 2003: 54: 141-169
High Activity May Reduce Estrogen and Progesterone and Result in a
Reduction of Bone Mass
It appears that female athletes who are involved in high intensity
workouts may be suppressing both their estrogen and progesterone levels
In a study reported in the Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
Journal, researchers studied 52 young women who were either at risk
athletes frequent, high intensity workouts or normal athletes normal
workout intensity and reduced frequency The study included 26 rowers 14
were adolescent rowers and 12 were elite lightweight rowers and 26 female
athletes
Participants in the study provided the researchers with urinary samples
that were tested for urinary metabolites of both estrogen and progesterone
The study showed that during the high intensity - high
frequency
competitive season, female athletes had significantly lower levels of
estrogen and progesterone Further, these athletes had menstrual cycles
that were nearly twice as long during the competitive season as they were
when the competitive season ended
The researchers recommended that female athletes who experience high
intensity and high frequency competitive seasons should be monitored for
the possible loss of bone density that is associated with the reduction in
estrogen and progesterone
Medicine Science in Sports Exercise 33 2001: 9-14
Another Hit Against Hormone Replacement Therapies
It seems that the news about the benefits of hormone replacement
therapies continues to worsen
In a recent Journal of the American Medical Association, it was reported
that postmenopausal women over the age of 65 taking a combined estrogen
plus progestin therapy increase their risk of probable dementia
The data used for this study came from the Womens health Initiative that
began in May of 1996 but was discontinued in July of 2002 because of
certain increased health risks in women receiving combined hormone therapy
4,532 women in the study were eligible for
this dataset because they were
over the age of 65 and were free from dementia at the beginning of the
trial These women were enrolled in the Memory Study, which was a random,
double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Overall, 61 women were diagnosed with probable dementia Forty of these
women were diagnosed with probable dementia Forty of these women had been
taking estrogen plus progestin therapy and 231 were from the placebo group
These percentages translate into a hazard ratio HR of 205 which in
practical terms means that the use of combined hormone replacement
therapies results in an additional 23 cases of dementia per 10,000 women
Alzheimer disease was the most common classification of dementia in both of
the groups
Though these numbers may seem small, these findings, as well as others,
caused the Womens Health Initiative to be halted
JAMA 2003; 289:2651-2662
ASK THE EXPERTS
Q: Is there a link between a girls body
A:
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Summer 2003 Volume 8:2
NFP REALITIES
Sharing the Good News
Published Three Times Annually by the Dioceses of La Crosse and Madison, WI
Interested in taking an NFP class? Call the number listed in your area to
access current class schedule
|Arcadia - 800-255-6226 |Madison Area - 608-273-2236|Sparta - 800-255-6226 |
|Chippewa Falls - |Marshfield - 800-255-6226 |Stanley - 800-255-6226 |
|800-255-6226 | | |
|Eau Claire - 800-255-6226 |Menomonie - 800-255-6226 |Stevens Point - |
| | |800-255-6226 |
|La Crosse - 800-255-6226 |Milwaukee Area - |Wausau - 800-255-6226 |
| |414-291-1750 | |
For general NFP information please call the number listed in your area
or email: nfp@dioceseoflacrossecom
NFP Realities is published quarterly each year by: Diocese of La Crosse
Office of Natural Family Planning
711 24th St NE
Menomonie, WI 54751
1-800-255-6226
Editorial Staff:
Jeff Alice Heinzen, Julie Krause: NFP Coordinators in Wisconsin - Sue
Gilbert: Office of Family Life
Diocese of La Crosse
NFP Program
PO Box 4004
La Crosse, WI 54602-4004
Source:donself.com
