Eight weeks of an integrated approach to yoga therapy decreases climacteric symptoms, perceived stress, and neuroticism in perimenopausal women better than physical exercise.

Objective To assess the efficacy of an integrated approach of yoga therapy (IAYT) on cognitive abilities in climacteric syndrome.Design A randomised control study wherein the participants were divided into experimental and control groups.Settings Fourteen centres of Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation, Bangalore, India.Sample One hundred and eight perimenopausal women between 40 and 55 years with follicle-stimulating hormone level equal to or greater than 15 miu/ml. One hundred and twenty perimenopausal women were randomly allotted into the yoga and the control groups.Methods The yoga group practised a module comprising breathing practices, sun salutation and cyclic meditation, whereas the control group practised a set of simple physical exercises, under supervision (1 hour/day, 5 days/week for 8 weeks).Main outcome measures Assessments were made by vasomotor symptom checklist, six-letter cancellation test (SLCT) for attention and concentration and Punit Govil Intelligence Memory Scale (PGIMS) with ten subtests.Results The Wilcoxon test showed significant (P < 0.001) reduction in hot flushes, night sweats and sleep disturbance in yoga group, with a trend of significant difference between groups at P = 0.06 on Mann-Whitney test in night sweats. There was no change within or between groups in the control group. The SLCT score and the PGIMS showed significant improvement in eight of ten subtests in the yoga group and six of ten subtests in the control group. The yoga group performed significantly better (P < 0.001) with higher effect sizes in SLCT and seven tests of PGIMS compared with the control group.Conclusions Integrated approach of yoga therapy can improve hot flushes and night sweats. It also can improve cognitive functions such as remote memory, mental balance, attention and concentration, delayed and immediate recall, verbal retention and recognition tests.

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Aims The relationship between the age of diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and adverse disease outcomes has not been well defined. This study aims to determine whether an early age of diagnosis is associated with worse disease outcomes. Methods This was a retrospective study of IBD patients seen at McMaster University Medical Centre, in Hamilton, ON, Canada from 2012 to 2018. Patients were classified as having poor outcomes if they had any of the following: (1) two or more bowel resections since diagnosis; (2) two or more hospitalizations for disease exacerbation since diagnosis; or (3) more than three months of corticosteroid use within 24 months of diagnosis. Prior knowledge in combination with forward selection was used to develop a multivariate logistic regression model and identify predictors of poor IBD outcomes. The variables used in the forward selection model included age at diagnosis (less than vs. greater than 25), smoking status, sex, disease duration, and type of IBD. Results A total of 617 IBD patients were included in the analysis, of which 356 (57.7%) had Crohn’s disease, 234 (37.9%) had ulcerative colitis, and 27 (4.4%) had IBD-U. The median age at diagnosis was 25 (interquartile range (IQR) 17–37). Median disease duration was 16 years (IQR 11–24). A univariate regression analysis indicated that the odds ratio (OR) of poor outcomes was found to be 0.55 (0.38 - 0.79) for those ≥25 years of age compared to to those &lt;25. In the multivariate regression analysis (Table 1), all of disease duration, smoking status, and IBD type were found to have a significant association with having poor outcomes. Each year of disease duration was associated with an increase in odds of poor outcomes (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.03–1.09). Active smokers had increased odds of poor outcomes compared to past or never smokers (OR 5.01, 95% CI 1.71–14.68). Patients with ulcerative colitis were less likely to experience poor outcomes compared to Crohn’s disease patients (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.24–0.57). Age of diagnosis was no longer found to have a significant association with poor outcomes, once adjusted for other co-variates (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.47–1.15). Conclusions Age of diagnosis was not found to have a relationship with occurrence of poor IBD outcomes, after adjustment for co-variates. However, patients with increased disease duration, active smoking status, and Crohn’s disease (compared to UC) were found to have increased odds of poor IBD-related outcomes. Funding Agencies None

Background The relationship between older age and extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains unknown. Aims This study aims to determine whether older age is associated with increased risk of EIMs in IBD patients. Methods This was a retrospective study of IBD patients seen at the McMaster University Medical Centre, in Hamilton, ON, Canada from 2012–2020. Patients were identified to have the primary outcome of interest if their gastroenterologist documented the presence of any EIM either during the baseline assessment or during the period of follow up. The independent variable, age at start of follow-up, was dichotomized into two categories age &gt;=40 vs. &lt;40.Prior knowledge in combination with forward selection was used to develop a logistic regression model. The variables utilized for the forward selection model included gender, disease duration, and current biologic use. Results A total of 995 IBD patients (625 with CD) were considered for the regression analysis, all for whom the EIM status was recorded. Out of the 995 patients, 270 patients reported at least one EIM – 99 with arthritis/arthralgia, 79 with dermatologic manifestations, 16 with ophthalmic manifestations, 30 with liver manifestations, and 116 with other EIMs. A univariate regression analysis foundincreased odds of EIMs in older patientsas compared to younger patients (odds ratio (OR) 1.41 (95% CI, 1.05 – 1.89)). In the multivariate regression analysis, current biologic use was found to have a significant relationship with odds of having EIMs (OR 1.49; 95% CI, 1.06 – 2.09). After adjustment for biologic use, patients aged 40 or over had 1.46 times higher odds of having EIMs (95% CI 1.03 – 2.05). A sub-analysis of individual EIM categoriesdid not show a significant association with older age. Conclusions Older age is associated with increased risk of EIMs in IBD patients. Patients with EIMs were also more likely to be treated with biological therapies. Clinicians should inquire about the presence of EIMs in older IBD patients. Funding Agencies None