Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of nutraceuticals on quality of life and sexual function of perimenopausal women

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Endocrinological Investigation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

An Erratum to this article was published on 17 February 2017

An Erratum to this article was published on 25 October 2016

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of nutraceuticals containing Equol, Resveratrol, Quecitine and Passiflora (Zemiar®, Avantgarde, Pomezia, Rome, Italy) on quality of life (QoL) and sexual function in perimenopausal women.

Methods

Sixty perimenopausal women having vasomotor symptoms and being in the −1, +1a of the STRAW system (amenorrhea for longer than 60 days and FSH < 20 UI/L) were enrolled. The modified Kupperman Index (KI) was used to evaluate menopause symptoms. The Short Form-36 (SF-36), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the Female Sexual Distress Scale (FSDS) were used to assess QoL, sexual function and sexual distress, respectively. The study had two follow-ups at 3 and 6 months.

Results

The women reported an improvement in the KI total score from the baseline (35 ± 4) to the 1st (21 ± 3, p < 0.05) and the 2nd (18 ± 2, p < 0.01) follow-ups. At the 1st follow-up, the women reported QoL improvements in some functions (p < 0.05); at the 2nd follow-up, they reported improvements in all categories (p < 0.001). At baseline, the total FSFI score was 23.1 ± 1.2 and the FSDS score was 18.1 ± 1.4, both indicating sexual dysfunction with sexual distress. FSFI and FSDS total scores did not change at the 1st follow-up (p = NS). On the contrary, at the 2nd follow-up, the FSFI score had risen to (27.6 ± 1.5) (p < 0.001) and the FSDS score had dropped to (11.3 ± 1.2) (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Nutraceuticals can be effective in modulating the perimenopausal symptoms in women. The progressive reduction of the vasomotor symptoms reported by women over the nutraceutical usage could contribute to improve their QoL and sexual life.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

[Adapted by Hale et Al. (14)]

Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. de Bruin JP, Bovenhuis H, van Noord PA, Pearson PL, van Arendonk JA, te Velde ER, Kuurman WW, Dorland M (2001) The role of genetic factors in age at natural menopause. Hum Reprod 16:2014–2018

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. He C, Murabito JM (2014) Genome-wide association studies of age at menarche and age at natural menopause. Mol Cell Endocrinol 382:767–779

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Deeks AA (2004) Is this menopause? Women in midlife-psychosocial issues. Aust Fam Physician 33:889–893

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. McKinley NM, Lyon LA (2008) Menopausal attitudes, objectified body consciousness, aging anxiety, and body esteem: European American women’s body experiences in midlife. Body Image 5:375–380

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Freeman EW (2010) Associations of depression with the transition to menopause. Menopause 17:823–827

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Spinelli MG (2005) Neuroendocrine effects on mood. Rev Endocr Metab Disord 6:109–115

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Schipper HM (2015) The impact of gonadal hormones on the expression of human neurological disorders. Neuroendocrinology. doi:10.1159/000440620

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Cohen LS, Soares CN, Joffe H (2005) Diagnosis and management of mood disorders during the menopausal transition. Am J Med 118(Suppl 12B):93–97

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Pearce G, Thøgersen-Ntoumani C, Duda J (2014) Body image during the menopausal transition: a systematic scoping review. Health Psychol Rev 8:473–489

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Yanikkerem E, Koltan SO, Tamay AG, Dikayak Ş (2012) Relationship between women’s attitude towards menopause and quality of life. Climacteric 15:552–562

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Terauchi M, Hirose A, Akiyoshi M, Owa Y, Kato K, Kubota T (2015) Prevalence and predictors of storage lower urinary tract symptoms in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women attending a menopause clinic. Menopause 22:1084–1090

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Thornton K, Chervenak J, Neal-Perry G (2015) Menopause and Sexuality. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am 44:649–661

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Dennerstein L, Hayes RD (2005) Confronting the challenges: epidemiological study of female sexual dysfunction and the menopause. J Sex Med 2(Suppl 3):118–132

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Nappi RE, Lachowsky M (2009) Menopause and sexuality: prevalence of symptoms and impact on quality of life. Maturitas 63:138–141

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Hale GE, Robertson DM, Burger HG (2014) The perimenopausal woman: endocrinology and management. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 142:121–131

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Nutraceuticals/Functional Foods and Health Claims on Foods: Policy Paper”. Health Canada. June 24, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2014

  17. Hardy G (2000) Nutraceuticals and functional foods: introduction and meaning. Nutrition 16:688–689

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Wu J, Oka J, Ezaki J, Ohtomo T, Ueno T, Uchiyama S, Toda T, Uehara M, Ishimi Y (2007) Possible role of equol status in the effects of isoflavone on bone and fat mass in postmenopausal Japanese women: a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial. Menopause 14:866–874

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Mikstacka R, Rimando AM, Ignatowicz E (2010) Antioxidant effect of trans-resveratrol, pterostilbene, quercetin and their combinations in human erythrocytes in vitro. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 65:57–63

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Yang JY, Della-Fera MA, Rayalam S, Ambati S, Hartzell DL, Park HJ, Baile CA (2008) Enhanced inhibition of adipogenesis and induction of apoptosis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes with combinations of resveratrol and quercetin. Life Sci 82:1032–1039

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Appel K, Rose T, Fiebich B, Kammler T, Hoffmann C, Weiss G (2011) Modulation of the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system by Passiflora incarnata L. Phytother Res 25:838–843

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Ngan A, Conduit R (2011) A double-blind, placebo-controlled investigation of the effects of Passiflora incarnata (passionflower) herbal tea on subjective sleep quality. Phytother Res 25:1153–1159

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Cao ZY (2005) Chinese obstetrics and gynecology. People’s Medical Publishing House, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  24. Ware JE, Kosinski M, Gandek B et al (1998) The factor structure of the SF-36 Health Survey in 10 countries: results from the International Quality of Life Assessment (IQOLA) project. J Clin Epidemiol 51:1159–1165

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Basson R, Leiblum S, Brotto L et al (2004) Revised definitions of women’s sexual dysfunction. J Sex Med 1:40–48

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Nappi RE, Albani F, Vaccaro P et al (2008) Use of the Italian translation of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) in routine gynecological practice. Gynecol Endocrinol 24:214–219

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Derogatis LR, Rosen R, Leiblum S, Burnett A, Heiman J (2002) The Female Sexual Distress Scale (FSDS): initial validation of a standardized scale for assessment of sexually related personal in distress women. J Sex Marital Ther 28:317–330

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Caruso S, Iraci SM, Casella E, Ventura B, Fava V, Cianci A (2015) Chronic pelvic pain, quality of life and sexual health of women treated with palmitoylethanolamide and α-lipoic acid. Minerva Ginecol 67:413–419

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Caruso S, Iraci M, Cianci S, Casella E, Fava V, Cianci A (2015) Quality of life and sexual function of women affected by endometriosis-associated pelvic pain when treated with dienogest. J Endocrinol Invest 38:1211–1218

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Weber MT, Maki PM, McDermott MP (2014) Cognition and mood in perimenopause: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 142:90–98

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank The Scientific Bureau of the University of Catania for language support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General Surgery and Medical Surgical Specialties, Gynecological Clinic of the Policlinico Universitario, Via S.Sofia 78, 95124, Catania, Italy

    S. Caruso, S. Cianci, M. Cariola, V. Fava, A. M. C. Rapisarda & A. Cianci

  2. Research Group for Sexology, Catania, Italy

    S. Caruso, V. Fava & A. Cianci

Authors
  1. S. Caruso
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. Cianci
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Cariola
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. V. Fava
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. A. M. C. Rapisarda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. A. Cianci
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Caruso.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and the writing of the paper.

Ethical approval

I declare that this study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of our Department.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

Unfortunately, one of the co-author first name was wrongly published in the original publication and the error has now been corrected.

An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40618-017-0630-1.

An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40618-016-0556-z.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Caruso, S., Cianci, S., Cariola, M. et al. Effects of nutraceuticals on quality of life and sexual function of perimenopausal women. J Endocrinol Invest 40, 27–32 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-016-0500-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-016-0500-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation