The purpose of this study was to evaluate the function of cardiac autonomic nervous activity and post-exercise vagal reaction during the menstrual cycle. The subjects were healthy young women (n=13, age 19.9±0.6 years) with normal menstrual cycles. Power spectral analysis of heart rate variability was used to examine cardiac autonomic nervous activity. In addition, the time con stant of heart rate decline for the first 30 sec (T₃₀) after exercise was used to examine post-exercise vagal reactivation.
Results show that the cardiac autonomic nervous activity changes during the menstrual cycle. Also, T₃₀ shows significant change during the menstrual cycle, especially T₃₀ retardation in the early luteal phase. These results suggest that an imbalance of estradiol and progesterone hormones may be responsible for these changes in cardiac autonomic nervous activity during the menstrual cycle.

‹Objective› In previous animal studies, it has been observed that ovarian hormones centrally alter baroreflex modulation of cardiovagal nervous control. If this central action of ovarian hormones is observed in human females, non-baroreflex modulation of cardiovagal nervous control should change with the menstrual cycle. The hypothesis in this study was that cardiovagal nervous response to facial cold stimuli (non-baroreflex modulation) changes throughout menstrual cycle.‹Subjects and methods› Eight young healthy women with a normal menstrual cycle participated in this study. The menstrual cycle was divided into 5 phases (menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, early luteal and late luteal) . Resing ECG RR intervals, cardiovagal nervous activity (by heart rate variability), RR intervals and cardiovagal nervous response to facial cold stimuli were measured during each menstrual phase. RR intervals and cardiovagal nervous response to facial cold stimuli were evaluated paying attention to the “quantity” and “quickness” of the changes.‹Results› There were no phase differences in resting RR intervals and cardiovagal nervous activity. Quantity of RR intervals and cardiovagal nervous response and quickness of. RR intervals to facial cold stimuli did not change throughout the menstrual cycle. The speed of cardiovagal nervous response to facial cold accelerated in the follicular phase, and to the contrary, slowed down in the early luteal phase, ‹Conclusion› These data suggest the speed of cardiovagal nervous response mediated non-baroreflex mechanism changes throughout the menstrual cycle.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the change in dynamic and static balance ability during the menstrual cycle among young women. The subjects were young healthy women (n=12, age 20.4±1.2 years) with regular exercise and a normal menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle was divided into 5 phases : Menstrual, Follicular, Ovulatory, Early luteal and Late luteal. Measurements were taken using the dynamic balance test, static balance test and looseness test. The dynamic balance test did not change during the menstrual cycle. Length Time within the static balance test increased in the late luteal phase compared to other menstrual cycle phases. The deviation of the mean of X within the static balance test increased in the follicular and late luteal phase and decreased in the ovulatory phase. Also, the deviation of the mean of X increased in the follicular phase compared to the menstrual phase and decreased in the menstrual and early luteal phases compared to the follicular and ovulatory. Left arm upper of laxity in hand on the back test within looseness test increased in the menstrual and early luteal phases compared to other menstrual cycle phases. These results suggest that static balance ability changes during the menstrual cycle.

BACKGROUND: Home-visit guidance has the advantage of assisting child-raising while respecting an individual's lifestyle; however, there are many people who refuse it at present due to individual and family privacy concerns. In addition, such medical services involve individual and financial constraints; thus, the beneficial effects of the service should be clearly presented.
METHODS: During postnatal weeks 16-20, questionnaires were sent by researchers to a group that received home-visit services during postnatal weeks 2-12 to investigate their levels of satisfaction with the services. A different questionnaire was sent to those that did not receive home visits to investigate the reasons for their rejection of the services.
RESULTS: Home-visit services were highly evaluated by those mothers who received them, especially for primiparas to reduce anxiety about and improve confidence in child-raising. Also, a significant difference was observed between the “home-visit” and the “no home-visit” groups when asked, “How much are you willing to pay for home-visit guidance?” Among the “no-home visit” group, mothers who stated less than 1,000 yen and “free of charge”(59.7%) accounted for 75.8% and among the home-visit group, mothers who stated less than 1,000 yen and “free of charge” (26.0%) accounted for 50.9%, and 35.5% of mothers stated from 1,000 to 3,000 yen.
CONCLUSIONS: The level of satisfaction of mothers who received home-visits and the reasons for not receiving visits were investigated. Two problems identified were that information about this program is not provided to all mothers and the timing of home-visits does not meet the needs of mothers.

[Objective] The aim of this investigation was to evaluate serum steroid hormone responses to acute resistance exercise. [Methods] Subjects were young healthy males (n=6) and females (n=6) . Each group performed three sets of 10 leg press and 10 bench press exercises at an intensity of their individual 10-repetition maximum (1ORM), with 1 min rest between sets. Blood samples were collected before (Pre-Ex) and immediately following the exercise (P0), 30 mm (P30), 60 mm (P60), and 24 hours (P24h) after the exercise. Levels of blood lactate, serum testosterone, dehydroepian drosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and cortisol were determined. [Results] The levels of blood lactate in males and females significantly increased at P0 and P30 compared with Pre-Ex (p<0.05) . In males, the serum level of testosterone significantly increased at PO (p<0.05), whereas in females, it significantly decreased at P0, P30, P60, P 24 h. (p<0.05) . The level of DHEAS significantly increased at P0 in both males and females (p<0.05) . [Conclusion] The change in the level of testosterone was different between males and females, but that of DHEAS showed a similar pattern for both sexes. The data suggest that DHEAS could be a useful indicator for evaluating the anabolic status of acute resistance exercise in females.

Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) is correlated with morbidity and mortality rates, in addition to people of a lower social status. Many of such people have health-related problems and do not undergo a regular health checkup or consult a medical practitioner. We investigated whether a correlation exists between SES, psychological state and the number of weeks of gestation at the time of the first examination. We clarified the influence of SES on the subjects’ life events (e.g. pregnancy and childbirth), in order to understand appropriate support measures.
Methods: A total of 151 female study subjects were selected from among women hospitalized for postpartum care, who underwent prenatal checkups, and delivered their children in the study center. Questionnaire surveys, one of which involved an interview, were conducted in a cross-sectional manner for the subjects’ during their pregnancy and in the postpartum period.
Results: The results show that women who perceived financial constraints showed a significantly stronger tendency to develop depression. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that women whose partners had an educational background of junior high school level underwent their first gestational examination at week 12 or later of pregnancy (odds ratio of 10.99, P = 0.001; 95% confidence interval, 3.15–86.79).
Conclusion: The present study suggests the importance of observing the correlation between SES and health among pregnant women, such that strategic interventional services can be provided to such persons.

[Objective] The aim of this investigation was to evaluate bone metabolism responses to acute resistance exercise during the menstrual cycle. [Methods] Subjects were young healthy sedentary women (n=7) with regular menstrual cycles. The subjects performed acute resistance exercise in each phase (follicular and luteal) of the menstrual cycle. Bone metabolism markers (bone formation marker BAP and bone resorption marker ICTP), bone metabolism related hormones (parathyroid hormone, calcitonin, calcium and inorganic phosphorus) and lactate were determined. Blood samples were collected before (Pre) and immediately following the exercise (Post), 1 hour (P1h) and 24 hours (P24h) after the exercise. [Results] BAP significantly increased at Post compared with Pre both in the follicular and luteal phases (p<0.05), but significantly decreased at P1h and P24h in the luteal phase. ICTP significantly increased at Post in the follicular phase (p<0.05) and significantly decreased at P1h and P24h in the luteal phase. The bone metabolism responses in the luteal phase moved to low-bone turnover at P1h and P24h. [Conclusion] The bone metabolism response to acute resistance exercise was different between menstrual phases. These results suggest that bone metabolism is influenced by the menstrual cycle.

【Objective】The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute responses of adiponectin and leptin to resistance exercise in healthy elderly men. 【Methods】Eight healthy men (age, 25.5±3.3 yrs) participated in this study. They performed two trials. Trial 1 was an exercise session consisting of 5 resistance exercises at high-intensity (75% one-repetition maximum : 1 RM) with three sets of 10 repetitions. Trial 2 was a control trial at rest for the same time as trial 1. Blood samples were taken to assess adiponectin, leptin, and metabolism related substances (glucose and lipids).【Results】Leptin significantly decreased 24 h after the resistance exercise but did not change in trial 2. Blood insulin and lactate concentrations significantly increased immediately (0 min) and 30 min after the exercise. However, adiponectin, glucose and lipids were not affected. 【Conclusion】Adiponectin was not affected by resistance exercise, whereas leptin decreased 24 h after the exercise. This suggests that leptin may have quite a delayed response to high-intensity resistance exercise.