OBJECTIVE: The results of epidemiological studies investigated the association between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and the breast cancer are inconsistent. This meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the association between PCOS and the breast cancer risk. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus for observational studies until June 2015. Data were independently extracted and analyzed using 95% odds ratio, and confidence intervals (CIs) based on the random-effects models. METHODS: We identified 970 references and conducted eight studies with 45,470 participants and 243,064 person- year. RESULTS: The association between PCOS and the breast cancer risk in case-control studies 0.87 (95% CI, 0.44 to 1.31) and that of cohort studies was estimated 1.18 (95% CI, 0.93 to 1.43). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis demonstrated that PCOS no does increase the risk of breast cancer. Further prospective cohort studies are needed to provide convincing evidence in order to PCOS can increase or not effect on the risk of the breast cancer.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Case-Control Studies ; Cohort Studies ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Odds Ratio ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome* ; Prospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: The results of epidemiological studies investigated the association between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and the breast cancer are inconsistent. This meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the association between PCOS and the breast cancer risk. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus for observational studies until June 2015. Data were independently extracted and analyzed using 95% odds ratio, and confidence intervals (CIs) based on the random-effects models. METHODS: We identified 970 references and conducted eight studies with 45,470 participants and 243,064 person- year. RESULTS: The association between PCOS and the breast cancer risk in case-control studies 0.87 (95% CI, 0.44 to 1.31) and that of cohort studies was estimated 1.18 (95% CI, 0.93 to 1.43). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis demonstrated that PCOS no does increase the risk of breast cancer. Further prospective cohort studies are needed to provide convincing evidence in order to PCOS can increase or not effect on the risk of the breast cancer.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Case-Control Studies ; Cohort Studies ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Odds Ratio ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome* ; Prospective Studies

BACKGROUND: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms have a major impact on individuals, families, and society. Therefore identification risk factors of ADHD are a public health priority. PURPOSE: This is meta-analysis evaluated the association between maternal prepregnancy body mass index and the risk of ADHD among the resulting offspring. METHODS: The search identified studies published through December 2018 in the PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. The odds ratios (ORs) or hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) extracted from eligible studies were used as the common measure of association among studies. RESULTS: A significant association was found between overweight women and the risk of ADHD among children with the pooled HR and OR estimates (HR, 1.27 and 95% CI, 1.17–1.37; OR, 1.28 and 95% CI, 1.15–1.40, respectively). This association was significant between obese women and the risk of ADHD among children and adolescents with the pooled estimates of HR and OR (HR, 1.65 and 95% CI, 1.55–1.76; OR, 1.42 and 95% CI, 1.23–1.61). CONCLUSION: The current epidemiological studies present sufficient evidence that prepregnancy overweight and obesity are significantly associated with an increased risk of ADHD among children and adolescents. These findings provide a new approach to preventing ADHD by controlling weight gain in the prenatal period, which should be considered by policymakers.
Adolescent ; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity ; Body Mass Index ; Child ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Obesity ; Odds Ratio ; Overweight ; Pregnancy ; Public Health ; Risk Factors ; Weight Gain

PURPOSE: In this meta-analysis, relevant case-control and cohort studies were pooled to evaluate the association between preeclampsia and the risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in children. METHODS: A search for relevant studies in major databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus, was performed up to May 2018. The odds ratios (ORs) or rate ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted from eligible studies to determine the association among studies. RESULTS: The pooled estimates of ORs and RRs indicated a significant association between preeclampsia and ASD [(OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.12–1.60) and (RR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.20–1.41)]. CONCLUSIONS: Despite existing controversy, our findings indicated that preeclampsia was associated with an increased risk of ASD among children.
Autism Spectrum Disorder ; Autistic Disorder ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Cohort Studies ; Humans ; Odds Ratio ; Pre-Eclampsia ; Pregnancy

A structured review study of drug interventions on sleep disorders in patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has not been published to date. This systematic review aimed to investigate drug interventions for the treatment of sleep disorders in children with ASD. The Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus databases were searched until March 2019. Study quality was assessed using the Delphi checklist. Due to the heterogeneity of the findings, a meta-analysis was not possible. Drug interventions for the treatment of sleep disorders in patients with ASD included melatonin, atomoxetine, and risperidone. Atomoxetine had no effect on sleep disorders in patients with ASD. A total of 10 studies were reviewed. Melatonin appears to be useful for the treatment of sleep problems in patients with ASD, but further studies are needed to determine the effects of other drugs.
Atomoxetine Hydrochloride ; Autism Spectrum Disorder ; Autistic Disorder ; Checklist ; Child ; Humans ; Melatonin ; Population Characteristics ; Risperidone ; Sleep Wake Disorders

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the effect of a mixture of fennel and valerian extracts on hot flashes and sleep disorders of postmenopausal women in Iran. A randomized trial was conducted. Methods: A total of 76 postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to either of the two groups: fennel-valerian extract or control.One 500 mg fennel-valerian extract capsule was given twice, daily for 8 weeks. The 500 mg oral placebo capsule (starch) was given the same way. Results: The mean duration of hot flashes increased in both the groups over time (P < 0.001). The mean frequency and severity of hot flashes in the intervention group were significantly lower than in the control group, in the first and second months after intervention (P < 0.050). Women in the fennel-valerian extract group had a significantly lower Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score than the control group 2 months after intervention (P = 0.030). Conclusions This study found that fennel-valerian extract was effective for relieving sleep disorders as well as the severity and frequency of hot flashes compared with a placebo.

Objectives: Understanding the factors that promote quality of life (QOL) in menopausal women is essential for establishing educational strategies and health policies. Studies on the relationship between health literacy and QOL in menopausal women in Iran are rare. Therefore, we aimed to determine health literacy in menopausal women and its relationship with QOL. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was performed on 177 menopausal women referred to comprehensive health services in Hamadan City, Iran. Health Literacy for Iranian Adults and Menopause-Specific QOL questionnaires were used to collect information. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to assess the correlation between health literacy and QOL. Results: The majority of menopausal women included in this study were married housewives, and 44.6% of them were 50–55 years old; furthermore, only 6.2% had adequate or good health literacy. Health literacy was significantly correlated with total QOL score and vasomotor, psychology, and physical domains (P < 0.05). Conclusions Health literacy was associated with various domains of QOL. Therefore, health providers should pay more attention on improving health literacy by holding educational promotional programs for menopausal women to enhance their QOL.

OBJECTIVE: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) affects millions of women and is known as the most important disorder among them. The very aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of low dose calcium on severity of PMS. METHODS: This study can be considered as a double-blind randomized clinical trial. Female students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences diagnosed with PMS in 2014 participated in the present study. Sixty-six female students diagnosed with PMS were involved in the experimental and control groups. The participants were randomly assigned into two groups to receive 500 mg of calcium daily or placebo for two months. Severity of PMS was detected by Daily Record of Severity of Problems, which was used to measure symptoms during one menstrual cycle before and two menstrual cycles after the intervention. RESULTS: No signifcant differences were observed in the mean scores of PMS symptoms between calcium and placebo groups before the treatment (P=0.74). However, signifcant differences were noticed between the two intervention groups in the first (P=0.01) and second menstrual cycles (P=0.001) after the intervention. The differences were significant in subgroups of anxiety, depression, emotional changes, water retention, and somatic changes in calcium group compared with placebo group in the menstrual cycle before the intervention and two menstrual cycles after the intervention and among menstrual cycles (0, cycle 1, cycle 2) in calcium group (P=0.01). CONCLUSION: Overall, the results of the present study suggest that treatment with calcium supplements is an effective method for reducing mood disorders during PMS.
Anxiety ; Calcium* ; Depression ; Female ; Humans ; Menstrual Cycle ; Methods ; Mood Disorders ; Premenstrual Syndrome* ; Water

OBJECTIVES: Menopause can have psychological, physical, and vasomotor symptoms along with sexual dysfunction and these symptoms can affect the quality of life (QOL). The purpose of this research was to determine and association the effective factors on QOL among postmenopausal Iranian women. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015 on 300 postmenopausal women in Hamadan, Iran. We used the Menopause-Specific QOL questionnaire (MENQOL) for measuring QOL in postmenopausal women. SPSS version 16 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: The mean scores of QOL for vasomotor, psychosocial, physical, and sexual domains were 11.65 ± 5.93, 19.36 ± 1.20, 39.12 ± 1.95 and 11.02 ± 5.66, respectively. Higher scores had worse QOL. Using MENQOL scores, our study showed significant differences in QOL based on age, education level, financial status, number of children, employment, and body mass index (BMI). CONCLUSION: Menopause causes a decrease in QOL, which is dependent to age, work, BMI, financial status and number of children variables. Therefore, it is necessary to develop effective intervention programs to improve QOL in postmenopausal women.
Body Mass Index ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Education ; Employment ; Female ; Humans ; Iran* ; Menopause ; Quality of Life* ; Statistics as Topic

OBJECTIVES: The association between body mass index (BMI) and hot flash risk has not been specifically clarifies yet. This meta-analysis was, therefore, conducted to estimate the association between overweight and obesity and hot flash risk. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus for observational studies addressing the association between BMI and hot flash until August 2015. Data were independently extracted and analyzed using 95% odds ratio (OR), and confidence intervals (CI) based on the random-effects models. RESULTS: We identified 2,244 references and conducted seven studies with 4,219 participants. The association between hot flash and overweight was estimated 1.13 (95% CI: 0.97-1.32) and that of obesity was estimated 1.79 (95% CI: 1.52-2.11). No evidence of heterogeneity and publication bias was observed. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis demonstrated that, though not to a great extent, obesity does increase the risk of hot flash. The findings from this meta-analysis indicated that obesity is associated with an increased risk of hot flash. Further large prospective cohort studies are required to provide convincing evidence as to whether or not BMI is associated with an increased risk of hot flashes.
Body Mass Index* ; Case-Control Studies ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Hot Flashes ; Humans ; Obesity ; Odds Ratio ; Overweight ; Population Characteristics ; Prospective Studies ; Publication Bias