Women and Health: Soya Products good for health & blood vessels after Menopause..

Menopause in women is associated with many health problems…may be much more than she ever had those. One of the chief systems to be affected is the normal functioning of the blood vessels and cappilaries which may herald a sequence of health problems.

Soya bean and its products are said tobe healthy for general health post menopause. Their use has an added advantage that they keep the blood vessels of the women healthy which otherwise may be subjected to constrictive changes as a consequence of the drop in oestrogen levels.

Flow Mediated Dilation{FMD}: 

When blood flow increases through a vessel, the vessel dilates. This phenomenon has been coined flow-mediated dilatation (FMD)..which is a normal phenomenon. Drop in estrogen levels might interfere with this normal and smooth functioning of the endothelium(inner layer of blood vessel)…thus reducing the FMD and consequentially causing vascular problems.

Isoflavone: 

Isoflavones are a group of molecules that are similar in chemical structure. Isoflavones are produced only by plants in the Fabaceae (also known as Leguminosae) family, frequently called the legume or bean family. Foods that contain high amounts of isoflavones include soy, peanuts, chick peas, alfalfa, fava beans, and kudzu. When consumed by humans, isoflavones may behave like estrogen in the body.

They are antioxidants Some isoflavones and isoflavone-rich foods possess activity against cancer, including certain types of breast and prostate cancer.

A study published in the European Heart Journal has demonstrated the ability of isoflavones to reduce inflammation and improve blood flow in patients with atherosclerosis.

Research works about Isoflavone: Recent research works have shown that Isoflavone use may improve Endothelial Function in Postmenopausal Women

Read the original article below:{Courtesy Medscape}:

December 11, 2009 — Oral isoflavone supplementation enhances endothelial function in postmenopausal women with low levels of flow-mediated dilation (FMD) at baseline, according to a report in the November 18th online issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In women with high levels of FMD, no benefit is seen. 

“The risks of cardiovascular diseases increase with the decline in estrogen production after menopause in women,” senior author Dr. Ru-Tai Hui, from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College in Beijing, China, and colleagues explain. “Isoflavone, mainly produced by soybeans, has been suggested to have estrogenic and potentially cardioprotective effects and improved endothelial dysfunction in many experimental studies.” 

Whether isoflavone use actually improves endothelial function in postmenopausal women, however, is controversial, the report indicates. Studies investigating this topic have been relatively small and have yielded conflicting findings. “As a result, the precise effect of isoflavone supplementation has not been established.” 

Dr. Hui’s team set out to examine this topic in detail by conducting a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials identified though a search of PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library database, and other sources. Of 561 articles identified, 9 were included in the review and meta-analysis. 

The studies were published between 2000 and 2007 and typically ranged in size from 18 to 57 subjects with the exception of one study with 202 subjects. 

In the overall analysis, isoflavone use significantly increased FMD (weighted mean difference, 1.75%, p = 0.0002), the report indicates. 

However, further analysis showed that oral supplementation with isoflavone enhanced FMD significantly only if the age-adjusted baseline FMD level was <5.2% (weighted mean difference, 2.22%, p < 0.0001). Meta-regression analysis confirmed that age-adjusted FMD at baseline was inversely associated with effect achieved with oral isoflavone. 

Regarding potential limitations of the current analysis, the authors point out that none of the studies included men, who may respond differently to isoflavone than do women. Also, just 2 of the studies included women with high cholesterol levels, subjects who might be expected to have an enhanced FMD response to isoflavone use. 

Another issue is that the range of isoflavone doses used in the studies was fairly narrow, the authors point out. Thus, there is a need for future studies to better understand dose-response relationships. 

Lastly, the researchers note that the sources of isoflavones were not the same in each study. In six trials, the source was soy protein, whereas in three, the sources were unclear. The source of the isoflavone might influence its effect on FMD and, therefore, additional research is needed to answer this question, the researchers state. 

“The baseline endothelial profile may be an important and potential factor influencing the effect of oral isoflavone supplementation on endothelial function,” the researchers conclude. “Additional high-quality rigorous studies, especially in women with cardiovascular diseases and in men, should be performed to confirm our results and explore the exact mechanisms of isoflavone in the improvement of endothelial function.” 

Clinical Context

Isoflavones, mainly produced by soybeans, have estrogenic and potentially cardioprotective effects, and endothelial function has been shown to be a predictor of outcomes of cardiovascular disease. The effect of isoflavone supplementation on endothelial function has been studied with FMD as a measure of function, but results have been controversial because of small sample sizes. This is a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind controlled clinical trials to examine the effect of isoflavone supplementation on FMD in postmenopausal women. 

Study Highlights

• The investigators searched the databases of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for articles from 1950 to 2009 of double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trials of isoflavone on FMD in postmenopausal women.
• Included were studies in which participants were treated for at least 3 days to reflect nonacute effects of isoflavone, and FMD was measured as a primary outcome.
• 2 independent reviewers assessed the articles and graded the trials according to predetermined criteria with a score from 0 to 5.
• 561 articles were identified, of which 536 were excluded because they were animal studies or did not meet the required objectives.
• 9 studies met inclusion criteria, of which 5 had a crossover design, and all were randomized, double blind, and placebo controlled.
• Sample size of each trial ranged from 18 to 202.
• In 7 trials, subjects were healthy postmenopausal women, and in 2 trials the postmenopausal women had hypercholesterolemia.
• Average age of the enrolled women was 55.4 to 66.7 years.
• The source of isoflavone was soy protein in 7 trials and isoflavone supplied by different makers of the supplement in the other trials.
• Doses of isoflavone ranged from 50 to 99 mg/day.
• Duration of treatment ranged from 2 weeks to 12 months.
• The average baseline cholesterol level was 180 to 286 mg/dL, and the baseline FMD levels varied from 2.1% to 9.6%.
• The quality scores of the studies ranged from 3 to 5.
• The primary outcome was percentage change in FMD between baseline and final levels with isoflavone supplementation.
• 2 trials reported percentage change; in the remaining trials, the percentage change was calculated.
• Change in FMD levels was significantly higher in women who received isoflavone supplementation vs placebo (n = 525 subjects in 9 trials; weighted mean difference, 1.75%; P = .0002).
• There was significant heterogeneity, which was not accounted for by subjects’ age, duration of treatment, baseline cholesterol level, or source or dose of isoflavones.
• Subgroup analysis showed that the heterogeneity was explained by age-adjusted baseline FMD levels.
• Isoflavone supplementation had a significant effect only in women with baseline FMD levels less than 5.2% (5 trials, n = 233; weighted mean difference, 2.22%; P < .0001) but not in women with baseline FMD of 5.2% or more.
• The effect of high baseline cholesterol level could not be adequately assessed because only 2 trials included women with high baseline cholesterol levels.
• No publication bias was detected with use of the Egger test.
• The authors concluded that isoflavone supplementation in postmenopausal women was associated with improved FMD but only in women with low baseline FMD of less than 5.2%.
• They suggested that FMD level be used as a predictor of the beneficial effect of isoflavone supplementation.  

Clinical Implications

• Isoflavone supplementation in postmenopausal women is associated with improved FMD reflecting endothelial function.
• The beneficial effect of isoflavone supplementation is affected by baseline FMD level but not by age, baseline cholesterol level, or isoflavone dose or duration.

Moral of the story: Women friends……Start taking Soya beans and its products after menopause and enjoy healthy life….

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Blog by…………………Dr ManasaRaghu

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