Menstrual Perceptions and Preparation Among Female Adolescents

Seventy-four 8th- and 10th-grade students attending a private girls' school in Hawaii were queried about their perceptions of and preparation for menstruation using a questionnaire administered in a health education class. Eighty percent had already started menstruating. The most frequently cited perceptions by the respondents referred to both the inconveniences and the normalcy of menstruation. Many were first informed about menstruation by their mothers and stated that they also first informed their mothers when they started menstruating. Surprise, fear, and embarrassment were common initial reactions, while strong negative or positive emotions were more rare. Only 35% wanted boys and girls together during class discussion, but 89% stated that boys needed to be informed about menstruation. The most frequent reasons cited for noncoed settings were the girls' concern about their comfort in openly discussing menstruation. Thirty-eight percent thought parents should inform other siblings when they started menstruation, although almost half gave specific conditions the parents should consider. The majority thought the fifth to sixth grades were the best times to introduce menstruation content.     

HP18THE GOOD,THE FAT AND THE UGLY: METABOLIC HORMONES AND THE HEART

Obesity related cardiovascular disease has assumed epidemic proportions and it is important that we properly understand how hormones of metabolism influence cardiac function. Over the last 15 years a multitude of factors have been discovered that appear to play significant roles in energy balance and metabolism, markedly changing our view of fat and GI cells and their dynamic control and regulation of metabolism. This presentation will focus on how three recently discovered hormones Ghrelin, Leptin and Resistin may directly influence cardiac function. Ghrelin is predominately produced and secreted from the X/A cells of the stomach and studies suggest it can act as a cardioprotective agent. However, Ghrelin also acts to constrict the coronary arteries, which places potential limitations upon its therapeutic use. Leptin is produced by adipose tissue in proportion to fat deposition and appears to drive satiety signals in the body. In contrast, Leptin appears to antagonise cardiac function and it may drive the development of hypertension by impairing renal pressure natriuresis and down regulating endothelium derived vasorelaxant factors. The third factor, Resistin, was originally described from rat adipose tissue and was shown to impair insulin action and glucose control. In humans however, Resistin is primarily produced in inflammatory cells such as monocytes and macrophages. Resistin worsens the recovery of the heart from a period of experimental ischemia and promotes the release of inflammatory agents such as tumour necrosis factor‐alpha. Such actions may be partially responsible for the observed insulin resistance after cardiac surgery.