Effects of isoflavones on the pelvic floor and the periurethral vascularization of postmenopausal women - Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia

Original Article

Effects of isoflavones on the pelvic floor and the periurethral vascularization of postmenopausal women

PURPOSE: to evaluate muscular strength of the pelvic floor and the periurethral vessels of postmenopausal women before and after six months of soybean extract treatment. METHODS: the study was conducted on 30 postmenopausal women before and after six consecutive months of soyabean extract (100 mg/day) administration. Urinary loss and muscular strength of the pelvic floor were investigated through digital perineometer and functional evaluation. Digital color Doppler in the periurethral region was used to count the number of vessels. For statistical analysis, the paired Student t test was applied to compare the results before and after the treatment. RESULTS: twenty women reported urinary incontinence before the treatment period. The amelioration of this symptom was observed in 15 (75%) women after the treatment. Vaginal pressure (muscular strength of the pelvic floor) was 12.95±1.73 and 15.86±1.86 Sauers, before and after the treatment, respectively (p<0.001). Twenty-two women (73.3%) presented an increase in the pressure at the end of this study. In relation to the function evaluation, 18 (60%) had improvement in muscular strength and 12 women did not present any change. On ultrasonography (Doppler), the number of vessels was 2.20±0.15 blood vessels/field in the beginning of this study and 3.46±0.25 blood vessels/field at the end of the treatment (p<0.001). An increase in the number of periurethral vessels was detected in 21 women (70%). CONCLUSION: it is important to emphasize that these are preliminary results. A double blind randomized and placebo-controlled clinical trial with a high number of participants is necessary. However, the treatment with concentrated soybean extract (100 mg per day) for six consecutive months may determine an improvement in pelvic floor muscular strength and an increase in the number of periurethral vessels in postmenopausal women.

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