Igor Lakhno

By Igor V. Lakhno, Bertha Patricia Guzmán-Velázquez and José Alejandro Díaz-Méndez

Monitoring of fetal cardiac activity is a well-known approach to the assessment of fetal health. The fetal heart rate can be measured using conventional cardiotocography (CTG). However, this method does not provide the beat-to-beat variability of the fetal heart rate because of the averaging nature of the autocorrelation function that is used to estimate the heart rate from a set of heart beats enclosed in the autocorrelation function window. Therefore, CTG presents important limitations for fetal arrhythmia diagnosis. CTG has a high rate of false positives and poor inter- and intra-observer reliability, such that fetal status and the perinatal outcome cannot be predicted reliably. Non-invasive fetal electrocardiography (NI-FECG) is a promising low-cost and non-invasive continuous fetal monitoring alternative. However, there is little that has been published to date on the clinical usability of NI-FECG. The chapter will include data on the accurate diagnosing of fetal distress based on heart rate variability (HRV). A fuzzy logic inference system was designed based on a set of fetal descriptors selected from the HRV responses, as evident descriptors of fetal well-being, to increase the sensitivity and specificity of detection. This approach is found to be rather prospective for the subsequent clinical implementation.

Part of the book: Non-Invasive Diagnostic Methods

By Igor V. Lakhno

The function of the female reproductive system is critically dependent on the general health of a woman. However, the activity of ovaries has its projection on metabolic processes, vascular tone, and endothelial function. Hyperandrogenicity in polycystic ovarian disease is a trigger for adiposity, diabetes type II, and atherogenic vasculopathy. The increased level of testosterone persists to stay even after menopause. The data on hormonal changes during menopause is discussed. Hormone replacement therapy did not demonstrate an evident beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. The possible therapeutic strategy for improved cardiovascular health during the transitional year of life is presented. The use of diet, L-arginine, and xylitol could be a reasonable option in the management of perimenopausal women.

Part of the book: Women's Health Problems - A Global Perspective [Working title]