Gynecology News and Research

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New Palliative Medicine Fellowship program for Pacific Northwest physicians

While end-of-life care issues have come front and center in the current health care reform debate, physicians in the Pacific Northwest can now get more intensive training and new board certification in palliative medicine and hospice care.

8 Oct 2009

Uterine artery embolization proves to be better than laparoscopic occlusion of uterine arteries in treating fibroids

BioSphere Medical, Inc. – the pioneer in the use of bioengineered microspheres to treat uterine fibroids, hypervascularized tumors and vascular malformations by a minimally invasive, image-guided medical procedure called embolotherapy – reports the publication of a study in the October 2009 issue of the Journal of Vascular Interventional Radiology in which the authors conclude that uterine artery embolization (UAE) compares favorably to laparoscopic occlusion of uterine arteries in the treatment of uterine leiomyomas (fibroids) in cases where hysterectomy or myomectomy are not options.

7 Oct 2009

Health experts examine maternal mortality in Africa at conference

Inter Press Service reports on a discussion among health experts at the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics' (FIGO) 19th World Congress of Gynecology and Obstetrics in Cape Town, South Africa, about maternal mortality rates in Africa. More than 2,000 gynecologists, obstetricians and other health workers are attending the conference, which runs from Oct. 4-9.

7 Oct 2009

Keiser University launches its new Master of Science degree in P.A. program

Keiser University's Graduate School is pleased to announce its new Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant (P. A.) program. The university has been awarded provisional accreditation by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).

6 Oct 2009

Study to determine vitamin D's effectiveness in pregnant women with asthma

A group of pregnant women who have asthma or allergies will get extra vitamin D as part of a study to determine if the vitamin can prevent their children from developing asthma.

3 Oct 2009

Role of gene that could influence fertility identified in mice

Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have identified the role of a gene in regulating molecular signals involved with ovarian follicle development, which may one day help shed light on some of the causes of fertility issues in humans.

3 Oct 2009

Mothers must heal physically and psychologically from the first stillbirth before conceiving again

Women who experience a stillbirth in their first pregnancy may be at higher risk for complications or adverse outcomes in their next pregnancy, according to a Kaiser Permanente study that appears online in the October issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

3 Oct 2009

Study reveals disproportionately higher rate of primary c-sections among African-American women

A study released by Kaiser Permanente indicates that while the rate of cesarean-section (CS) deliveries for first-time moms has continued to increase over the last ten years, there is a disproportionately higher rate of primary c-sections among African-American women.

3 Oct 2009

$7.2 million grant awarded to develop microbicide-releasing vaginal ring

The National Institutes of Health has awarded Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University a four-year, $7.2 million grant to develop a microbicide-releasing vaginal ring to prevent HIV transmission.

3 Oct 2009

Treating mothers for mild gestational diabetes reduces infant deaths and birth-related complications

Treating pregnant women for mild gestational diabetes resulted in fewer cesarean sections and other serious birthing problems associated with larger than average babies, according to a study conducted in part at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

1 Oct 2009

Researchers recommend hormone therapy prior to mammogram screenings

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) are recommending that menopausal women on hormone therapy (HT) continue their treatment prior to having their annual mammogram screenings. These recommendations appear as an editorial in the current on-line issue of Journal of the North American Menopause Society.

29 Sep 2009

NIH calls for identifying better methods to predict the risk of developing breast cancer

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), the most common non-invasive lesion of the breast, presents unique challenges for patients and providers largely because the natural course of the untreated disease is not well understood. Because most women diagnosed with DCIS are treated, it is difficult to determine the comparative benefits of different treatment strategies versus active surveillance, meaning systematic followup.

25 Sep 2009

NHSSC awards contract to AMS to supply SUI treatment devices in UK

American Medical Systems (AMS), a leading provider of world-class devices and therapies for both male and female pelvic health, announced today that it has been included as part of a multiple-awardees contract by National Healthcare Services (NHS) Supply Chain (NHSSC) to supply three of its clinically-proven female stress urinary incontinence (SUI) treatment devices through the Normanton distribution centre, United Kingdom.

24 Sep 2009

NICE updates its guidance on hysteroscopic sterilization

Conceptus, Inc., developer of the Essure procedure, the first proven non-incisional permanent birth control method available, today announced that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in the United Kingdom has updated its guidance on hysteroscopic sterilization to support the use of the Essure permanent birth control procedure.

24 Sep 2009

Hormone leptin can regulate bone mass and suppress appetite

Contrary to the prevailing view, the hormone leptin, which is critical for normal food intake and metabolism, appears to regulate bone mass and suppress appetite by acting mainly through serotonin pathways in the brain, according to a recent study published in Cell by Yale School of Medicine researchers and colleagues at Columbia University. This new finding contradicts the view that leptin acts primarily in the hypothalamus.

24 Sep 2009

Pregnant women must be vaccinated against H1N1 and seasonal flu

Pregnant women should be sure to get all their flu shots as soon as the vaccines become available this year to protect them against both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 (swine) flu, according to eight leading national maternal and infant health organizations.

24 Sep 2009

Pregnancy can cause metabolic syndrome

Childbearing is associated directly with future development of the metabolic syndrome - abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, insulin resistance and other cardiovascular disease risk factors - and for women who have had gestational diabetes, the risk is more than twice greater, according to a study co-authored by University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) researchers published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

23 Sep 2009

Study on the ranking of obstetrics and gynecology training programs

A ranking of obstetrics and gynecology training programs based on the maternal complication rates of their graduates' patients found these rankings consistent across individual types of complications, suggesting that these rates may reflect measures of overall quality, according to a study in the September 23/30 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on medical education.

23 Sep 2009

Private cord blood banking can treat medical conditions but is expensive

Private cord blood banking is not cost-effective because it costs an additional $1,374,246 per life-year gained, according to a new analysis by UCSF researchers. The research team also concluded that private cord blood banking is cost-effective only for families with a child with a very high likelihood of needing a stem cell transplant.

23 Sep 2009

HealthRock to promote health education

The $1 trillion cost and massive government role envisioned by the Obama Administration’s health care reform plan (The Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009) continue to create controversy in Congress and throughout the nation.

23 Sep 2009