Women's Health News and Research

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Simple blood test may help to predict cardiovascular risk in older women

White blood cell (WBC) count may predict cardiovascular events and risk of death in postmenopausal women who are not currently identified by traditional cardiovascular risk factors, according to an article in the March 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

14 Mar 2005

Aspirin does not prevent first heart attacks or death from cardiovascular causes in women

The Women's Health Study is the first large clinical trial to study the use of low-dose aspirin to prevent heart attack and stroke in women.

7 Mar 2005

Increased risk of urinary incontinence with hormone therapy

Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), consisting of oral estrogen plus progestin or estrogen alone, considered in the past as treatment for urinary incontinenc, was until recently, credited with many benefits well beyond the indications for symptomatic relief of hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness. One of the benefits of MHT was to improve the symptoms of urinary incontinence (UI), and it has often been prescribed to treat UI.

21 Feb 2005

Are hormone therapy drugs safe?

The history of hormone therapy drugs – once thought of as almost magic pills to keep women healthy, vital and young – shows why it is so important to conduct research studies to identify the risks and benefits of drugs, say researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

17 Feb 2005

Changing chemistry helps explain estrogen threat to the heart

A piece of the topical puzzle of how estrogen goes from protecting women from heart disease to apparently increasing their risk later in life may have been found.

16 Feb 2005

Testosterone spray improves younger women's sexual enjoyment and satisfaction

Improved sexual satisfaction for women could be just a spray on the skin away, according to the results of clinical trials led by a Monash University research team.

10 Feb 2005

Premenstrual exacerbation of depression common

Virginia Commonwealth University mental health experts have found that women with depression commonly report fluctuations in their symptoms across the menstrual cycle — a key factor that may help physicians better evaluate and treat depressed women.

30 Jan 2005

Estrogen therapy may increase risk for gallbladder disease

Dominic J. Cirillo, B.S., of the University of Iowa, Iowa City, and colleagues examined data from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), which were two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials conducted at 40 U.S. clinical centers.

19 Jan 2005

People who prefer the couch to the track are more at risk for obesity, diabetes, cancer and heart disease

Lack of exercise is killing people. People who prefer the couch to the track are more at risk for obesity, diabetes, cancer and heart disease to name just a few results of a sedentary lifestyle. But what motivates people to get moving?

17 Jan 2005

Researchers attack cervical cancer

As more and more promising results of clinical trials on vaccination against human papillomaviruses are published, the more likely it becomes that an HPV vaccine will be the first licensed immunization against a sexually transmitted disease.

17 Jan 2005

New form of treatment for cancer of the larynx

Surgeons at Montefiore Medical Center are using a new form of treatment for cancer of the larynx that allows for quicker recovery and shorter hospital stays, and saves the voice box so patients retain the ability to speak.

7 Jan 2005

Microsoft launches MSN Health & Fitness

The Microsoft network of Internet services today launched MSN Health & Fitness, a comprehensive online destination for people looking to improve their well-being with up-to-date and easy-to-access information.

4 Jan 2005

Low-dose diuretic therapy for most patients with hypertension recommended

Patients with high blood pressure who take calcium channel blockers and diuretics have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) death compared to patients who take beta-blockers plus diuretics, according to a study in the current issue of JAMA.

16 Dec 2004

Interactive talking books delivered to Afghanistan

The United States Department of Health and Human Services has announced the delivery of thousands of interactive women's health books built with the LeapPad learning system technology to Afghanistan and an additional $6 million in aid to improve the health of the Afghan people.

13 Dec 2004

Two recent studies are souring milk's image among health authorities

Two recent studies are souring milk's image among health authorities. One, published in the November issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows that women who consume two or more glasses of milk a day have twice the risk of a certain form of ovarian cancer than those who rarely or never consume milk.

6 Dec 2004

FDA approval of cream to treat bacterial vaginosis

KV Pharmaceutical Company has announced that it has received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market Clindesse (clindamycin phosphate) Vaginal Cream, 2%, a single-dose prescription cream therapy indicated to treat bacterial vaginosis ("BV").

3 Dec 2004

New study shows significant improvements in self-reported pelvic pain and depression after hysterectomy

Gynecologists have long been concerned at the lack of data on whether or not women with pelvic pain and or depression before hysterectomy improve in these symptoms after surgery.

10 Nov 2004

Western diet linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in women

The "Western" diet -- one especially high in red and processed meats and refined grain -- once again appears to be a culprit in women's health -- this time linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in women, according to a study released today in the November issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

8 Nov 2004

Obesity could more than double an older woman's risk of acute myelogenous leukemia

A study from the University of Minnesota Cancer Center indicates that overweight and obesity could more than double an older woman's risk of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), an often fatal cancer of the bone marrow and blood.

8 Nov 2004

Hormone therapy findings suggest a complex relationship between marketing, scientific evidence and prescribing patterns

Pharmaceutical companies slashed their promotional spending for hormone therapies by more than a third following reports in July 2002 of health risks associated with the drugs, but within the year they beefed up their marketing efforts to promote lower-dose forms of the medications

1 Nov 2004