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Olympus launches new medical devices for LESS surgery

A variety of new medical devices specifically designed for Laparo-Endoscopic Single-Site surgery (LESS surgery) has been announced and introduced by Olympus Europa Holding GmbH and Olympus Medical Systems Corporation. LESS surgery is an advanced, minimally invasive operation technique by which an endoscope and hand instruments are inserted through an access port anchored in just one small incision, usually made in the navel. After developing all the medical devices needed to perform LESS surgery, Olympus has yet again proven its leadership in the field. The release of these innovative devices in Europe took place in autumn 2009.

From Evident Corporation - Life Sciences 18 Feb 2010

Postmenopausal women undergoing combination hormone therapy at increased risk of heart disease: WHI confirms

New analyses from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) confirm that combination hormone therapy increases the risk of heart disease in healthy postmenopausal women. Researchers report a trend toward an increased risk of heart disease during the first two years of hormone therapy among women who began therapy within 10 years of menopause, and a more marked elevation of risk among women who began hormone therapy more than 10 years after menopause. Analyses indicate that overall a woman's risk of heart disease more than doubles within the first two years of taking combination HT.

17 Feb 2010

Special issue reviews current state of science in fetal therapy

Repairing birth defects in the womb. Inserting a tiny laser into the mother's uterus to seal off an abnormal blood flow and save fetal twins. Advancing the science that may allow doctors to deliver cells or DNA to treat sickle cell anemia and other genetic diseases before birth.

17 Feb 2010

Article features pelvic health problems, risk factors and treatment options for women

Pelvic health concerns in women are common -- yet how the issues impact sexuality and childbearing is not often discussed, according to Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource.

12 Feb 2010

Current research underway to prevent preterm births

Family history, infection and stress all may play a role in raising a woman's risk of having a premature baby - but they don't fully explain why some women give birth too soon and others don't, according to a review article published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

11 Feb 2010

Pivotal Research to study investigational drug for menstrual cramps

A leading clinical research center in Peoria has joined an international research program to study an investigational drug designed as a possible treatment for painful menstrual cramps, or dysmenorrhea, a condition that affects between 45 and 90 percent of women of childbearing age in the United States.

10 Feb 2010

Researchers find that mutation in single gene can cause endometrial cancer

A mutation in a single gene can cause endometrial cancer that is responsive to a specific drug therapy, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found in an animal study.

10 Feb 2010

Gene linked to endometrial cancer identified

Endometrial cancer is the most common cancer of the female reproductive tract, representing 6% of all cancers. There is currently no screening method or biomarker to indicate early presence of disease. "It is a very common malignancy that affects women of all ages" comments paper author Dr. Diego Castrillon. The cancer forms from the cells that grow along the inner lining of the uterus, which is called the endometrium, and usually it is diagnosed following patient reports of abnormal bleeding.

8 Feb 2010

Plants too can make progesterone

In a finding that overturns conventional wisdom, scientists are reporting the first discovery of the female sex hormone progesterone in a plant. Until now, scientists thought that only animals could make progesterone. A steroid hormone secreted by the ovaries, progesterone prepares the uterus for pregnancy and maintains pregnancy. A synthetic version, progestin, is used in birth control pills and other medications. The discovery is reported in the American Chemical Society's Journal of Natural Products, a monthly publication.

5 Feb 2010

Genes of mother and fetus linked to risk of preterm labor and birth

New evidence that genetics play a significant role in some premature births may help explain why a woman can do everything right and still give birth too soon.

4 Feb 2010

DNA variants in mother and fetus can increase risk of preterm labor

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have identified DNA variants in mothers and fetuses that appear to increase the risk for preterm labor and delivery.

4 Feb 2010

Halt Medical commences enrollment in uterine fibroid study

The Wall Street Journal, CBS, and other popular news outlets have recently featured headline stories about a clinical study that is recruiting patients suffering with uterine fibroids. "We're not at all surprised by the attention this study is getting from the media," said Russ DeLonzor, President and Chief Operating Officer of Halt Medical, Inc., a medical technology company headquartered near San Francisco.

2 Feb 2010

Gene mutation can trigger preterm births, says study

Mutation of a gene that helps protect the body from genetic instability leads to cellular and molecular changes in the pregnant uterus that trigger premature birth, according to a study appearing online Feb. 1 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

2 Feb 2010

Research suggests pomegranate seed extract could stimulate uterine contractions

The team identified beta-sitosterol - a steroid that can inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine - as the main constituent of pomegranate seed extract. The research suggests that pomegranate extract could be used as a natural stimulant to encourage the uterus to contract during labour.

28 Jan 2010

Gently rocking embryos during IVF may improve success rates

Gently rocking embryos while they grow during in vitro fertilization (IVF) improves pregnancy rates in mice by 22 percent, new University of Michigan research shows. The procedure could one day lead to significantly higher IVF success rates in humans.

20 Jan 2010

New procedure could lead to higher IVF success rates in humans

19 Jan 2010

Early diagnosis can cure endometrial cancer

Postmenopausal women who experience vaginal bleeding should see a doctor promptly. According to the January issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter, vaginal bleeding is a symptom that occurs early in the course of endometrial cancer, when the chance of a complete cure is the greatest. Even one drop of blood is abnormal in postmenopausal women.

18 Jan 2010

Bariatric surgery offers a new hope for obese patients

Obesity is a condition that often follows family lines, but bariatric surgery offers hope for breaking this generational pattern.

18 Jan 2010

Androgen replacement therapy may ward off heart damage, says study

A man's male hormones may ward off heart damage by helping vessels around the heart regenerate, suggest Australian researchers in a report posted January 13 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (www.jem.org).

18 Jan 2010

Salt Lake City research center joins international drug trial program for painful menstrual cramps

A leading clinical research center in Salt Lake City has joined an international trial program to test an experimental new drug designed to treat painful menstrual cramps, or dysmenorrhea, a condition that affects between 45 and 90 percent of women of childbearing age in the United States. Although not life threatening, dysmenorrhea can be debilitating and psychologically taxing and is one of the leading causes of absenteeism from work and school.

12 Jan 2010