Women's Health News and Research

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New screening kit for vaginal infections

The Vagisil Screening Kit For Vaginal Infections - an inhome screening kit offering rapid results - is now available to help women make a more accurate assessment of what type of infection their vaginal discharge and vulvar symptoms might indicate.

20 Jun 2007

Women infected with bacteria known to cause periodontal disease more likely to have more severe oral bone loss

A study conducted in a large sample of postmenopausal women by University at Buffalo epidemiologists has provided new information on the prevalence of certain gum-disease-causing oral bacteria in this population and the association of the bacteria with oral bone loss.

19 Jun 2007

Research on rare women's lung disease may yield insights into common diseases

For many decades, medical research studies focused primarily on men and the results of countless studies were then applied to women.

18 Jun 2007

Impact of diet or physical activity on breast cancer survival

Breast cancer survivors who eat a healthy diet and exercise moderately can reduce their risk of dying from breast cancer by half, regardless of their weight, suggests a new longitudinal study from the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

14 Jun 2007

Obese women can lose weight and it won't hurt the baby

Most women who are obese can safely exercise and diet to lose weight during pregnancy, according to a small pilot study conducted by Saint Louis University researchers.

8 Jun 2007

Dietary vitamin B6. B12 and folate, may decrease pancreatic cancer risk among lean people

Researchers exploring the notion that certain nutrients might protect against pancreatic cancer found that lean individuals who got most of these nutrients from food were protected against developing cancer.

3 Jun 2007

Vitamin D and calcium lower risk of premenopausal breast cancer

Women who consume higher amounts of calcium and vitamin D may have a lower risk of developing premenopausal breast cancer, according to a report in the May 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

30 May 2007

Magnetic resonance-guided, focused ultrasound surgery relieves fibroid symptoms in women

A noninvasive ultrasound procedure effectively shrinks uterine fibroids and significantly relieves fibroid-related symptoms in women, according to the results of a multicenter clinical trial reported in the June issue of the journal Radiology.

30 May 2007

Depression is a risk factor for osteoporosis

Evidence is accumulating that depression is a risk factor for osteoporosis, reports the June 2007 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch.

30 May 2007

Hormone therapy and menopause study

When is the best time in a woman's reproductive history to start hormone therapy?

24 May 2007

Effects of estrogen therapy with perimenopausal women

When is the best time in a woman's reproductive history to start hormone therapy? How does estrogen therapy affect a woman's cognition and mood? What is the most beneficial form of estrogen?

24 May 2007

Hair relaxers not associated with increased risk of breast cancer in black women

Hair dye use has been associated with an increased risk of various cancers in some studies, but these results have generally not been confirmed. The present study is the first to assess hair relaxers in relation to a cancer.

18 May 2007

Sally speaks on osteoporosis story on Capitol Hill

The Society for Women's Health Research and the National Osteoporosis Foundation held a briefing on Capitol Hill to inform lawmakers about recent advances in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

18 May 2007

New report aims to provide better understanding of the biology of sex differences

The Society for Women's Health Research, a Washington, D.C., based advocacy organization, has issued a report to aid the Food and Drug Administration's Critical Path Initiative in its efforts to advance research on sex and gender differences and enhance the contributions of that research to improve therapeutic product development.

17 May 2007

Merits and risks of postmenopausal hormone therapy

The study was categorized as a primary prevention trial for coronary heart disease, although the fact that mean age at recruitment was 63 years was not given enough importance at that time. WHI investigators concluded that hormone therapy (HT) was not cardioprotective, and, in fact, its riskbenefit ratio did not favor the use of postmenopausal hormones for prevention of chronic diseases.

17 May 2007

Women are significantly less likely than men to have their LDL cholesterol controlled

The study, to be published in the May/June edition of Women's Health Issues, investigated gender differences in cardiovascular disease prevention, treatment and risk factors based on national health care quality data from commercial and Medicare managed care plans.

16 May 2007

Reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors when discontinuing HRT

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been shown to reduce many cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, but many women have stopped using HRT due to reports from the Women's Health Initiative that HRT may increase the risk of breast cancer and heart disease.

16 May 2007

Sex differences in health awareness

A majority of American women always or frequently read the labels of their prescribed or over the counter medications to see if they might work differently in women, but few discuss this issue with their doctor or pharmacist, according to a new survey released by the Society for Women's Health Research, a Washington, D.C., based advocacy organization.

16 May 2007

Gender disparities in heart disease and diabetes managed care

Women with heart disease and diabetes are less likely to receive several types of routine outpatient medical care than men who have similar health problems, according to a RAND Corporation study issued today.

16 May 2007

Calcium plus vitamin D may help prevent weight gain in postmenopausal women

Postmenopausal women who take calcium and vitamin D supplements may gain less weight than those who do not, although the overall effect is small, according to a report in the May 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

15 May 2007