Women's Health News

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Many low-income women breast cancer patients skipping hormonal therapy, lowering their survival rates

Many low-income women are failing to take the hormonal therapy prescribed as part of their breast cancer treatment, possibly lowering their survival rates, according to a study led by a researcher in the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center.

18 May 2009

Thyroid surgery outcomes may be worse in pregnant women

Pregnant women appear to have worse clinical and economic outcomes after thyroid and parathyroid surgery compared with women who are not pregnant, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of Surgery.

18 May 2009

Two new genes decide when a girl starts menstruation

An international team of researchers have identified two genes that are involved in determining when girls begin menstruation.

18 May 2009

Discovery of genes that determine when girls start menstruation

Researchers from the Peninsula Medical School, along with collaborators from research institutions across Europe and the United States, have for the first time identified two genes that are involved in determining when girls begin menstruation. The work will be published in Nature Genetics this weekend.

17 May 2009

Combining two chemotherapy drugs with Herceptin shows promise for metastatic HER2+ breast cancer

At the 45th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), researchers from the Mayo Clinic campus in Florida report that using a combination of capecitabine, vinorelbine, and trastuzumab offers a treatment option that is at least as beneficial as other current options - and doesn't cause hair loss in patients.

17 May 2009

Sexual violence aimed at girls, women in Swaziland linked to high HIV/AIDS risk, other health issues

A new report commissioned by UNICEF and CDC and recently published in the journal Lancet found that one in three girls in Swaziland has experienced sexual violence by age 18, which can lead to serious health issues such as HIV, IRIN/PlusNews reports.

15 May 2009

Common gene variation explains why some women may find it more difficult to quit smoking during pregnancy

Researchers from the Peninsula Medical School and the University of Bristol, using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children and the Exeter Family Study of Childhood Health, have identified a common genetic variant that explains why some women may find it more difficult to quit smoking during pregnancy.

15 May 2009

Vitamin D may play a role in bacterial vaginosis in pregnant women

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal infection in US women of childbearing age, and is common in pregnant women. BV occurs when the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina is disrupted and replaced by an overgrowth of certain bacteria.

15 May 2009

20% of girls in upper secondary school suffers from school burnout

The transition from basic education to upper secondary school is a challenge for many young people.

14 May 2009

Chemo improves survival among older breast cancer patients

The average age of a woman diagnosed with breast cancer is 63, so it is critical to have effective proven, therapies for an older patient population. But older women with breast cancer are underrepresented in clinic trials, so there is little data on the effects of chemotherapy used in addition to other therapies such as surgery.

13 May 2009

Black women develop breast cancer at earlier ages, have higher mortality rates

Although black women are one-third less likely than women of other races to develop cancer, they are 30% more likely than other women to die if they are diagnosed with the disease, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, the Miami Herald reports.

13 May 2009

Women diagnosed with precancerous cervical intraepithelial neoplasia at risk for cervical cancer

Long-term risks of invasive cancer and recurrence of severe cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) are higher among women previously treated for CIN, compared with those with no CIN diagnosis, according to data from a large, retrospective cohort study published in the May 12 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute

12 May 2009

Start taking a vitamin with folic acid before pregnancy

Women who take folic acid supplements for at least one year before they become pregnant may cut their risk of having a premature baby by half, according to research published this week in the online journal, PLOS Medicine.

12 May 2009

DHEA supplement combined with vitamin D and calcium significantly improves spinal bone density in older women

"The results of our study are very promising. Similar studies have demonstrated much smaller benefits for bone than we found. However, calcium and vitamin D deficiencies, which are present in half of older adults, may have prevented DHEA from improving bone density in the earlier studies," said Edward Weiss, Ph.D., associate professor of nutrition and dietetics at Saint Louis University's Doisy College of Health Sciences and lead author of the study.

12 May 2009

CDC to review vaccine policies; immigrant, women's rights advocates anticipating repeal of HPV vaccine requirement

A coalition of more than 100 groups representing women, immigrants, and public health and reproductive rights advocates are hoping CDC will repeal its rule requiring female immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship to receive the human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil, the AP/Newark Star-Ledger reports (Garay, AP/Newark Star-Ledger, 5/7).

12 May 2009

DASH diet to lower blood pressure also reduces women's risk of heart failure

The DASH diet was initially developed to help patients lower their blood pressure, but a large study led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) demonstrates that women who followed the diet also significantly reduced their risk of developing heart failure.

12 May 2009

Preconceptional folate supplementation and the risk of spontaneous preterm birth

Taking folic acid supplements for at least a year before conception is associated with reduction in the risk of premature birth, according to a study by Radek Bukowski (from the University of Texas Medical Branch, United States of America) and colleagues, published in this week's PLoS Medicine.

12 May 2009

When having an extremely high body image can lead to health problems

For many women, body image is a constant struggle; a poor self-image can lead to a host of both mental and physical health problems. But a new study out of Temple University finds that an extremely good body image can also take its toll on a woman's health.

7 May 2009

Probiotics may help fight obesity post pregnancy

One year after giving birth, women were less likely to have the most dangerous kind of obesity if they had been given probiotics from the first trimester of pregnancy, found new research that suggests manipulating the balance of bacteria in the gut may help fight obesity.

7 May 2009

Black women in Virginia more likely than others to experience infant mortality

Black women in Virginia are two-and-a-half times more likely than women of other races to experience infant mortality, according to the state Department of Health, the Newport News Daily Press reports.

5 May 2009

Women's Health News

Many low-income women breast cancer patients skipping hormonal therapy, lowering their survival rates

Thyroid surgery outcomes may be worse in pregnant women

Two new genes decide when a girl starts menstruation

Discovery of genes that determine when girls start menstruation

Combining two chemotherapy drugs with Herceptin shows promise for metastatic HER2+ breast cancer

Sexual violence aimed at girls, women in Swaziland linked to high HIV/AIDS risk, other health issues

Common gene variation explains why some women may find it more difficult to quit smoking during pregnancy

Vitamin D may play a role in bacterial vaginosis in pregnant women

20% of girls in upper secondary school suffers from school burnout

Chemo improves survival among older breast cancer patients

Black women develop breast cancer at earlier ages, have higher mortality rates

Women diagnosed with precancerous cervical intraepithelial neoplasia at risk for cervical cancer

Start taking a vitamin with folic acid before pregnancy

DHEA supplement combined with vitamin D and calcium significantly improves spinal bone density in older women

CDC to review vaccine policies; immigrant, women's rights advocates anticipating repeal of HPV vaccine requirement

DASH diet to lower blood pressure also reduces women's risk of heart failure

Preconceptional folate supplementation and the risk of spontaneous preterm birth

When having an extremely high body image can lead to health problems

Probiotics may help fight obesity post pregnancy

Black women in Virginia more likely than others to experience infant mortality

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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