Women's Health News

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Oral contraceptives may be safe, but information gaps remain

Introduced in the 1960s, oral contraceptives have been used by about 80 percent of women in the United States at some point in their lives.

15 Jan 2009

Obesity raises ovarian cancer risk

A new epidemiological study has found that among women who have never used menopausal hormone therapy, obese women are at an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer compared with women of normal weight. Published in the February 15, 2009 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the research indicates that obesity may contribute to the development of ovarian cancer through a hormonal mechanism.

14 Jan 2009

Women may be more likely to experience EMS delays for heart care

Women who called 9-1-1 complaining of cardiac symptoms were 52 percent more likely than men to experience delays during emergency medical services' (EMS) care, according to a report in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

14 Jan 2009

Smoking during pregnancy impacts thyroid function of mother and fetus

Cigarette smoking during pregnancy is associated with potentially harmful changes in both maternal and fetal thyroid function, according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism ( JCEM ).

14 Jan 2009

Women suffer more from rheumatoid arthritis

Tuulikki Sokka from the Jyvaskyla Central Hospital, Finland, along with other members of the Quantitative Standard Monitoring of Patients with RA (QUEST-RA) program, explored possible associations between gender and disease activity measures, treatments, and clinical characteristics in more than 6,000 RA patients from 70 sites in 25 countries.

13 Jan 2009

Research confirms value of risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy for women with BRCA mutations

Prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy-removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes--reduces the relative risk of breast cancer by approximately 50 percent and the risk of ovarian and fallopian tube cancer by approximately 80 percent in women who carry a mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, researchers report in the January 13 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

13 Jan 2009

Question marks over herbal remedies for menopausal symptoms

There is no strong evidence either way for several herbal remedies commonly taken to relieve troublesome menopausal symptoms, concludes the January issue of the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin ( DTB ).

13 Jan 2009

HPV testing followed by cytology and repeat HPV testing may improve cervical cancer screening

The use of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing as an initial screening step followed by triage with a standard Pap test (cytology) and repeat HPV DNA testing may increase the accuracy of cervical cancer screening, according to a study in the Jan. 13 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

13 Jan 2009

Protein that regulates hormones critical to women's health found in pituitary

University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers have solved the mystery surrounding a "rogue protein" that plays a role in the release of neurotransmitters and hormones in the brain.

12 Jan 2009

Outdoor alcohol advertising and problem drinking among African-American women in NYC

New research conducted at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health indicates that the advertising of alcohol in predominantly African-American neighborhoods of New York City may add to problem drinking behavior among residents.

12 Jan 2009

HRT linked to brain shrinkage, but not lesions

Two new studies show that commonly prescribed forms of postmenopausal hormone therapy may slightly accelerate the loss of brain tissue in women 65 and older beyond what normally occurs with aging.

12 Jan 2009

Blood mercury levels associated with income, ethnicity and coastal areas

A new study reveals that women living in coastal areas and in the Northeast U.S. were more likely than other women to have blood mercury (BHg) concentrations exceeding levels of concern, as reported in the January 2009 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP).

12 Jan 2009

Older women who are more physically fit have better cognitive function

New research published in the international journal Neurobiology of Aging by Marc Poulin, PhD, DPhil, finds that being physically fit helps the brain function at the top of its game.

9 Jan 2009

Women's access to donated kidneys declines with age, particularly compared with men

Younger women have equivalent access to kidney transplants compared with their male counterparts, but older women receive transplants much less frequently than older men, according to a study appearing in the March 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology ( JASN ).

7 Jan 2009

Pap test procedure facts

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center shares important information about the cervical cancer screening exam, the Pap test.

7 Jan 2009

Repeat cesarean deliveries before 39 weeks raises risk of neonatal illness

Women choosing repeat cesarean deliveries and having them at term but before completing 39 weeks gestation are up to two times more likely to have a baby with serious complications including respiratory distress resulting in mechanical ventilation and NICU admission.

7 Jan 2009

Bacteria discovered in amniotic fluids of women who undergo preterm birth

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University and Yale University have made a significant advancement in understanding the cause behind why some pregnant women suffer from inflammations in the inner womb without any signs of an infection.

6 Jan 2009

Bulimia linked to brain circuit abnormalities

Scientists in the U.S. are suggesting that women who suffer from bulimia nervosa may have an abnormality in the brain circuit.

6 Jan 2009

Metadherin gene linked to metastasis of breast cancer

A team of researchers at Princeton University and The Cancer Institute of New Jersey has identified a long-sought gene that is fatefully switched on in 30 to 40 percent of all breast cancer patients, spreading the disease, resisting traditional chemotherapies and eventually leading to death.

5 Jan 2009