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Cardiovascular disease risk greater with Atkins-style diets

Women who regularly eat a low carbohydrate, high protein diet are at greater risk of cardiovascular disease (such as heart disease and stroke) than those who do not, a study published on bmj.com today suggests.

27 Jun 2012

Women with PCOS and sleep apnea more likely to develop prediabetes

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) who also have obstructive sleep apnea have at least three times the risk of having prediabetes compared with women who do not have PCOS, according to a new study.

27 Jun 2012

Prenatal exposure to BPA appears to program uterine estrogen responsiveness in adulthood

Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A, or BPA, a chemical found in many common plastic household items, can cause numerous genes in the uterus to respond differently to estrogen in adulthood, according to a study using a mouse model. The results will be presented Tuesday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.

27 Jun 2012

Vitamin D and calcium supplements could increase risk of kidney stones

Calcium and vitamin D supplements are associated with high calcium levels in the blood and urine, which could increase the risk of kidney stones, a new study finds. The results will be presented Tuesday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.

27 Jun 2012

Link between bacterial vaginosis and female-to-male HIV transmission risk

An investigation led by UCSF has found that the risk of female-to-male HIV transmission is increased three fold for women with bacterial vaginosis, a common disorder in which the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina is disrupted.

27 Jun 2012

Maternal factors associated with fetal growth restriction

A Japanese study has found that maternal rather than fetal factors are associated with fetal growth restriction. A comparison of maternal and fetal angiotensin-converting enzyme genotypes with the size of babies at birth found evidence of this connection.

27 Jun 2012

Stillbirth rates higher among least well off in England

The rate of stillbirths in England is twice as high among the least well off as it is among the most affluent, shows research published in the online journal BMJ Open.

26 Jun 2012

Tiniest and heaviest fetuses at increased risk of being stillborn

The tiniest and the heaviest fetuses are at much higher risk of being stillborn than those of average weight, new research has found.

26 Jun 2012

Event highlights impact of AIDS on women worldwide

The Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog summarizes an event held Thursday, titled "AIDS-free Generation? Not Without Women," that was sponsored by the National Council of Women's Organizations. The session aimed "to draw attention to pivotal issues surrounding the impact of AIDS on women worldwide" ahead of the International AIDS Conference, the blog states.

26 Jun 2012

GlobalPost examines women's health in Myanmar amid country's recent political reform

"Since Myanmar gained independence from the British in 1948, it has been wracked by armed conflicts and fragile ceasefires with civilians and ethnic rebels," and "[t]he health of Myanmar's women has been one of the biggest casualties," GlobalPost reports.

26 Jun 2012

Vitamin D therapy may improve symptoms of depression in women

Women with moderate to severe depression had substantial improvement in their symptoms of depression after they received treatment for their vitamin D deficiency, a new study finds. The case report series will be presented Saturday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.

26 Jun 2012

Increase in number of women with access to modern contraception has stalled, report says

"Progress in ensuring that women in poor countries have access to modern methods of contraception has stalled," according to a new report by the United Nations Population Fund and the Guttmacher Institute, BMJ reports.

26 Jun 2012

International observers hopeful about Malawian President Banda's agenda for maternal health

"Any new president has a vast array of items on his or her agenda, but newly inaugurated Malawian President Joyce Hilda Banda has elevated a praise-worthy agenda for maternal health at the very outset of her time in office," Alisha Kramer, a research assistant at the Center For Strategic & International Studies' (CSIS) Global Health Policy Center, writes in this post in the center's "Smart Global Health" blog.

26 Jun 2012

U.S. Secretary of State Clinton defends women's reproductive rights at conclusion of Rio+20 conference

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton "took a stand for women's reproductive rights during the Rio+20 United Nations conference on Friday, saying 'women must be empowered to make decisions on whether and when to have children' if the world is to attain agreed-upon sustainable development goals," the Associated Press/ABC News reports.

26 Jun 2012

Older women with low levels of Vitamin D gain more weight

Older women with insufficient levels of Vitamin D gained more weight than those with sufficient levels of the vitamin, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health and published online today in the Journal of Women's Health.

26 Jun 2012

Beauty N Black Wellness Tour to improve health of African American families

In an effort to improve the health of African American families, the Beauty N Black Wellness Tour will turn beauty salons into centers for health information and screening, starting with a June 30th launch in Los Angeles.

26 Jun 2012

PeriGen’s patient safety campaign raises awareness about shoulder dystocia

PeriGen, Inc., the leading innovator of fetal surveillance systems, is launching a patient safety campaign designed to inform pregnant women about shoulder dystocia, a serious childbirth complication.

26 Jun 2012

Family planning summit should address range of influences on maternal health

In this post on RH Reality Check, Marianne Mollmann, senior policy adviser with Amnesty International, addresses an upcoming summit in London on family planning funding, which is being co-hosted by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the U.K. Department for International Development and supported by USAID and UNFPA.

25 Jun 2012

Common experience of menopausal symptoms not associated with heart disease risk

The hot flashes and night sweats that most women experience early in menopause are not linked to increased levels of cardiovascular disease risk markers unless the symptoms persist or start many years after menopause begins. These new study results will be presented Saturday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.

25 Jun 2012

Suicide leading cause of death among young people in India

Suicide has become the second-leading cause of death of young people in India, which has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, according to an Article published as part of the Lancet Series on suicide.

25 Jun 2012