News on Women's Health

News on Women's Health

Women and men have many of the same health issues, but they can affect women differently (e.g. women may have different symptoms of heart disease).  Women sometimes neglect their own health and focus instead on their partner's and their children's, which can lead to a worsening of a current condition or the development of additional conditions.

There are certain diseases or conditions are more common in women, such as osteoarthritis, obesity and depression.  Some conditions, such as menopause and pregnancy, are unique to women.  Healthy lifestyle choices and regular check-ups can go a long way toward reducing women's health risks.
 

03/12/2010 - News

Moderate Alcohol Use Linked to Less Weight Gain in Women

Normal-weight women who drink light to moderate amounts of alcohol may gain less weight and have a lower risk of being overweight or obese than women who do not drink at all, according to a study published in the March 8, 2010 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. Read more

0
Your rating: None
03/01/2010 - News

Core Needle Biopsy Nearly as Accurate as Open Breast Biopsy

In a recent issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers from the ECRI Institute Evidence-based Practice Center reported that a less invasive procedure called core needle biopsy seems to be almost as accurate as open surgical biopsy for the diagnosis of breast cancer. In addition, core needle biopsy is associated with lower complication rates than the open procedure. Read more

0
Your rating: None
02/23/2010 - News

New Guidelines Published for Hormone Therapy in Menopause

The North American Menopause Society has issues new guidelines on the use of hormone therapy in postmenopausal women. These new guidelines were published online February 12, 2010 and will be published in the March/April issue of the journal Menopause. Read more

0
Your rating: None
02/19/2010 - News

Hormone Replacement Therapy Does Not Protect Against Heart Disease

Some postmenopausal women who receive hormone replacement therapy with estrogen plus progestin experience an increased risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). It has been suggested that this increased risk might be limited to the first years of hormone replacement therapy and to women who start hormone replacement therapy later in menopause. According to a new analysis of data from the Women’s Health Initiative study, recently menopausal women on hormone replacement therapy have a slightly increased risk of CHD within the first few years of use. This study is published in the February 16, 2010 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. Read more

0
Your rating: None
02/18/2010 - News

Ulipristal Acetate is Effective for Emergency Contraception

Emergency contraception, sometimes referred to as the morning after pill, is birth control that can be used to prevent pregnancy after unprotected intercourse. The most widely-used emergency contraception drug is levonorgestrel, which is approved for use within 72 hours of sexual intercourse. A team of researchers from the U.S. and Europe has published new evidence supporting the use of ulipristal acetate as an effective alternative to levonorgestrel (marketed as Plan B®) for emergency contraception. This study was published online January 29, 2010 and also appears in the February 13 print edition of The Lancet. Read more

0
Your rating: None
02/02/2010 - News

Exercise Reduces Fall Risk in Older Women

Exercise affects many diseases and disease risk factors, so it is thought that exercise also plays an important role in disease prevention and treatment, especially among elderly individuals. In the January 25, 2010 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, German researchers report that an 18-month exercise program contributes to improved bone mineral density and reduced risk of falls. Read more

0
Your rating: None
12/24/2009 - News

Antidepressants Linked to Increased Risk of Stroke and Death

Antidepressants are commonly-prescribed medications, but their effect on cardiovascular disability and death is not yet clear. Postmenopausal women taking antidepressants seem to be at an increased risk for stroke and death, according to an analysis from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study. The results of this analysis of antidepressants are published in the December 2009 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. Read more

0
Your rating: None
12/23/2009 - News

Typical Heart Attack Symptoms Just as Common in Women

You may have heard that it is more difficult to diagnose heart attack in women because they have different symptoms than men. However, according to a new study presented that the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress and published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, women are just as likely as men to experience chest pain and other typical heart attack symptoms. Read more

0
Your rating: None
12/21/2009 - News

Diabetic Women Experience More Hip Bone Loss at Menopause

Although women with diabetes have higher levels of bone mineral density prior to menopause, they experience a significantly greater rate of bone loss at the hip at menopause compared to women without diabetes, according to a study presented at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 31st Annual Meeting. However, bone loss in the spine seems to be slower in people with diabetes than in non-diabetics. Read more

0
Your rating: None
12/21/2009 - News

Saturday Quack - Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy

Many women are, quite understandably, leery of taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT), ever since the flap in July 2002 when results from the Women's Health Initiative study were reported. The study found statistically significant increases in rates of breast cancer, coronary heart disease, strokes and pulmonary emboli. Now HRT is usually limited to short-term use of combinations of progestins and equine estrogens that have been approved by the FDA. Read more

0
Your rating: None