Current cigarette smokers have a higher risk of bladder cancer than previously reported, and the risk in women is now comparable to that in men, according to a study by scientists from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) . This latest study…
The FDA approved Botox injection to treat urinary incontinence (UI) in people with neurologic bladder conditions such as spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis who have over activity of the bladder. The effectiveness of Botox to treat this type of incontinence…
Concierge or boutique medicine is growing as busy people of means look for a way to bypass the red tape, waiting times, and inconveniences that may accompany a visit to the doctor. On the physicians’ side, doctors, including primary care physicians…
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have shed new light on how surgery impacts both chronic kidney disease and bone health, particularly in women. For the first time, their findings point to the importance of pursuing…
The sex hormone estrogen could help protect women from cardiovascular disease by keeping the body’s immune system in check, new research from Queen Mary, University of London has revealed.
The study has shown that the female sex hormone works on white blood…
Due to the growing interest in Vitamin D, we featured that fat soluble vitamin in our August e-newsletter which can viewed by clicking HERE. Then scroll down to “Vitamin D in the News”. Enjoy the read!
High-dose vitamin D relieves joint and muscle pain for many breast cancer patients taking estrogen-lowering drugs, according to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
The drugs, known as aromatase inhibitors, are commonly prescribed to shrink breast…
Being physically active is one of best ways people with arthritis can improve their health, but a new study from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine shows that more than half of women and 40 percent of men with arthritis are…
Munching more unprocessed plant foods may help keep the middle-aged bulge away (AKA muffin top) , a new study suggests. On the other hand, meat, french fries and sugar-sweetened drinks can help pack on the pounds. The findings suggest that the…
Gloria Steinem
Last night I watched Gloria: In Her Own Words -a HBO documentary on feminist Gloria Steinem. Young women today could learn to appreciate how far women have come in the last 50 years by watching it. Even I…
A Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon suspects that the nagging pain and inflammation that women can experience in their knees may be different from what men encounter, and she has been chosen to lead a novel U.S.-Canadian study to explore the question.…
It is still a mystery why black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than whites, according to a new study that shows the racial disparity can’t be chalked up to obesity differences.
As a group, black women in the…
A healthy heart is like a rubber band. The more elastic it is, the better it works. A new study by Benjamin Levine at the Texas Health Presbyterian hospital in Dallas shows lifelong exercise can help your heart stay that way.
While…
Why are some people obese while others are lean? Obese people must make poor eating choices, but could there be a physiological basis for those poor choices? A new study reveals that obese and lean people make decisions about short-term versus…
Tinnitus is commonly described as a ringing in the ears, but some people also hear it as a roaring, clicking, hissing or buzzing. It may be soft or loud, and it might affect both of your ears or only one. For…
Even if sunscreens say they’re waterproof, they’re not. Sunscreens can wash off with sweat, or just being in the water. When this happens, their sun protection washes off, too, leaving users at greater risk for burns, premature skin aging and possibly…
Initiation of contraception during the postpartum period (time immediately after giving birth) is important to prevent unintended pregnancy and short birth intervals, which can lead to negative health outcomes for mother and infant (1). Recently, Center for Disease Prevention and Control…
Historic new guidelines that will ensure women receive preventive health services including contraception at no additional cost were announced today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Developed by the independent Institute of Medicine, the new guidelines require…
In many parts of the U.S., summer has the worst air quality of any season. This is true for many of the industrialized nations. When the forecast says it’s a code red day for air quality, what does it mean for…
A new study uncovers a brain mechanism that could be targeted for new medications designed to help people quit smoking without gaining weight. This research, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health,…
A new report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends that eight preventive health services for women be added to the services that health plans will cover at no cost to patients under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of…
To many, a tax on soda is a no-brainer in advancing the nation’s war on obesity. Advocates point to a number of studies in recent years that conclude that sugary drinks have a lot to do with why Americans are getting…
Monthly hormone cycle changes
Researchers are exploring how hormone levels impact certain brain activity during the menstrual cycle and the results may influence how birth control pills doses are prescribed to women with conditions like epilepsy in the future.
Increased levels of certain…
Sample IUD
Long-acting reversible contraceptive ( LARC ) methods—namely intrauterine devices ( IUDs ) and implants—are the most effective forms of reversible contraception available and are safe for use by almost all reproductive-age women, according to a Practice Bulletin released by The…
It’s the talk of Chicago: the new 26 foot tall sculpture of Marilyn Monroe on Pioneer Court on Michigan Avenue. Sculpted by Seward Johnson, known for his massive figures taken from famous paintings and photos, this highly visible piece of art…
Summer allows more time for children to play outdoors, but when kids (and grown-ups, too) are covered with bug bites after spending time outside, we start to worry about disease spread by ticks, such as Lyme disease, or by mosquitoes, such…
Of course! But stereotypes about leadership still pose barriers to women’s advancement.
So much has changed since 1963, when Betty Friedan’s influential “The Feminine Mystique” provoked a national discussion about the deep dissatisfaction women were feeling about the limitations of their lives.…
In the first study to consider the impact of gender on patient outcomes in major gastrointestinal surgeries, researchers at UC San Diego Health System have found that women are more likely to survive after the procedure than men. The pattern is…
With the Women’s World Cup in full swing (congrats to the US team for upsetting Brazil in the semifinals!), soccer fans can now rest assured that women are less likely than men to fake on-field injuries, according to a new study…
Improving maternal health has been a primary goal of the international community led by three United Nations Agencies (UN Populations Fund (UNFPA), the World Bank and the World Health Organization) since they launched the Safe Motherhood Initiative in 1987. Over the…
A clinical trial to see if a gel containing an active form of tamoxifen, an anti-estrogen therapy, can provide the drug’s benefits with decreased risk of adverse health effects compared to those who take the oral tamoxifen is…
“In postmenopausal women the appearance of the skin may offer a glimpse of the skeletal well-being, a relationship not previously described,” said Lubna Pal, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist at Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn.
The study demonstrates only…
New videos to help people make lifestyle changes and cope with the demands of diabetes were announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP). The series of three- to five-minute videos, which can be…
Flaxseed provides no benefit in easing hot flashes among breast cancer patients and postmenopausal women, according to a Mayo Clinic and North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) study. The randomized, placebo-controlled study was conducted on 188 women between October and December…
Electronic cigarettes are devices designed to deliver nicotine or other substances to a user in the form of a vapor. Typically, they are made up of a rechargeable, battery-operated heating element, a replaceable cartridge that may contain nicotine or other chemicals,…
Testosterone Molecule
Testosterone might protect the memory of healthy aging women, according to a small open-label pilot study reported at the Endocrine Society 93rd Annual Meeting held in June 2011. Nine postmenopausal women who used a transdermal testosterone spray…
When the Food and Drug Administration allowed silicone gel-filled breast implants back on the market in November 2006, the agency required the manufacturers to conduct follow-up studies to learn more about the long-term performance and safety of the devices. on June…
Too often, teen pregnancy is thought of as an adolescent female’s problem, but as they say, it takes two to tango. Of the approximately 10 million adolescent males aged 12 to 16 in 1996, a national study revealed that almost one…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a new genetic test that will help health care professionals determine if women with breast cancer are HER2-positive and, therefore, candidates for Herceptin (trastuzumab), a commonly used breast cancer treatment.
The test, called Inform…
Eight substances were added to the 12th Report on Carcinogens, a science-based document that identifies chemicals and biological agents that may put people at increased risk for cancer. The Report is maintained by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services…
You care about your health and you try to keep up on the latest research. But you don’t know the difference between the endometrium and the cervix? Or how about aneuploid and diploid? A new educational resource is now…
There is a lot of information on the web promoting various diets for interstitial cystitis (IC), a painful bladder condition with many different symptoms. Both the IC clinical guidelines of the American Urological Association (AUA) and the chronic pelvic pain practice…
Overweight women with low Vitamin D levels who lose more than 15% of their body weight experience a significant increase in levels of this nutrient, according to a new study by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. “Since vitamin D is…
When people finish treatment for cancer, they want to bounce back to their former vital selves as quickly as possible. But a new Northwestern Medicine study — one of the largest survivor studies ever conducted – shows many survivors still suffer…
A recent survey confirmed that 32% of respondents (3800 white, non-hispanic females ages 14-22) reported using a tanning bed in the past year . These results are pretty alarming since the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the World…
Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin recently signed into law legislation requiring health care insurance policies to cover midwifery services and home births. Supporters of the law said this law is critical in improving access to comprehensive health services for women, reducing system…
Today, June 2, 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned women not to substitute breast thermography for mammography to screen for breast cancer. Some health care providers are promoting breast thermography on their websites and claiming that thermography is…
In 2009, a total of 409,840 infants were born to 15−19 year olds, for a live birth rate of 39.1 per 1,000 women in this age group. Nearly two-thirds of births to women younger than age 18 and more than half…
Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. Your local markets carry an amazing variety of fresh fruits and vegetables that are both nutritious and delicious. Previous blogs on this site have discussed ways to reduce your risks…
Classic Butterfly Rash
Yet many people do not know what lupus is and how serious it can be. Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect various parts of the body, including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, blood, kidneys, and brain. …
A long awaited assessment of potential biomarkers for detecting early ovarian cancer shows that elevated levels of the CA-125 protein still remains the best predictor of disease progression. The CA-125 test has been around for several decades and can help determine…
Seven out of 10 women in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Central Asia and Southeast Asia who want to avoid pregnancy but are not using modern contraceptives report reasons for nonuse that indicate currently available methods do not satisfy their needs, according to…
Staying up late every night and sleeping in is a habit that could put you at risk for gaining weight. People who go to bed late and sleep late eat more calories in the evening, more fast food, fewer fruits and…
U.S. Female college graduates have a median starting salary offer 17% lower than male college graduates according to a new report by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. The report found that females with new bachelor degrees were offered an…
Have you been losing weight and despite staying on your diet and exercising, your weight suddenly stays the same? Don’t get discouraged, it’s normal for weight loss to slow down and even stop. This phenomenon is called the “weight-loss plateau” and…
Green tea has become an international mainstay beyond the Orient. Many observational studies have shown that green tea is full of potent polyphenols (an antioxidant) that lower the risk of several chronic degenerative diseases such as heart disease and osteoporosis. A…
A new study discovered that apples promoted good cholesterol levels in the participating women. Researchers from Florida State University were surprised at the results of their study that included 160 females aged 45-85 randomly selected to received either 75 grams of…
According to a new report from the Institute of Medicine, researchers need to engage more lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people in health studies. The scarcity of research (among this population) yields an incomplete picture of LGBT health status and needs,…
Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is a medical condition in primarily older adults that results in a loss of vision in the center of the visual field (the macula) because of damage to the retina in the eye. AMD makes it…
Certain hairstyles such as braids and weaves may increase the risk of a irreversible type of baldness called Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA) that starts at the central part of the scalp and spreads out toward the edge of the hairline.
Traction…