February 2011

High School Girls Focus on Science

This weekend, the Oncofertility Consortium, along with the Institute for Women’s Health Research, is hosting the fifth annual Oncofertility Saturday Academy (OSA) at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University.  OSA is an informal science education program designed to expose high school girls to the wonders of science and medicine through hands-on and experiential activities.  These high school girls come from the Young Women’s Leadership Charter School, on the near sou

Original Article

Drug to Reduce Preterm Birth in At-Risk Pregnant Women Approved

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Feb. 4, 2011, approved Makena (hydroxyprogesterone caproate) injection to reduce the risk of preterm delivery before 37 weeks of pregnancy, in pregnant women with a history of at least one spontaneous preterm birth. The drug is not intended for use in women with a multiple pregnancy, such as a twin pregnancy, or other risk factors for preterm birth.

The FDA approved Makena under the agency’s accelerated approval regulations that allow promising drugs to be approved based on a surrogate endpoint benefit (here, reducing the risk of delivery before 37 weeks of pregnancy) that is reasonably likely to predict a clinical benefit.

Original Article

Antidepressant Effective for Hot Flashes

Women taking a low dose of the antidepressant escitalopram had fewer and less severe hot flashes than those taking a placebo, a new clinical trial reports.

Menopause is a transition that affects many women as they approach age 50. It marks the end of menstrual periods and fertility. It can also bring hot flashes, trouble sleeping, mood changes and other symptoms.

Menopausal hormone therapy has long been the predominant treatment for menopausal symptoms. However, its use has greatly declined since 2002, when a large NIH-funded study concluded that the overall risks of menopausal hormone therapy likely outweigh the benefits in certain groups of women.

Original Article

Menopause Event, Date Change Due to Weather

Due to the blizzard expected in Chicago today,  Hot Flash Havoc —a film of menopausal proportions, will be rescheduled at Northwestern University and be shown on Thursday night, February 3.    The award winning film will be followed by a panel of experts from Northwestern who will be available to answer all your questions about menopause.     To register for the event, click HERE and go to  ‘ buy tickets’  $25 includes the film, parking, panel discussion and red boa reception!

Original Article

Archives