Women Health

The same kinds of impulsive behavior that lead some people to abuse alcohol and other drugs may also be an important contributor to an unhealthy relationship with food, according to new research from the University of Georgia. In a paper published recently in the journal Appetite, researchers found that people with impulsive personalities were more likely to report higher … [Read more...]

Pediatric primary care practitioners (PCPs) are reluctant to prescribe antidepressant medications to adolescent patients -- even those with severe depression, reports a study in the January Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, the official journal of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & … [Read more...]

Artificial bone marrow may be used to reproduce hematopoietic stem cells. A prototype has now been developed by scientists of KIT, the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, and Tübingen University. The porous structure possesses essential properties of natural bone marrow and can be used for the reproduction of stem cells at the laboratory. This might … [Read more...]

Doctors commonly recommend drug holidays, or breaks, from certain osteoporosis drugs due to the risks associated with these treatments. Yet little has been known about the ideal duration of the holidays and how best to manage patients during this time. This popular class of medications, known as bisphosphonates, has been shown to cause fractures in the thigh bones and tissue … [Read more...]

Teens with a history of concussions are more than three times as likely to suffer from depression as teens who have never had a concussion, finds a new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health. "What this study suggests is that teens who have had a concussion should be screened for depression," said lead study author Sara Chrisman, M.D., a pediatrician at Seattle Children's … [Read more...]

UCLA researchers have found that minority patients and those of lower socioeconomic status are far more likely to have advanced thyroid cancer when they are diagnosed with the disease than white patients and those in higher economic brackets. In one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind, the UCLA team looked at nearly 26,000 patients with well-differentiated thyroid … [Read more...]

Women who are pregnant or trying to fall pregnant and taking a folic acid supplement may be at risk of reducing their folate benefit through sun exposure, a new QUT study has warned. In a paper titled Exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation is associated with decreased folate status in women of childbearing age, published in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology … [Read more...]

Vitamin C and E supplements may blunt the improvement of muscular endurance -- by disrupting cellular adaptions in exercised muscles, suggests a new study published today [3 February] in The Journal of Physiology. As vitamin C and E supplements are widely used, understanding if they interfere with cellular and physiological adaptations to exercise is of interest to people … [Read more...]

Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated in numerous health conditions in recent years, including depressed mood and major depressive disorder. Recent observational studies provide some support for an association of vitamin D levels with depression, but the data do not indicate whether vitamin D deficiency causes depression or vice versa. These studies also do not examine … [Read more...]

Two new studies presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2014) have helped clarify the relationship between the dietary intake of monounsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol with disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) respectively. In the TOMORROW study, daily intake of monounsaturated fatty acids as a … [Read more...]

Hot flashes, depression, and most of all, anxiety, affect the thinking skills of midlife women with HIV, so screening for and treating their anxiety may be especially important in helping them function, according to a study just published online in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). The reproductive stage, whether it was premenopause, … [Read more...]

Research published in the International Journal of Adolescence and Youth has examined whether the desire for romance leads to increased substance alcohol or tobacco use in adolescents. Wura Jacobs, Kwon Chan Jeon, Patricia Goodson & Thomas W. Valente studied over 1,100 Grade 10 pupils in Los Angeles, USA examining whether an association could be drawn between romantic … [Read more...]

If   there is one thing to avoid when trying to lose or maintain a healthy weight, it's a restrictive diet! Instead, simple routine behaviors may be key. To shed light on the health behaviors of those who maintain a healthy weight, Cornell Food and Brand Lab researchers developed an online Global Healthy Weight Registry (formerly named the Slim by Design Registry). Adults of … [Read more...]

Despite being common practice, performing squat exercises in front of a mirror has no effect on preferential loading, according to a pilot study presented this week at the Association of Academic Physiatrists Annual Meeting in Sacramento, Calif. The double-legged squat is regularly used in exercise and rehabilitation, and it is common to perform these squats in front of a … [Read more...]

With the public under a seemingly constant barrage of nutritional information and advice, researchers are making headway at understanding how people make choices when shopping for food. New research aims to untangle the apparent disconnect between stated health concerns and actual food purchases. In "Impact of Healthy Alternatives on Consumer Choice: A Balancing Act," … [Read more...]

People with higher levels of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil may also have larger brain volumes in old age equivalent to preserving one to two years of brain health, according to a study published in the January 22, 2014, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Shrinking brain volume is a sign of Alzheimer’s disease as … [Read more...]

Researchers from New Zealand report that morbidity following liver transplant is highest among obese patients with diabetes, but these risk factors do not influence post-transplant survival. According to the study published in Liver Transplantation, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society, body … [Read more...]

The NHS could save £8.2 million a year on dental treatments -- the equivalent to 364,000 dental check-ups -- if all 12-year-olds across the UK chewed sugar free gum after eating or drinking, thanks to the role it plays in helping to prevent tooth decay. So says a study involving researchers from Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry published in the … [Read more...]

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, excessive alcohol use is responsible for more than 80,000 deaths in the United States each year. Over time, excessive drinking can lead to several chronic conditions, such as fatty liver disease and cirrhosis. Now, a study by University of Missouri School of Medicine researchers shows that aerobic exercise may protect … [Read more...]

Sophia Antipolis, 15 February 2016: Hypertensive women with highly active jobs have a nearly three times higher risk of ischaemic heart disease than women with normal blood pressure and moderately active jobs, according to research published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. "Previous research has shown that men and women with physically demanding jobs … [Read more...]

Exercise boosts diversity of gut bacteria, as do high levels of dietary protein, researchers have found. This may have implications for overall long term health, says the author of a linked editorial. Reduced variation in gut microbes (microbiota) has been linked to obesity and other health problems, while increased diversity has been associated with a favourable metabolic … [Read more...]

Scientists at the Science Foundation Ireland-funded Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (APC) at University College Cork and Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, have carried out a study in conjunction with the Irish Rugby Football Union that has revealed that exercise and associated dietary changes influence gut microbial diversity. The research is published this week in the … [Read more...]

  Meditation and aerobic exercise done together helps reduce depression, according to a new Rutgers study. The study, published in Translational Psychiatry this month, found that this mind and body combination -- done twice a week for only two months -- reduced the symptoms for a group of students by 40 percent. "We are excited by the findings because we saw such … [Read more...]

Poor physical fitness in middle age may be linked to a smaller brain size 20 years later, according to a study published in the February 10, 2016, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. "We found a direct correlation in our study between poor fitness and brain volume decades later, which indicates accelerated brain aging," said … [Read more...]

A pilot study testing a new type of drug in patients with chronic diarrhea has shown promising effects on reducing their symptoms. Bile acid diarrhea (BAD) is a common cause of chronic diarrhea that is estimated to affect one in 100 adults in western countries, but is often mistaken for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) by doctors. Many patients are not diagnosed correctly and … [Read more...]

Certain medications commonly used to treat heartburn and acid reflux may have damaging effects on the kidneys, according to two studies that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2015 November 3¬-8 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA. The drugs, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), are among the top 10 class of prescribed medications in the United States. The … [Read more...]

New evidence published today highlights benefits and harms of using artificial mesh when compared with tissue repair in the surgical treatment of vaginal prolapse. Slightly better repair with mesh needs to be weighed carefully against increased risk of harms. A new Cochrane systematic review published today summarizes evidence that addresses a long-standing controversy in … [Read more...]

Aerobic exercise, such as running, has positive effects on brain structure and function, for example, the generation of neurons (neurogenesis) in the hippocampus, a brain structure important in learning. It has been unclear whether high-intensity interval training (HIT), referring to alternating short bouts of very intense anaerobic exercise with recovery periods, or anaerobic … [Read more...]