Women Health

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...]

The first time back to the gym after a long break usually results in sore muscles. Fortunately, the return trip a few days later--if it happens--is generally less painful. Scientists have studied this reduced-soreness phenomenon for decades and even have a name for it--the repeated bout effect. Despite all those years of research, they still can't figure out exactly why … [Read more...]

Ancient DNA from early Iberian farmers shows that the wideheld evolutionary hypothesis of calcium absorption was not the only reason Europeans evolved milk tolerance. Most of us grew up drinking milk. We were told it was the ultimate health drink. It is packed full of nutrients like calcium and other minerals, vitamins, including vitamin D, protein, fat and sugar in the form … [Read more...]

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic that is causing alarming rates of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but currently there is a lack of effective drug treatments. Two unrelated studies published by Cell Press June 5th in the journal Cell reveal an important role for immune pathways in activating good types body fat, called brown and beige fat, which burn stored calories, reduce … [Read more...]

Giving up or reducing smoking and avoiding passive exposure to tobacco smoke may reduce your risk of hearing loss, new research shows. Smokers and passive smokers more likely to suffer hearing loss, study shows Current smokers have a 15.1% higher odds of hearing loss than non-smokers The University of Manchester study, funded by Action on Hearing Loss, Medical Research … [Read more...]

Many women experience bothersome urine loss with laughing, coughing and sneezing (stress urinary incontinence) AND on their way to the bathroom (urge urinary incontinence). When women experience both types of urine leakage, their condition is called mixed urinary incontinence. It is estimated that 20 to 36 percent of women suffer from mixed urinary incontinence, which is … [Read more...]

If you find yourself toggling over to look at Facebook several dozen times a day, it's not necessarily because the experience of being on social media is so wonderful. It may be a sign that you're not getting enough sleep. In a recently completed study, researchers at the University of California, Irvine demonstrated that lack of sleep -- in addition to affecting busy … [Read more...]

Women may be friendlier than men, but that doesn't mean they like putting up with jerks. A new study led by a Michigan State University psychology professor suggests women are more likely than men to get irked at irritating or boorish behavior exhibited by acquaintances, friends or partners. "Women generally are more sensitive to other people's annoying behavior than … [Read more...]

A new study suggests that frequent shifts in sleep timing may be related to adverse metabolic health among non-shift working, midlife women. Results show that greater variability in bedtime and greater bedtime delay were associated with higher insulin resistance, and greater bedtime advance was associated with higher body mass index (BMI). In prospective analyses, greater … [Read more...]