Women Health News

Two UCLA studies reveal that menopause--and the insomnia that often accompanies it -- make women age faster. "For decades, scientists have disagreed over whether menopause causes aging or aging causes menopause," said Steve Horvath, a professor of human genetics and biostatistics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, … [Read more...]

Young women who received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine through a school-based program had fewer cervical cell anomalies when screened for cervical cancer, found a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). "Eight years after a school-based HPV vaccination program was initiated in Alberta, 3-dose HPV vaccination has demonstrated early benefits, … [Read more...]

An analysis of more than 60 studies suggests that some plant-based therapies are associated with modest reductions in the frequency of hot flashes and vaginal dryness but no significant reduction in night sweats, according to a study appearing in the June 21 issue of JAMA. Medical treatments for symptoms associated with menopause are available, including hormone … [Read more...]

  When we exercise, our bones produce a hormone called osteocalcin that increases muscle performance, according to a study publishing June 14 in a Cell Metabolism special issue on aging. Osteocalcin naturally declines in humans as we age, beginning in women at age 30 and in men at age 50. This study describes the first bone-derived hormone known to affect exercise … [Read more...]

A new study found that alcohol-sleep relationship differed importantly by race and sex. Compared to their white counterparts within each alcohol drinking pattern (never, moderate, excessive) investigated, black men and women were significantly more likely to get less than 6 hours of sleep, less likely to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep and generally more likely to get 9 or more … [Read more...]

A high percentage of children, teens and young adults with migraines appear to have mild deficiencies in vitamin D, riboflavin and coenzyme Q10 – a vitamin-like substance found in every cell of the body that is used to produce energy for cell growth and maintenance. These deficiencies may be involved in patients who experience migraines, but that is unclear based on existing … [Read more...]

The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2016) showed for the first time a beneficial effect of estrogens in experimental models of skin fibrosis that are representative of the disease process in systemic sclerosis (SSc). These findings may explain the increased incidence of SSc in women after the menopause, the … [Read more...]

The old adage "you are what you eat," may be better phrased as "your sleep relates to what you eat." An individual's body composition and caloric intake can influence time spent in specific sleep stages, according to results of a new study (abstract 0088) from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania that will be presented at SLEEP 2016, … [Read more...]

The combination of type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease can be deadly. New research from a global study led by a physician from UConn Health has found that patients with Type 2 diabetes admitted into the hospital for congestive heart failure face a one in four chance of dying over the next 18 months. The results were presented on June 11 at the American Diabetes … [Read more...]

As opioid abuse in the face of chronic pain becomes a major health concern, pain management for people with cancer is a challenge for providers. On April 2, 2016, Judith Paice, PhD, RN, FAAN, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, presented safe and effective opioid prescribing, discussing safety concerns, as well as best practices in … [Read more...]

A new drug that harnesses the immune system to attack tumors is highly effective against advanced bladder cancer, according to the results of an international clinical trial to be presented June 5 at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO). As part of the latest study findings to be presented at the Chicago meeting, injections of the … [Read more...]

What was once just a blur is now clear for the first time. It’s called eSight. It won’t work for people who are completely blind, but for those who have low vision it can provide a life- changing experience. Eleven-year-old Emily Anderson is legally blind, but she can see her best friend Emmy for the first time with the help of eSight, electronic glasses. They use a high … [Read more...]

They're inside our gut, on the skin, and in the mouth. Thousands of different types of micro-organisms live in and on the body, playing helpful roles in digestion or in aiding the body's natural defense system. Now, scientists at the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center have found tiny organisms living in the upper female reproductive tract, an … [Read more...]

Researchers have long known that sex hormones such as estrogen play a role in migraine. But there's been little research on how that works. Do women with migraine have higher estrogen levels in general? Higher levels at the peak of the monthly cycle? Research published in the June 1, 2016, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, … [Read more...]

A dietary supplement containing a blend of thirty vitamins and minerals -- all natural ingredients widely available in health food stores -- has shown remarkable anti-aging properties that can prevent and even reverse massive brain cell loss, according to new research from McMaster University. It's a mixture scientists believe could someday slow the progress of catastrophic … [Read more...]

Women who want to quit smoking may have better success by carefully timing their quit date with optimal days within their menstrual cycle, according to a new study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The results, published online this month in Biology of Sex Differences, were also presented at the annual meeting of the … [Read more...]

A study led by researchers at Georgia State University provides new insights into the molecular basis of human diseases resulting from mutations in the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), a protein found in cell membranes. Their findings, published in the journal Science Advances, may assist in the development of novel receptor-based therapeutics for mutations that lead to … [Read more...]

A team of scientists from the Federal State Budget Institution "Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology," Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, the Emanuel Institute for Biochemical Physics, and the Talrose Institute for Energy Problems of Chemical Physics have developed an approach for a method of non-invasive testing for pregnant women with a serious … [Read more...]

When it comes to measuring brain activity, scientists have tools that can take a precise look at a small slice of the brain (less than one cubic millimeter), or a blurred look at a larger area. Now, researchers at Rockefeller University have described a new technique that combines the best of both worlds--it captures a detailed snapshot of global activity in the mouse … [Read more...]

In patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), the accumulation of a gut bacterial metabolite that's normally excreted in urine may contribute to serious health problems. The findings come from a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). Chronic kidney disease is associated with a heightened risk of premature death and … [Read more...]

Neurological disorders can impair sexuality on a much more massive scale than frequently assumed, leaving loss of desire, erection problems and infertility in their wake. Both men and women are affected. A person's self-esteem, love life and relationship with a significant other can all suffer. But as Prof David B. Vodušek from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, pointed out … [Read more...]

Scientists in Japan have designed new molecules that modify the circadian rhythm, opening the way to the possibility of managing jet lag and improving treatments for sleep disorders. The negative impacts of jet lag and shift work could be significantly reduced if it were possible to reset our 24-hour natural circadian or sleep/wake cycle. Researchers at Nagoya University's … [Read more...]

After Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease (PD) is the leading neurodegenerative disorder, affecting close to a million Americans, with 50,000 new cases diagnosed every year. A progressive disorder of the nervous system affecting movement, PD typically strikes adults in mid-life. In many cases, the spread of the disease to other brain areas leads to Parkinson's disease dementia, … [Read more...]

Scientists are worried that a superbug could be imminent, threatening mankind. It’s a startling discovery that is causing concern throughout the medical community: a new superbug gene has been found in a U.S. woman. The overuse of antibiotics has long concerned scientists who fear that a superbug will eventually evolve that we won’t be able to treat, and there’s concern … [Read more...]