Category: Health
Regular Mammograms Slash Breast Cancer Mortality Risk in Half
Regular mammograms may decrease the risk for deadly breast cancer by 49%, a new case-control study suggests. According to the Dutch investigators, the greatest reduction occurred in women aged 70 to 75 years and represented a drop of 84%. “Our study adds further evidence that mammography screening unambiguously reduces breast cancer mortality,” said senior researcher…
Read MorePhysicians Worry About Misinformed Patients in Internet Age
The Internet puts solid health information at a patient’s fingertips, but 2 new studies suggest that too many of those fingertips stray into questionable territory. In a survey from Wolters Kluwer Health, 78% of physicians said that lack of time is one of the most common challenges for physician-patient communication. The next biggest problem in this regard…
Read MoreBreastfeeding Tied to Lower Blood Pressure Risk
Mothers who breastfeed for at least six months may have a somewhat lower risk of developing high blood pressure later on, new research suggests. For the new study, researchers looked at the correlation between breastfeeding and later risk of hypertension among close to 56,000 U.S. mothers taking part in the long-running Nurses’ Health Study II….
Read MoreVTE Prophylaxis in Gynecologic Surgery: Effective but Underused
For the majority of women having gynecologic surgery for benign conditions, intermittent pneumatic compression provides sufficient protection against venous thromboembolism (VTE). Women at increased risk for blood clots, including older women with cancer or a history of VTE, will need pharmacologic prophylaxis as well. The findings are from a systematic review of randomized clinical trials…
Read MoreWomen at Midlife and Beyond Have Unique Health Needs
Troy Brown conducting: An Expert Interview With Ivy M. Alexander, PhD, APRN, ANP-BC, FAAN Editor’s note: Women at midlife have health issues that go far beyond hot flashes and symptoms of menopause. Many women find symptoms of menopause, which include hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal atrophy, to be quite bothersome, whereas other women barely notice…
Read MoreCIN Risk Low in HPV+ Women With Normal Colposcopy Results
When women with human papilloma virus (HPV) have low-grade cytology findings but a normal colposcopy, they can be followed at routine intervals, a UK team has shown. Such women are at low risk for high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), the researchers say. Most studies evaluating the risk of high-grade disease after a negative colposcopy were…
Read MoreEarlier Pap Smears Best for At-Risk Adolescents
Young women who have multiple partners or a history of sexually transmitted disease would benefit from cervical cancer screening before age 21, according to new research presented earlier this week at the annual meeting of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology. “The patient population that we looked at is of lower socioeconomic status, they…
Read MoreScreening Mammography Finds Smaller, Less Invasive Tumors
Breast tumors that are detected on screening mammography in women between 40 and 49 years of age are smaller and are less likely to have nodal metastases compared with tumors found on physical examination. Results of a study showing this were presented here at the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS) 12th Annual Meeting. Paul…
Read MoreA 3-Year Holiday From Bisphosphonates Appears Safe
Bone mineral density held steady in women who took a 3-year hiatus from bisphosphonate therapy, according to a new study presented this past weekend at the 20th annual meeting and clinical congress of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE). “Current AACE guidelines on osteoporosis recommend a drug holiday from bisphosphonates after 4 or 5…
Read MoreInduced Fallopian Fibrosis Is Effective Permanent Birth Control
Implants that induce fibrosis of the Fallopian tubes are a safe and effective means of permanent birth control, a five-year follow-up study confirms. The study of women who had the Essure sterilization microinserts implanted was done by an independent team of Italian researchers The findings, published online March 10 in Fertility and Sterility, bolster evidence…
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