Women's Health Weekly articles from February 2001

Women's Health Weekly archives from February 2001

Study Assesses Anti-Seizure Medication Impact on Unborn Children.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Medical College of Georgia researchers want to know if the medicines mothers-to-be with epilepsy must take to control seizures have a negative, lasting impact on their babies' developing brains. The study will...

High Impact Physical Activity May Reduce Risk of Hip Fracture.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Men and women who regularly participate in high-impact physical activity may be at a lower risk of hip fracture than those who participate in moderate or low impact activities, finds a study reported in the January...

Alternative Therapies Still Questioned.(mind-body therapies for treating fibromyalgia)
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Mind-body therapies (MBT) is better than nothing, but are they better than physiotherapy, psychotherapy, or education for the treatment of fibromyalgia? Researchers just don't know. V.A. Hadhazy, of Annapolis,...

Koilocyte Counts Can Predict HIV Status in Infected Women.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Epidemiologists in Italy have presented evidence that women with human papillomavirus (HPV) lesions containing a high quantity of koilocytes - raisin-like squamous cells that are the hallmark of HPV - are likely to...

Asthmatic Children Show Lung Function Deficits from Maternal in utero Smoking.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- University of Southern California researchers have shown that school-aged children with asthma have large deficits in lung function associated with exposure to maternal smoking in the womb. These deficits...

No Resistant Enterococci Found for One Antibiotic.(nitrofurnatoin)
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- In a study conducted at the University of Manitoba in Canada, researchers found that of 300 strains of enterococcal bacteria only one antibiotic, nitrofurnatoin, was effective against them all. Enterococci are...

Survival is Marked by Angiogenesis and Apoptosis in Tumors.(cervical cancer )
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Two cell-related activities can identify women with cervical cancer who have better chances for disease-free survival. Angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels that provide nutrient rich blood to tumors, and...

Fatty Acid Consumption Lowers Risk Among Some Middle-Aged Women.(stroke )
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Higher consumption of fish and n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is associated with a reduced risk of some types of stroke among middle-aged women, and primarily among women who do not take aspirin regularly. ...

Extended Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Cycles Appear to Prolong Patient Survival.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Extended cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy appears to prolong survival in patients with locally-advanced breast cancer. The preliminary results of a five-year follow-up of 42 stage III patients with...

Surgery Can Reduce Anxiety in High-Risk Women.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- For women at high genetic risk of breast cancer, mastectomy can reduce anxiety and worry and does not have a detrimental impact on women's body image or sexual activity. Hatcher and colleagues offered surgery to...

Innovative Intervention Program Works in Belarus.(to promote breastfeeding )
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- An experimental intervention program to promote breastfeeding among mothers in the former Soviet Republic of Belarus increased the duration and degree of breastfeeding, and decreased the risk of gastrointestinal...

Study Finds Fruit Extract is Effective Treatment for PMS.(premenstrual syndrome)
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Dry extract of the Agnus castus fruit is an effective treatment of premenstrual syndrome, and should be considered a therapeutic option, recommends a new study. Researchers at the Institute for Health Care and...

Hearing Loss Mechanism Still Unclear.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Though Sjogren's syndrome patients can have hearing loss, the mechanism for such loss remains unclear. Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is a disease that affects mainly women. Some SS patients experience hearing loss...

"Smart Probe" Detects Malignant Tumors Instantly.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 -- (NewsRx.com) -- The pain and anxiety women experience undergoing breast cancer tests and awaiting the results might soon be lessened due to the "Smart Probe," which can instantly detect cancerous tissue. Lawrence Livermore...

HIV Combination Therapy Caution Issued for Pregnant Women.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Bristol Myers Squibb are warning health care professionals that pregnant women may be at increased risk of fatal lactic acidosis when prescribed the combination of the...

More Than 28,000 Babies Born in 1998 as a Result of Technology.(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- More than 28,000 babies were born in 1998 in the United States as the result of assisted reproductive technology (ART), according to the latest annual report on fertility clinic success. According to the new...

High Rate of Occupational Risk Uncovered.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Investigators who performed a population-based, cross-sectional study in six communities in Canada found that approximately one in three cases of adult-onset asthma could have been caused by occupational exposure....

Angiogenesis, Fibrosis Associated with Mass Rim Enhancement on MRIs.(breast cancer)
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 -- (NewsRx.com) -- Diagnostic imaging, a powerful way to visualize the inner workings of the body, can be used in a new manner to evaluate breast cancers: The histological appearance of breast tumors tends to correlate with rim...

FDA Approves Femara as First-Line Therapy for Advanced Cancer.(breast cancer)
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an indication for Femara (letrozole) as a first-line treatment for postmenopausal women with hormore receptor positive or hormone receptor unknown, advanced or...

Cytokines and CD80 Enhance Immunogenicity of Cell Vaccine.
February 1, 2001... 2001 FEB 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Tumor cells genetically altered to express CD80 and certain interleukins (IL) can be used to enhance the efficacy of tumor vaccines against cervical cancer, according to a recent study. "Tumor cells fail to...

Does Specialized Care Mean Better Care?(breast cancer treatment evaluation)
February 8, 2001... 2001 FEB 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- It has been known for some time that there are marked variations in survival after diagnosis with breast cancer. Chances of survival hinge mainly on the specific cellular characteristics of tumors and the stage...

Possible Link Reported Between Female Testosterone and High Blood Pressure.
February 8, 2001... 2001 FEB 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- Female testosterone is a possible cause of high blood pressure in post-menopausal women, no matter whether they take hormone replacement. That hypothesis is based on most recent findings in an ongoing study by...

Men and Women Respond Similarly to Ibuprofen.(analgesic effects are much the same)
February 8, 2001... 2001 FEB 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- by Maryclaire Lindgren, staff medical writer -- Men and women respond similarly to the analgesic effects of ibuprofen. It is generally believed that women and pain don't mix. Studies have shown that women have...

National Chlamydia Screening Program Proposed for Britain.
February 8, 2001... 2001 FEB 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- A diagnosis of chlamydia triggers women's concern about the perceived stigma of sexually transmitted infections, future reproductive health, and notifying partners, according to a study in the January 25,2001, issue...

Diet Aid Works Best with Other Life Changes.(Meridia)
February 8, 2001... 2001 FEB 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center reported that obese women lost an average 24.4 pounds (10.8% of their body weight) in one year, when they used the weight loss drug, Meridia, in...

Cancer-Linked BRCA2 Gene Plays Previously Unsuspected Role in cell Division.
February 8, 2001... 2001 FEB 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- The BRCA2 gene, linked to familial breast and ovarian cancers, plays an important and previously unsuspected role in human cell division, according to a study by scientists at The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia,...

CDC Releases Detection Rates by Race and Ethnicity.(for cervical cancer)
February 8, 2001... 2001 FEB 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the first race- and ethnic-specific rates of cervical cancer detection from its national screening program for low-income, uninsured women. ...

Too Many Lives Still Lost to Breast Cancer in California.
February 8, 2001... 2001 FEB 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- Despite advances in early detection and treatment for breast cancer, too many women in California are still losing their lives to the disease. Although nearly 15,000 California women diagnosed with breast...

Viral Vectors Used for in utero Gene Therapy in Mice.(adenovirus and adeno-associated virus vectors)
February 8, 2001... 2001 FEB 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- by Michelle Marble, staff medical writer -- New technique incorporates recombinant adenovirus (rAd) and adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors for in utero gene therapy, researchers in the United States reported. ...

Intranasal Vaccine Effective in Murine Model.(group B Streptococcus vaccine)
February 8, 2001... 2001 FEB 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- by Michelle Marble, staff medical writer -- Researchers in Sweden demonstrated the efficacy of a group B Streptococcus type III polysaccharide-cholera toxin B subunit conjugate intranasal vaccine in a preclinical...

Decline with Aging Significantly Less in African-American Women.(lung function capacity declines less)
February 8, 2001... 2001 FEB 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- Tests on elderly African-American women showed significantly lower lung function values than for white people, but the black women's rate of decline, as they aged, was also significantly less. At the beginning...

Women's Health Care Needs Might Be Unmet During Deployment.
February 8, 2001... 2001 FEB 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- Nearly half of the U.S. military women in a recent study are not comfortable going on sick call for symptoms of genitourinary infections when they are deployed to a field duty station or multi-week ship duty. ...

Effectiveness of Dietary Supplements for Improving Symptoms Studied.(osteoarthritis associated knee pain)
February 8, 2001... 2001 FEB 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, are now enrolling patients in a large multi-center clinical trial to determine whether two popular dietary supplements - glucosamine and...

Metabolism in Women After Weight Loss Varies from that of Never Overweight Women.
February 8, 2001... 2001 FEB 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- Women who reach a normal weight after previous obesity have different metabolic profiles than women who have never been overweight, according to a paper in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study...

Study Points to Pivotal, Early Event in Development.(of breast cancer)
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers led by University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), scientists report that they might have identified a pivotal - and very early - event in the development of breast cancer, with an unexpected...

Hormone Replacement Therapy Does Not Increase Risk.(of stroke in post menopausal women with heart disease)
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Hormone replacement therapy with estrogen and progestin does not alter the risk of stroke in post menopausal women with heart disease. Researchers with the Heart and Estrogen-progestin Replacement Study (HERS)...

Exercise Benefits Patients Being Treated for Early Stage Disease.(breast cancer)
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Contrary to the traditional medical advice that rest is the best medicine for fatigue caused by treatment for breast cancer, the largest study of its kind found that exercise improves physical functioning and...

Stressful Events and Social Support Impact Patients' Ability to Cope.(with breast cancer)
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- The findings of a recent study support the additive model of adaptation for cancer patients, which suggests that stressful events and social support directly impact cancer patients' adjustment, irrespective of the...

Interesting Link Made to Chronic Cough.(primary ciliary dyskinesia may be linked to female infertility)
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- by Maryclaire Lindgren, staff medical writer -- Infertile patients with a chronic cough now have hope - or at least an explanation - for their condition. The culprit: primary ciliary dyskinesia. P. Clamen,...

Researchers Identify Gene Linked to Similar Disease in Mice.(autoimmune disease gene in mice resembles systemic lupus erythematous)
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), School of Medicine have identified a gene in mice that causes an autoimmune disease remarkably similar to human systemic lupus erythematous (SLE, or...

Female Patients Hospitalized Twice as Often as Males.(for asthma flare ups)
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- In a study examining 10 years of high-risk asthma admissions to the Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut, researchers found that high-risk female patients were admitted twice as often as males, stayed in the...

Breastfeeding for Two or More Years Halves Risk.(of developing breast cancer)
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Breastfeeding for two or more years reduces a woman's risk of developing breast cancer by 50%, according to a study conducted by a Yale University researcher among women in China. The researcher, Tongzhang...

Mortality Increases in Older Black Women.(breast cancer mortality)
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 (NewsRx.com) -- While black women over age 70 had lower mortality rates for breast cancer than older white women in the 1980s, they started experiencing higher rates in 1993. Trends in risk factors, early detection, and...

Scientists Uncover How Cancer Metastasizes.(to the lymph nodes and lungs)
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers have identified a mechanism by which breast cancer cells metastasize to the lymph nodes and lungs. By blocking this path, the researchers believe it might be possible to prevent the spread of...

Specialists Offer Procedure to Monitor Women at Higher Risk.(ductal lavage to be used for breast cancer diagnosis)
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Breast health experts at the University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, have started using a procedure to monitor women who are at higher risk for breast cancer. The procedure, ductal...

Ultrasound and Imaging Biopsy Use Can Reduce Cost of Diagnosis.(of breast cancer)
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- The results of a recent study indicate that selective use of ultrasound and imaging-guided percutaneous biopsies in substitution for open surgical biopsies can significantly increase the cost effectiveness of...

Experts Urge Clinics to Consider "Natural Cycle" in vitro Fertilization.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- A team of United Kingdom fertility experts wants in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics to consider taking advantage of a woman's natural cycle during infertility treatment instead of routinely using drugs to...

Veterinary Researchers Seek Secret to Reversing Birth Defects.(due to teratogen therapeutics)
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Fetal development is a highly choreographed process. But all too often it is disrupted when a mother is exposed to a teratogen - an agent known to cause a variety of birth defects. In the United States alone,...

In vivo Gene Transfer to Epithelium Possible.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- by Michelle Marble, staff medical writer -- Researchers in Spain successfully transfected the female reproductive tract of mice using DNA/lipsome complexes. "Mouse female genital tract was transfected in vivo...

Estrogen Targets the Larynx.(by helping to prevent atrophy/distrophy)
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- by Maryclaire Lindgren, staff medical writer -- Speak out ladies, because estrogen replacement therapy helps keep that voice loud and clear. Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), which helps ease vaginal...

Race Not Related to Physician Recommended Breast Cancer Screening.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Socioeconomic status, age, and other characteristics - but not race/ethnicity - were related to reports of women in rural areas getting recommendations from their physicians for a mammography. Fifty-three...

Scientists Isolate Premature Ovarian Failure Gene.(FOXL2)
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- A genetic mutation appears to produce eyelid defects in newborns and trigger early onset of menopause decades later. The finding could help researchers decipher how genetic processes during fetal development...

ACOG Releases Recommendations for Management of Recurrent Miscarriage.(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Women with recurrent early pregnancy loss - or miscarriage - no longer need to be routinely screened for bacteria or viruses or tested for glucose tolerance and thyroid abnormalities, according to the latest...

Excessive Weight Gain During Pregnancy is Major Contributor to Obesity in U.S.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Women who gain more than the amount recommended during pregnancy are four times more likely to be obese one year after giving birth compared with mothers who gain within the recommended range, said a Cornell...

SalEst Test Not Recommended as Screening Tool for Predicting Premature Labor.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 -- (NewsRx.com) -- The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is not recommending the use of a new test for screening pregnant women for preterm labor. ACOG says it cannot recommend the Salivary Estriol (E3)...

Sex Late in Pregnancy Not Associated with Increased Risk of Preterm Delivery.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- A study in the February 2001 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology rebuts the assumption that sexual activity during late pregnancy (29 to 36 weeks gestation) can increase a woman's risk of preterm delivery. In...

Spacing Pregnancies Close Together Increases Risk of Uterine Rupture.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Women who space their pregnancies close together increase their risk of uterine rupture if they attempt a trial of labor following a prior cesarean delivery, says a study in the February 2001 issue of Obstetrics &...

Enzymatic Compounds are Prognostic for Survival.(of ovarian cancer)
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer -- Important information about the ratio of two enzymes found in epithelial ovarian cancer tissues could potentially be used to develop new anti-cancer therapies. Although...

Ovarian Stimulation in Mice Adversely Affects Embryo Development and Implantation.
February 15, 2001... 2001 FEB 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Research has shown that, in mice, stimulating the ovaries by hormone drugs to produce more eggs appears to impair both the development of the embryo and its likelihood of implanting in the uterus. Dr. Gudvor...

Vinegar Plus HPV Test Identifies Women at Risk.(papillomavirus )
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- A lab test for the human papillomavirus (HPV) combined with a visual inspection of the cervix could identify pre-cancerous lesions and vastly reduce the number of false-positives among women at high risk for...

Excluding Women From Medical Studies Hinders Progress, Widens Gender Gap.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- The exclusion of women from the majority of clinical studies has created gaps in medical knowledge about the effects of disease and treatment of women. The concept of gender-based biology applies to all areas...

Gaps Found in Mammography Use.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- An analysis of data from the 1996/97 National Population Health Survey shows continued low use of mammography among certain sub-groups of women. Dr. Colleen Maxwell and colleagues recommended screening every...

Guidelines Updated for Adults and Adolescents.(Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV Infected Adults and Adolescents)
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- An updated version of the Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIM Infected Adults and Adolescents, which includes revised recommendations for when to initiate anti-HIV therapy, was posted to the...

Oncogene Spawns Further Mutation in Study.(breast cancer)
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine described how the human myelocytomatosis (MYC) gene can select for spontaneous mutations in other genes - leading to more tumor growth even after the...

Researchers Say Munch More Mangoes to Fight Cancer.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- A University of Florida (UP) study indicates mangoes can be added to the arsenal of foods known to help fight cancer. In fact, the study shows, someone looking for cancer-fighting ability might be better off...

Booklet Advises Taking Active Role in Health Care Decisions.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- In connection with National Wise Health Consumer Month, in February 2001, the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AI{RQ) announced the availability of a resource with practical tips on what people can...

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Marks Survival.(for patients with endometrial cancer)
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer -- New research indicates vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important marker for survival in patients with endometrial carcinoma. The growth factor, which...

Testing Pregnant Women is Cost-Effective.(voluntary HIV screening for pregnant women)
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer -- Researchers in California believe that efforts to increase voluntary HIV screening of pregnant women both before and after delivery are cost-effective ways of preventing...

Connective Tissue Growth Factor Found in Human Uterine Tissue.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer -- The mitogenic connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) has now been observed in tissues of the human uterus, and is believed to play a part in regulatory mechanisms important...

Low-Dose Aspirin Might Help Prevent Pre-Eclampsia.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- A study shows that antiplatelet drugs, largely low-dose aspirin, have small to moderate benefits when used for prevention of pre-eclampsia and its complications during pregnancy. Duley and colleagues reviewed...

NSAIDS Associated with Increased Miscarriage Risk.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- Taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) during pregnancy does not seem to increase the risk of adverse birth outcome (congenital abnormality, low birth weight, or preterm birth) but is associated with...

Psychiatric and Substance Disorders Often Go Undetected in Pregnant Women.
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- Failure to recognize and treat psychiatric and substance use disorders in obstetric medicine might adversely affect maternal and infant health outcomes. According to Rosemary H. Kelly, MD, University of...

Caelyx Cancer Treatment Receives Approval in Canada.(for women with ovarian cancer)
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- A drug treatment developed at the University of Alberta (U of A) to improve the quality of life for women with ovarian cancer has been approved for use in Canada. "This approval means these women now have a...

New Generation Vector for BRCA1 Gene Therapy Passes Preclinical Evaluation.(ovarian cancer gene therapy)
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- by Michelle Marble, staff medical writer -- A novel vector for ovarian cancer gene therapy deserves serious consideration, researchers in the United States suggest. "The aim of this study was to determine the...

Ethnicity an Important Factor in Rates of Gonorrhea and Chlamydia Infections.(more common on black Caribbeans than in black Africans in London)
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- Rates of gonorrhea and chlamydia are about three times as high in black Caribbeans as they are in black Africans in London. Cases of gonorrhea and chlamydia, recorded at 11 sexual health clinics in Lambeth,...

One in Five Patients Denied Urgent Access to Sexual Health Clinics.(for treatment of sexually transmitted infections)
February 22, 2001... 2001 FEB 22 -- (NewsRx.com) -- One in five patients with acute symptoms of a sexually transmitted infection is unlikely to be seen at a genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic within the recommended 48 hours in Great Britain, researchers reported...