Women's Health Weekly articles from July 2001

Women's Health Weekly archives from July 2001

Hepatitis C May Flare In New Mothers During Postpartum Period.
July 5, 2001... 2001 JUL 5 - (NewsRx Network) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Doctors caution that females who are hepatitis C virus (HCV) carriers may be at risk for hepatitis flare shortly after giving birth. Physicians in Taiwan have...

Statins May Reduce Risk Of Bone Fractures.
July 5, 2001... 2001 JUL 5 - (NewsRx Network) -- A meta-analysis of eight recent observational studies suggests a reduction in hip and non-spine fractures among individuals taking statins, medicines commonly prescribed for the treatment of elevated cholesterol...

Metastatic Spread To Lungs More Likely For Smokers.(breast cancer)
July 5, 2001... 200J JUL 5 - (NewsRx Network) -- Here's one more reason for women to avoid smoking: breast cancer patients who smoke have a much higher risk of the disease spreading to their lungs than nonsmokers, according to a study published in the June...

Older White Women With Specific Genetic Variation Are At Increased Risk.(variation in gene for transforming growth factor beta-1 increases risk of breast cancer)
July 5, 2001... 2001 JUL 5 - (NewsRx Network) -- Variations in a gene known as transforming growth factor [beta]-1 (TGF-[beta]-1) appear to be associated with risk of breast cancer among older white women, according to an article in the June 13. 2001. issue of...

Diabetic Nephropathy Often Causes ESRD In African-American Women.(endstage renal disease)
July 5, 2001... 2001 JUL 5 - (NewsRx Network) -- by Carol K. Kohn, MS. ELS(D), senior medical writer - In a study of endstage renal disease (ESRD), researchers in the United States found that African-American women with diabetes were more likely to experience...

Physicians Treat Obesity Differently Based On Gender.
July 5, 2001... 2001 JUL 5 - (NewsRx Network) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Physicians are unpredictable when it comes to weight loss recommendations for their patients, according to a new report in Obesity Research. Doctors who answered...

Diagnostic Kit Claims 100% Detection.(Hiso-RECAF diagnostic kit for detection of breast cancer from BioCurex, Inc.)
July 5, 2001... 2001 JUL 5 - (NewsRx Network) -- BioCurex, Inc. (OTC:BOCX) announced the first results on use of its Hiso-RECAF diagnostic kit for detection of breast cancer. Dr. G. Ardao. chief of the department of pathology and Dr. G. Gualco of...

Navajo Nation Telemammography Field Trial Funded.
July 5, 2001... 2001 JUL 5 - (NewsRx Network) -- Funding from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation is helping the U.S. Indian Health Service. Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine provide Native American women...

Statin Drugs May Reduce Risk In Older People.(of deep vein thrombosis)
July 5, 2001... 2001 JUL 5 - (NewsRx Network)-- The use of statin drugs is associated with a 22% reduction in the risk of deep vein thrombosis for people 65 years or older, according to an article in the June 11, 2001, issue of the Archives of Internal...

Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium Is Highly Effective Therapy.(Elmiron from ALZA Corporation for treating interstitial cystitis)
July 5, 2001... 2001 JUL 5 - (NewsRx Network)-- Interstitial cystit is patients taking pentosan polysulfate sodium ([Elmiron.sup.R]) experienced increased symptom relief with continued therapy, according to the results of a study presented at the 96th annual...

Reduced Nitric Oxide In Blood Linked To Preeclampsia.
July 5, 2001... 2001 JUL 5 - (NewsRx Network) -- Researchers have identified reduced blood levels of available nitric oxide as a cause of preeclampsia, according to a report in the June 8, 2001, issue of Circulation Research, a journal of the American Heart...

Cord Blood Antibodies Predict Ear Infection In Infants.(antipolysaccharide pneumococcal antibodies)
July 5, 2001... 2001 JUL 5 - (NewsRx Network) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh. staff medical writer - Immunization of pregnant women to boost concentrations of antipolysaccharide pneumococcal antibodies in their infants may reduce the incidence of otitis media (GM) in...

Data Reported From Comparison Study.(medications for the treatment of urinary incontinence)
July 5, 2001... 2001 JUL 5 -- (NewsRx Network) -- In a trial to compare medications for the treatment of overactive bladder, Ditropan XL (extended-release oxybutynin chloride; Alza Corp.) showed a significant advantage over Detrol [R] (tolterodine tartrate...

SOS Strategies: A New Treatment Approach.(for polycystic ovary syndrome)
July 5, 2001... 2001 JUL 5 -- (NewsRx Network) -- An international conference of the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Association was held June 7-10, 2001. in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. "The number of women with PCOS is staggering, now numbring in the...

Self-Obtained Vaginal Swabs Provide Opportunity To Improve Detection In Adolescent Girls.(of sexually transmitted diseases)
July 5, 2001... 2001 JUL 5 - (NewsRx Network) -- Self-administered vaginal swabs increase the likelihood that adolescent girls will provide specimens for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) testing. according to an article in the June 2001 issue of the...

Countries Urged To Prevent Smoking Epidemic Among Women.
July 5, 2001... 2001 JUL 5 - (NewsRx Network) -- A WHO monograph highlights exposure to second-hand smoke and rising tobacco use among women worldwide as serious problems that will lead to substantial increases in tobacco-related diseases among women. ...

Sibutramine Fails To Increase Energy Expenditure In African-American Women.(a drug for obesity)
July 5, 2001... 2001 JUL 5 - (NewsRx Network) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh. staff medical writer - The obesity drug sibutramine apparently does not cause weight loss by boosting energy expenditure but rather by lowering energy consumption, according to a new report in...

Urine Test Predicts Heart Problems In Postmenopausal Women.(urinary albumin is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease)
July 12, 2001... 2001 JUL 12 - (NewsRx Network) -- A routine test can measure levels of a protein in urine samples and may reveal early, symptomless cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women. Scientists in The Netherlands measured levels of albumin, a...

Long-Term Study Sorts Out Risks For HPV Infection And Cervical Lesions.(human papillomavirus)
July 12, 2001... 2001 JUL 12 - (NewsRx Network) -- More than half of sexually active young women will be infected with human papillomavirus (HPV) if they remain sexually active over three years, a University of California, San Francisco, study shows. That...

Oral Contraceptives May Cancel Some Bone-Building Benefits Of Exercise.
July 12, 2001... 2001 JUL 12 - (NewsRx Network) -- Young women who take oral contraceptives and exercise may have increased risks of bone loss, according to recent research at Purdue University. A two-year study headed by Connie Weaver, head and...

Side Effects Of Treatment Offer Research Direction.(adjuvant treatment for breast cancer)
July 12, 2001... 2001 JUL 12 - (NewsRx Network) -- In a sweeping review of 25 years of research into the side effects of adjuvant treatment for breast cancer (chemotherapy and/or radiation following surgery), an Ohio State University cancer specialist concludes...

Study Cites Danger For HIV+ Mothers And Their Children.(HIV-infected mothers who breastfeed have a higher mortality rate than those who use formula)
July 12, 2001... 2001 JUL 12 - (NewsRx Network) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Physicians have long suspected that breastfeeding by HIV positive mothers poses substantial health risks to children. However, researchers in Kenya have shown that...

WHO Comments On Lancet Study Reporting Higher Mortality In HIV+ Mothers.(who breastfeed their babies, World Health Organization)
July 12, 2001... 2001 JUL 12 - (NewsRx Network) -- The following statement was issued in June 2001 by the World Health Organization: A recent paper by Ruth Nduati and colleagues in the Lancet (May 26, 2001;357:1651-5; [see also the accompanying NewsRx...

Easing Pancreas Cells' Workload Can Prevent Or Delay Disease In Latin Women At Risk.(type 2 diabetes )
July 12, 2001... 2001 JUL 12 - (NewsRx Network) -- Administering a drug to lower insulin resistance in women at high risk for type 2 diabetes appears to successfully prevent or stall onset of the disease, researchers reported on June 24, 2001, at the American...

Sufferers Often Socialize With Others Having Same Problem.(anorexics )
July 12, 2001... 2001 JUL 12 - (NewsRx Network) -- A new study of anorexia has found people with this condition often form secretive "cults" with other anorexics in order to feel as if they are part of a group. Megan Warin, a PhD student at Adelaide...

Bacteria Are Elusive Even After Antibiotic Treatment.(for bladder infections )
July 12, 2001... 2001 JUL 12 - (NewsRx Network) -- Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte have discovered that bacteria may be able to survive antibiotic treatment for bladder infections by reverting to an inactive state. In simple...

First Major Study Of Screening Digital Mammography Gearing Up.
July 12, 2001... 2001 JUL 12 - (NewsRx Network) -- Nineteen medical institutions in the U.S. and Canada have been selected to take part in the first major study assessing the value of digital mammography versus standard mammography. The study, called the...

New Evidence Questions Benefits Of Self-Examination.(for lumps in the breast)
July 12, 2001... 2001 JUL 12 - (NewsRx Network) -- For years women have been exhorted by medical professionals and interest groups to check themselves for lumps in the breast. Now the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care is questioning that advice. ...

New Studies Of First Successful Targeted Therapy Launched; Volunteers Sought.(Herceptin)
July 12, 2001... 2001 JUL 12 - (NewsRx Network) -- University of California, Los Angeles, physicians are seeking more than 3,000 women with early-stage breast cancer for a new study of the breakthrough drug Herceptin, the first successful targeted therapy for...

Older Women At Greater Risk If They Have High Bone Density.(breast cancer)
July 12, 2001... 2001 JUL 12 - (NewsRx Network) -- Investigators have found that older women with high bone-mineral density (BMD) are nearly three times as likely to develop breast cancer as are older women with low BMD, and that their tumors tend to be at an...

Program Helps Older Women Victims.(domestic abuse )
July 12, 2001... 2001 JUL 12 - (NewsRx Network) -- The Women's Health Program at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine, Ohio, is creating a pilot program to better understand and address domestic abuse of older women, a significantly...

Link Made To Increased Stress Hormone Levels, Implications For Infertility Treatment.(women who stop menstruating have increased cortisol levels)
July 12, 2001... 2001 JUL 12 - (NewsRx Network) -- Increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol are clearly elevated in the bloodstream of child-bearing-aged women who have stopped menstruating, a senior researcher at the Magee-Womens Research Institute has...

Skin Patch Superior To Oral Estrogen On Sympathetic Nerve Activity.
July 12, 2001... 2001 JUL 12 - (NewsRx Network) -- Researchers at the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas report that administering replacement estrogen via a skin patch is superior to oral estrogen replacement therapy in lowering...

Cesarean Section Safe For HIV+ Women.
July 12, 2001... 2001 JUL 12- (NewsRx Network) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Pregnant women who are HIV positive can undergo cesarean deliveries without exceptional risk, researchers say. E.J. Rodriguez and colleagues at Emory University in...

Pregnancy Complications Linked To Increased Risk Of Maternal Ischemic Heart Disease.
July 12, 2001... 2001 JUL 12 -- (NewsRx Network) -- Two studies reported in the June 23, 2001, issue of the Lancet aim to evaluate the independent effect of intrauterine programming on the risk of cardiovascular disease. Individuals who are small at birth...

Study Examines Treatment Methods, Looks For Options For Military Women.(prolonged exposure for treating posttraumatic stress disorder)
July 12, 2001... 2001 JUL 12 - (NewsRx Network) -- A research study to investigate a little-used psychotherapy method is being launched in the U.S. and will examine treatment of military women for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Believed to be the...

Greater Food Insecurity Leads To Greater Obesity.
July 12, 2001... 2001 JUL 12 - (NewsRx Network) -- by N.R. Salmarsh, staff medical writer - Researchers have established a paradoxical relationship between food insecurity - the lack of reliable access to food - and obesity m women. The less food security...

Study Finds Women With Cystic Fibrosis "Too Embarrassed" To Seek Help.(for urinary incontinence)
July 12, 2001... 2001 JUL 12- (NewsRx Network) -- A study from Britain reports that over two-thirds of women with the chest disease cystic fibrosis suffer urinary incontinence, yet are reluctant to seek help. Given that incontinence can affect a patient's...

Recurrent Disease Should Be Treated More Aggressively.(vaginal yeast infection)
July 12, 2001... 2001 JUL 12 - (NewsRx Network) -- Women who suffer recurrent vaginal yeast infection should use more prolonged courses of antifungal treatment initially to increase the chances of complete eradication of the yeast, according to a study. ...

Differences In Visceral Fat Account For Heart Risk Discrepancies.(between white women and black women in South Africa)
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26 - (NewsRx Network) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer -Visceral fat may be the culprit behind the tendency of white women to have higher rates of ischemic heart disease than black women in South Africa. C. Punyadeera...

Genotype For Growth Factor May Lessen Cancer Risk In Older Women.(transforming growth factor beta 1, breast cancer)
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26- (NewsRx Network) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer -- Scientists have identified a genotype in human genes that appears to lower the risk of breast cancer in women older than 65, according to a report by U.S. researchers....

ACOG Says "Buyer Beware" Of Botanical Treatments For Menopausal Symptoms.(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26 - (NewsRx Network) -- In response to the ever-increasing number of women using herbal or other alternatives to conventional hormone replacement therapy (HRT), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has.issued...

Hepatitis C Patients Experience Moderate Rates Of Fibromyalgia.
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26 - (NewsRx Network) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Fibromyalgia is hard to diagnose, but researchers in Ireland have determined patients infected with hepatitis C virus may be at moderate risk for developing the...

Study Finds Starting Hormone Replacement After Heart Attack Increases Women's Cardiac Risk.
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26 - (NewsRx Network) -- For years, physicians thought that hormone replacement therapy protected the hearts of postmenopausal women. That belief shattered when the first randomized study revealed that hormone therapy actually...

Early Menopause Not Related to Early-Onset.(of ovarian cancer)
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26- (NewsRx Network) -- A new study finds that going through an early menopause is not associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer. It has been postulated that high concentrations of certain hormones, namely...

Angiogenic Factors Linked In Patients With Ovarian Disease.(interleukin-8 and vascular endothelial growth factor)
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26- (NewsRx Network) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Female patients with ovarian carcinoma or ovarian endometriomata produce more angiogenic factors than patients with other ovarian diseases do. Both interleukin...

Maternal Infections A Major Source of HCV In Children In Italy.(hepatitis C virus)
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26 - (NewsRx Network) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - A study of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections among children in Italy during the last decade has revealed almost half of the youngsters acquired HCV from their mothers....

Carboxymethyl Benzylamide Dextran Augments Tamoxifen Effectiveness.(breast cancer )
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26 - (NewsRx Network) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - A multinational research team has reported carboxymethyl dextran benzylamide (CMBD7), which inhibits breast cancer neovascular growth and cancer spread in mice,...

Protein-Inhibitor Therapy Has Potential In Cancers Caused By neu And ras Genes.(anti-cyclin D1 therapy for breast cancer)
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26 - (NewsRx Network) -- Mutant mice lacking cyclin D1 are entirely resistant to breast tumors induced by the genes neu and ras, which are implicated in most human breast cancers. The same mice are susceptible, however, to those...

Radiotherapy Safe, Effective After High-Dose Chemotherapy With Stem Cell Grafts.
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26 - (NewsRx Network) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - After high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell support, radiation therapy can effectively treat high-risk breast cancer patients with limited toxicity, oncologists in...

Vaccination With MUC1 Peptide Is Effective Against Tumors In Vitro.
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26 - (NewsRx Network) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Human polymorphic epithelial mucin (MUG 1) shows efficacy against several MUC1-expressing tumor cell lines and may be ready for further refinement in clinical trials in...

Pill Now Available With New Class Of Progestin.(Yasmin oral contraceptive)
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26 - (NewsRx Network) -- Berlex Laboratories, Inc., (SHR), announced June 21, 2001, that [Yasmin.sup.R] (drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol), a new, low-dose, monopha.sic oral contraceptive containing the novel progestin drospirenone,...

Article Calls For OTC Status By FDA.(over the counter status for emergency contraception)
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26 - (NewsRx Network) -- Medical and legal commentators in the July 2001 issue of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology argue that under long-standing federal legislation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is authorized and...

Aggressive Treatment For Cardiovascular Disease: Helpful Or Not For Women?
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26 - (NewsRx Network) -- Women with cardiovascular disease often receive less aggressive treatment, but a study published in the July 2001 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that this may be an instance...

Dietary Phytoestrogens Benefit Postmenopausal Health.
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26 - (NewsRx Network) -- New research shows a link between postmenopausal bone health and dietary phytoestrogens. The data were presented June 22, 2001, at ENDO 2001, the 83rd annual meeting of The Endocrine Society, which was held...

High BMI Bumps Up The Risk During Pregnancy.(body mass index)
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26 - (NewsRx Network) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Women who are morbidly obese have a significantly greater risk of pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes and hypertension, say researchers working in the...

Four Compounds Effective At Treating Disease.(vitamin E, growth hormone, tissue selective estrogen, and alendronate effective in the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis)
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26 - (NewsRx Network) -- New research has demonstrated the effects of four different compounds - vitamin E, growth hormone (GH), tissue selective estrogen, and alendronate - in treating and preventing osteoporosis. The four new...

No Advantage Of Sperm Injection Over Conventional IVF For Non-Male-Factor Infertility.(in-vitro fertilization)
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26 - (NewsRx Network) -- Two studies in the June 30, 2001, issue of the Lancet examine the use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) fertility treatment. ICSI is a more invasive option than conventional in-vitro fertilization...

Study Finds Cranberry Juice Helps Prevent Recurrence.(of urinary tract infections in women)
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26 - (NewsRx Network) -- Regular drinking of cranberry juice seems to reduce the recurrence of urinary tract infections in women, concludes a report in the June 28, 2001, issue of the British Medical Journal. In the study,...

Evidence Increasing On Successful Treatment With Uterine Artery Embolization.(treatment of uterine fibroids)
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26 - (NewsRx Network) -- A study in the July 2001 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology provides additional evidence that uterine artery embolization (UAE) is a safe and effective procedure for reducing symptoms of uterine fibroids. In...

Varicella Vaccine Does Not Increase Risk of Birth Defects.
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26 - (NewsRx Network) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Women who inadvertently receive the varicella vaccine during or just before pregnancy probably do not have cause for alarm, say researchers working in the United...

Nitroglycerine Ointment Used To Treat Common Cause of Painful Sexual Intercourse.(treatment of vaginismus or vaginal tightness)
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26 -- (NewsRx Network) -- Researchers in Israel have reported a case in which nitroglycerine ointment effectively relieved vaginismus, a condition of vaginal tightness resulting in painful sexual intercourse. A case report of a...

Hormones Influence Obesity And Anorexia Nervosa.
July 26, 2001... 2001 JUL 26 - (NewsRx Network) -- Three studies examined the causes of obesity and the effects of anorexia nervosa on the human body. The studies were presented at a press conference at ENDO 2001, the 83rd annual meeting of the Endocrine...