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Clinical Times: Women's Health

All entries for Women's Health

New methods offer some benefits over pill

Gary Culliton | 11 March 2010

Clinical update: Contraception - In his latest Clinical Update, Gary Culliton reports on developments in the field of contraception, including how to pick the right contraceptive and the advantages and risks associated with various methods... Read more

Etonogestrel implant is a cost-effective and tolerable solution

11 March 2010

Clinical update: Contraception - Implanon is very well tolerated by 72 per cent of women, according to Dr Sarah Riney, a GP at Dublin’s Suffolk Street Surgery.... Read more

Oestrogen levels a factor in older women

11 March 2010

Clinical update: Contraception - “Hormonal contraceptives used in the right patients are safe. How and in whom they are used is key,” said Dr Rita Galimberti of the ICGP’s Joint Committee for Family Planning.... Read more

New contraceptive options give more choice to Irish women

11 March 2010

Clinical update: Contraception - There are 14 different kinds of contraceptive pill available. Three new pills were introduced in Ireland in 2009: Qlaira (which is useful for painful periods), Yaz (which has the same hormones as Yasminelle but in a... Read more

Oestrogen-only HRT may increase risk of asthma after menopause

10 March 2010

Oestrogen-only hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may increase the risk of developing asthma after the menopause, a new study has suggested. The study’s authors based their findings on 57,664 women who were quizzed about their use of HRT and development of... Read more

HPV test preferable for psychosocial wellbeing

09 March 2010

For women with an abnormal smear test result, HPV testing is better for their psychosocial wellbeing compared with conventional repeat smear testing, new research has found. HPV testing has advantages but also potential downsides with respect to women’s quality of... Read more

Age may affect efficacy of antiresorptive drugs

24 February 2010

Patient age may affect the relative efficacy of oral bisphosphonates in postmenopausal women, research has suggested. A team from the VCU Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia, carried out a post-hoc analysis of postmenopausal women /=55 years old with low bone... Read more

Effective alternative for emergency contraception

24 February 2010

The emergency contraceptive drug ulipristal acetate provides women and healthcare providers with an effective alternative that can be used up to five days after unprotected sexual intercourse, a study in The Lancet has stated. Emergency contraception can prevent unintended pregnancies,... Read more

Maternal hypertension linked to restricted growth in first trimester

17 February 2010

Factors such as maternal high blood-pressure and high haematocrit levels are linked to a greater likelihood of restricted foetal growth during the first trimester, with restricted growth linked to an increased risk of preterm birth and low birth-weight, says a... Read more

No labouring of point on use of epidurals

Brian Herron | 04 February 2010

A leading UK authority says more women should experience the natural pains of labour without pain-relieving medication, writes Brian Herron... Read more

The Endocrinology Clinic: Hirsutism

Prof T Joseph McKenna and Dr Frances Hayes | 28 January 2010

Continuing their series on ‘Notes from the Endocrinology Clinic’, Prof T Joseph McKenna and Prof Frances Hayes examine the causes and treatment options available for hirsutism... Read more

The Endocrinology Clinic: PCOS

Dr Frances Hayes and Prof T Joseph McKenna | 21 January 2010

Continuing their series on ‘Notes from the Endocrinology Clinic’, Dr Frances Hayes and Prof T Joseph McKenna examine polycystic ovary syndrome... Read more

The Endocrinology Clinic: Amenorrhoea

Dr Frances Hayes and Prof T Joseph McKenna | 14 January 2010

In the first in a new series on ‘Notes from the Endocrinology Clinic’, Dr Frances Hayes and Prof T Joseph McKenna examine the causes and treatment options available for amenorrhoea... Read more

Mirena coil is effective choice

Gary Culliton | 20 November 2009

Clinical Update - Contraception: The Mirena coil was a major leap forward in contraception, according to Dr Aisling Quinlan from Tullamore, who conducted research for a thesis on the extent to which Irish women were being offered Implanon and the... Read more

Maternal obesity: what should we do?

Prof Michael Turner | 19 November 2009

Prof Michael Turner examines the rising problem of obesity in pregnant women and how to manage it... Read more

Needs of bottle feeding mums neglected

11 November 2009

The needs of mothers who bottle feed are being neglected, potentially risking the health of their babies, research has concluded. The researchers based their conclusions on a systematic review of published research on attitudes to feeding methods, which included 23... Read more

Birth control advocate has profound effect

Dr Oliver Lynn | 15 October 2009

Dr Oliver Lynn — a Drogheda vasectomist — reports on the recent conference in Dublin to launch Ceravette and the address by Prof John Guillebaud... Read more

Contraception options vary with age, body and individual

Natalya Anderson | 01 October 2009

Natalya Anderson gives an overview of contraception options available to women in Ireland and the advantages and disadvantages of using particualr methods... Read more

Teens who give birth more likely to be overweight

26 August 2009

Girls who give birth between the ages of 15 and 19 years appear to be substantially heavier, with more abdominal fat, regardless of their childhood weight or of other risk factors for weight gain, a new study has found. In... Read more

Roles of alcohol and smoking as risks for pancreatitis reassessed

Archives of Internal Medicine | 19 June 2009

Although alcohol consumption is known to be associated with chronic pancreatitis, new evidence indicates that a threshold of five or more drinks per day is required to significantly raise risk; however, most patients with chronic pancreatitis do not drink this... Read more

Breastfeeding linked to reduced risk of relapse

Archives of Neurology | 19 June 2009

Women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who breastfeed exclusively for at least two months appear less likely to experience a relapse within a year after their baby’s birth, according to a new report. The report followed a study in which doctors... Read more

Progesterone does not reduce early preterm birth in twin pregnancy

Lancet Online | 19 June 2009

Progesterone treatment does not prevent early preterm birth in women who are pregnant with twins, despite showing promise in high-risk singleton pregnancies, a new study has found. According to the study’s authors, previous trials have suggested that progesterone treatment might... Read more

Developing our palliative care for all who need it

Dr Liam O'Siorain | 09 June 2009

Dr Liam O'Síoráin writes that investment in palliative care is not only in the best interests of patients, it is also cost-effective. It is almost a national sport today for people to comment on how we squandered our wealth during... Read more

Anxiety disorders in women

Dr Heather Church, Registrar and Dr James V Lucey, Medical Director, St Patrick’s Hospital. | 25 May 2009

Dr Heather Church and Dr James V Lucey list the main anxiety disorders in psychiatry and discuss how they affect women in terms of incidence and clinical features. Anxiety disorders are common in women and although often disabling, they are... Read more

Pregnancy drinking advice: 'ethically dubious'

Journal of Medical Ethics | 19 May 2009

Doctors’ advice on drinking during pregnancy is paternalistic and ethically dubious, according to a leading medico-legal expert. According to Colin Gavaghan, of the School of Law at the University of Glasgow, the evidence for a link between moderate to light... Read more

Scam-cell treatments?

Erica Mills | 12 May 2009

Erica Mills reports from a recent conference that explored the divide between fact and fiction in the public's perception of stem cell research and therapies. Stem cell research is undoubtedly one of the most contentious and widely discussed subjects in... Read more

Endocrine therapy plus zoledronic acid for premenopausal breast cancer

NEJM | 06 May 2009

The addition of zoledronic acid to adjuvant endocrine therapy can improve disease-free survival in premenopausal patients who have oestrogen-responsive early breast cancer, researchers who conducted a new Austrian study have found. In the study, which was published in the New... Read more

Surgery in Uganda that restores dignity to women

Dr Maura Lynch | 29 April 2009

Dr Maura Lynch, a Sister of the Medical Missionaries of Mary, writes about her work in Uganda on the Obstetric Fistula Project. Fistula is the name given to a hole between the bladder and vagina, or rectum and vagina, or... Read more

China faces worsening sex ratios over next two decades

BMJ Online | 28 April 2009

Researchers in China have predicted that the country’s gender imbalance – caused by a million more males than females being born every year – will lead to very high and steadily worsening sex ratios in the reproductive age group over... Read more

Steroid tests ignore ethnic differences

British Journal of Sports Medicine | 06 April 2009

Current testosterone doping tests should be scrapped for international sport, because they ignore vital ethnic differences in hormone activity, according to new research from Switzerland. Testosterone, and other hormones that boost testosterone levels, are among the most widely abused performance... Read more

Obesity during pregnancy linked with risk of birth defects

30 March 2009

An analysis of previously reported studies has found that women who are obese during pregnancy have an increased risk of delivering a child with such birth defects as spina bifida and neural tube defects, although the absolute increase in risk... Read more

Migraines increase stroke risk during pregnancy

BMJ Online | 23 March 2009

Women who suffer migraines are at an increased risk of stroke during pregnancy as well as other vascular conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure and blood clots, a new study has concluded. Migraine headache occurs in up to... Read more

Obesity not linked to worseningcognitive function in older women

Archives of Neurology | 23 March 2009

Older women with higher levels of fat do not appear more likely to experience declines in cognitive function over time, but men do, according to a new study. For men, however, obesity does put them at risk of decline in... Read more

Tissue screening is questioned

BMJ Online | 23 March 2009

UK doctors have questioned the widespread practice of screening breast tissue for cancer after mammoplasty without patient consent. They raised the questions even after finding cancer after a routine cosmetic operation on a 37-year-old woman. The discovery led to further... Read more

Some tocolytic treatment for preterm labour linked to adverse drug reactions

BMJ Online | 16 March 2009

The use of some tocolytic drugs to delay preterm labour is associated with a high rate of serious adverse reactions, a new study has found. The drugs most often used include beta agonists and nifedipine – to relax smooth muscles... Read more

Black women have double the risk of pregnancy complications

BMJ Online | 16 March 2009

Black Caribbean and black African women have twice as much risk of experiencing severe pregnancy complications than white women, according to new UK research. The study, the first of its kind undertaken in the UK, also found that Pakistani women... Read more

Few women follow healthy lifestyle advice before getting pregnant

BMJ | 09 March 2009

Very few women follow the nutritional and lifestyle recommendations before they become pregnant, even when pregnancy is in some sense planned, a new study has found. Nutrition and lifestyle advice is widely available for women during pregnancy, but much less... Read more

Outcomes a priority over aesthetics

BMJ Online | 06 March 2009

Minimally invasive breast surgery may be trading better cosmetic outcomes for worse rates of cure, according to a senior American oncologist. Effectiveness and safety, as well as aesthetic outcomes, need to be considered when planning surgery for breast cancer, according... Read more

Frequent coffee drinking associated with lower stroke risk

Circulation | 03 March 2009

Long-term coffee consumption is associated with lower stroke risk in women who do not smoke, according to a 24-year follow-up study. The study’s researchers also found that regular coffee drinking may be associated with a modest reduction in stroke risk... Read more

Older people benefit from care in specialist geriatric units

BMJ Online | 16 February 2009

Older people who are cared for in specialist geriatric units have a better chance of returning home after discharge than those cared for in conventional hospital units, a Spanish study has found. The study’s authors also found that such elderly... Read more

GPs and the internet – keeping up-to-date with your patients

28 October 2008

It is hard to believe that the internet search engine Google is just ten years old this year, it feels like it has been around forever. For many who have come to depend on its seemingly infinite stream of information,... Read more

The genesis of the Slievemore Clinic

22 October 2008

Dr Conor O'Toole and Crean Salley Architects Director Declan Doyle on the perspectives involved in building a functioning clinic for a medical prctice. Established in the centre of Stillorgan in 1987 by Dr Paul Carson and Dr Conor O’Toole, the... Read more

Using a fan during sleep linked with lower risk of SIDS

Archives of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine | 21 October 2008

Use of a fan appears to be associated with a lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in rooms with inadequate ventilation, according to a new report. The report followed a study in which doctors analysed information from interviews... Read more

Paediatricians vary widely in the level of medical error disclosure

Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine | 21 October 2008

A survey of American paediatricians has found wide variation in whether and how they would disclose medical errors to patients and their families, and may be less likely to share information about errors that are less obvious to parents. Some... Read more

Too much or too little sleep increases stroke risk in postmenopausal women

Stroke | 12 October 2008

Postmenopausal women who regularly sleep more than nine hours a night may have an increased risk of ischaemic stroke, researchers have reported. Compared to women sleeping seven hours, the risk of ischaemic stroke was 60 per cent to 70 per... Read more

Merits and minuses of birth-control methods

Shirley McQuade | 24 September 2008

The average age of a first-time mother in Ireland has gradually increased over time and is now thirty years old. At the same time, age of first intercourse is decreasing and is now 18.2 years. Families tend to have one... Read more

Women more likely to seek tattoo removal

Archives of Dermatology 2008 | 19 September 2008

Individuals who visit dermatology clinics for tattoo removal are more likely to be women than men, and may be motivated by the social stigma associated with tattoos and negative comments by others, according to a new report. Researchers surveyed 196... Read more

Gallbladder disease risk with HRT

10 September 2008

Use of hormone replace-ment therapy (HRT) increases the risk of gallbladder disease and surgery, but the effects are less with HRT given in skin patches or gels compared with HRT given orally, according to a new study. Researchers at the... Read more

Common infertility treatments unlikely to improve fertility

10 September 2008

Long-established medical interventions to help couples with infertility problems do not seem to improve fertility, according to a new Scotland-based study. One in seven couples in the UK experiences infertility, and unexplained infertility affects a quarter of these couples. Common... Read more

Medicine and doctors – what is the psychological identikit?

Mike Power | 08 September 2008

Mike Power, Research Psychologist, on the public image of doctors as a cosseted elite, and the reality of most doctors' day-to-day experiences. ‘The role of the doctor is to amuse the patient while nature cures him’ – Voltaire.... Read more

Exercise advice is not enough for overweight women

Archives of Internal Medicine 2008;168:1550-1559 | 07 August 2008

In addition to limiting calories, overweight and obese women may need to exercise 55 minutes a day for five days per week to sustain a weight loss of 10 per cent over two years, according to a new report. In... Read more

More people taking part in sport but ...

06 August 2008

... the gap between rich/poor and black/white remains The comfortably off, white, and middle-aged are the most likely to participate in sporting activities, a new 10-year UK study has revealed. Furthermore, the gap between rich and poor — and black... Read more

Healthy ageing – a challenge for Ireland

Prof Davis Coakley | 26 July 2008

Prof Davis Coakley writes that investing in strategies to preserve health and prevent illness in older people will benefit the economy in the longer term. The number of people surviving into old age is increasing across all European states. In... Read more

Slowing down ageing process may be the future of disease prevention

26 July 2008

Slowing the ageing process would have a much greater benefit for people’s health than traditional medical approaches that target individual disease, according to leading experts. Most medical research focuses on preventing and curing individual diseases as if they were independent... Read more

Formula predicts admissions in older adults

25 July 2008

Using data from clinical encounters and drug prescriptions over three years, researchers have devised a model to predict emergency hospital admissions in the following year in individuals aged 40 years and older, according to a new report from Scotland. Scottish... Read more

Infertility: a general practice perspective

Dr Nuala O'Farrell | 26 June 2008

Dr Nuala O'Farrell on the importance of treating couples attending with primary infertility in a thorough, timely and sensitive manner. Primary infertility can be a source of great pain and anguish and the consultation with the couple must be sensitively... Read more

Pregnancy and incontinence

Dr Sinead Byrne | 19 June 2008

Dr Sinead Byrne MD, Consultant Gastroenterologist, Hermitage Medical Clinic, highlights important points regarding faecal incontinence in relation to pregnancy and the post-partum period. Faecal incontinence is the involuntary passage of stool through the anus. Incontinence is devastating and causes fear... Read more

Diagnostic uses of MEG technique

05 June 2008

Dr Saud Alhusaini writes about the many uses of magnetoencephalography as a diagnostic tool and outlines its strengths and limitations as a measurement technique. Magnetoencephalogram is a non-invasive diagnos-tic test that detects and records the neuromagnetic signals (fields) produced by... Read more

Physical activity more likely to prevent breast cancer in certain groups

First British Journal of Sports Medicine | 20 May 2008

Physically active women are 25 per cent less likely to get breast cancer, but certain groups are more likely to see these benefits than others, new research has found. The type of activity undertaken, at what time in life, and... Read more

Risk of death from smoking reduces within several years after quitting

JAMA 2008;299:2037-2047 | 16 May 2008

Women who quit smoking have about a 20 per cent lower risk of death from smoking-related cancers within five years of quitting, according to a new study. In the study, American researchers assessed the relationship between cigarette smoking and smoking... Read more

7 in 10 girls to get cervical cancer shot

BMJ Online First: http://press.psprings.co.uk/bmj/april/HPV.pdf | 15 May 2008

Seven in ten girls are likely to be vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV) when the UK’s vaccination programme comes into effect in the autumn, according to researchers there. The Manchester-based pilot study is the first to look at whether... Read more

Women found positive for human papilloma virus despite clear pap tests

Annals of Internal Medicine, April 1, 2008 | 09 May 2008

A new study has found that almost one-quarter of women screened by DNA tested positive for the human papilloma virus (HPV). The findings, from nearly 10,000 women screened with pap tests for cervical cancer and with DNA tests for HPV,... Read more

Patients challenge nurses on safety

09 April 2008

Patients prefer to challenge nurses rather than doctors about safety issues related to their care, new research has found. It also found that women are far more prepared to speak up than men. The findings were based on a validated... Read more

Regular low-dose aspirin cuts risk of asthma in women

29 March 2008

A small dose of aspirin on alternate days can cut the risk of developing asthma among women, according to a new study. The findings came from almost 40,000 female healthcare professionals, who were part of the Women’s Health Study.... Read more

The growing challenges of maternal obesity

Dr Sinead C. Barry and Prof Michael J. Turner | 28 March 2008

Dr Sinead C. Barry and Prof Michael J. Turner say that the incidence of maternal and fetal complications in pregnancy will rise, as levels of maternal obesity increase There has been a dramatic rise in the worldwide prevalence of obesity... Read more

Quitting smoking in pregnancy boosts chances of having easy-going child

27 March 2008

Giving up smoking during pregnancy may boost the chances of giving birth to an easy-going child, new research has found. The findings are based on over 18,000 UK babies born between 2000 and 2002, who were taking part in the... Read more

Children of smoking mothers at risk of not receiving MMR

BMJ Online, available at: http://press.psprings.co.uk/bmj/march/mmr.pdf | 18 March 2008

A new UK study has found that a number of maternal factors are linked to a child’s vaccination for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). In the study, researchers at the University College London’s Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond... Read more

Shiftwork may increase risk of enforced early retirement among women

Online first edition of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, available at: http://press.psprings.co.uk/oem/january/om36525.pdf | 18 March 2008

Shiftwork may increase the risk of enforced early retirement among women, a new study from Denmark has found. The findings are based on just under 8,000 male and female employees, who were part of a large health and work study.... Read more

Women who stop oestrogen plus progestin therapy may have higher cancer risk

16 March 2008

A follow-up study of women who stopped taking the hormone therapy of oestrogen plus progestin after this intervention was discontinued as part of a clinical trial indicates that these women may have an increased risk of cancer compared to women... Read more

Infertility will become more common

15 March 2008

Infertility will become more prevalent in generations to come, but interpreting these trends is complicated, according to leading researchers in the United States and Denmark. It is a common problem in affluent societies, according to the researchers. It affects around... Read more

Hormone therapy increases frequency of abnormal mammograms

15 March 2008

Combined hormone therapy appears to increase the risk that women will have abnormal mammograms and breast biopsies and may decrease the effectiveness of both methods for detecting breast cancer, according to a new report. According to the report, doctors studied... Read more

Acupuncture can boost IVF success rates

Early online edition of BMJ, available at: http://press.psprings.co.uk/bmj/february/ivf.pdf | 05 March 2008

Preliminary results have suggested that acupuncture given with embryo transfer can improve rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in-vitro fertilisation. In 2000, approximately 200,000 babies worldwide were conceived through in vitro fertilisation. Because each cycle is expensive,... Read more

Hypertension: unique challenges for women

Hypertension, February 7, 2008 | 05 March 2008

Women face unique risks for developing hypertension and special challenges in keeping their high blood pressure under control, according to new research. Some of the latest findings include: 1) Dietary calcium, not supplements, may have a role in preventing hypertension.... Read more

Smoking reduction in pregnancy targeted

BMJ 2008;336:330 | 05 March 2008

Targets to reduce smoking in pregnancy in the UK are unreliable and unrealistic because they are based on incomplete data, according to a British midwife. In the UK, the initial national target was to reduce smoking in pregnancy from 23... Read more

Women take almost 50 per cent more sick leave than men

Online First edition of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, available at: http://press.psprings.co.uk/oem/january/om33910.pdf | 05 March 2008

Women take almost 50 per cent more short-term sick leave than men, new research has found. Researchers assessed periods of sick leave among almost 7,000 municipal workers in Helsinki, Finland, between 2002 and 2005. The employees, who were all aged... Read more

Women's high blood pressure rates worse

Online edition of Circulation, available at: www.americanheart.com | 19 February 2008

A new study has found that blood pressure rates in the United States may be on the increase for women and stagnating for men. In the study, researchers examined blood pressure trends nationally using the National Health and Nutrition Examination... Read more

Vitamin D2 link to winter accidents

Archives of Internal Medicine 2008;168:103-108 | 25 January 2008

Supplements of vitamin D2 appear to reduce the risk of falls among women with a history of falling and low blood vitamin D-levels living in sunny climates, especially during the winter, according to a new report. According to the report,... Read more

Liver disease linked to shorter height females

Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2007;62:48-53 | 11 January 2008

Short legs are linked to an increased risk of liver disease in women, a new UK study has found. The findings are based on almost 4300 women between the ages of 60 and 79 years. Standing and seated height were... Read more

Low weight baby after miscarriage or abortion

Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2007;62:16-22 | 11 January 2008

Women who have miscarried or had an abortion run three times the normal risk of having a subsequent low birth weight baby, new research has suggested. Researchers used data from the United States Collaborative Perinatal Project, which looks at the... Read more

Active parents raise active children

BMJ | 14 December 2007

Parents who are active during pregnancy and early in their child's life tend to raise more active children, a new study has found. Valid data, defined as at least three days of at least 10 hours per day, were collected... Read more

Factors identified to help predict risk of hip fracture in postmenopausal women

JAMA 2007;298:2389-2398 | 14 December 2007

A clinical model that includes 11 factors has been developed to help predict the 5-year risk of hip fracture in postmenopausal women, according to a new study. In the study, doctors evaluated clinical risk factors for hip fracture in postmenopausal... Read more

Exercise decreases symptoms of fibromyalgia

Archives of Internal Medicine 2007;167:2192-2200 | 07 December 2007

An exercise programme that incorporates walking, strength training and stretching may improve daily function and alleviate symptoms in women with fibromyalgia, according to a new report. The report followed a study by researchers who recruited 207 women taking medication for... Read more

Urinary incontinence and prolapse

Dr Kelvin Boos | 30 November 2007

Female urinary incontinence and prolapse are common conditions. While not life-threatening, they can have a considerable impact on the quality of life of those who suffer from them. It is estimated that 25 per cent of women wait more than... Read more

Studies show pre-eclampsia is linked with heart disease

BMJ Online First | 23 November 2007

Two new studies have added further weight to the theory that pre-eclampsia and cardiovascular diseases may share common causes or mechanisms. The first study found that women who had pre-eclampsia during pregnancy had a more than two-fold higher risk of... Read more

Women still face cancer risk 25 years after treatment

BMJ | 16 November 2007

Women are still at risk of developing invasive cancer of the cervix or vagina 25 years after being treated for pre-cancerous lesions, according to a new study. Researchers in Sweden studied data from the National Swedish Cancer Register, which included... Read more

Caesarean births pose a higher risk for both mother and baby

BMJ Online First | 09 November 2007

Women having a non-emergency Caesarean birth have double the risk of illness or even death compared to a vaginal birth, according to a new study from Latin America. However, the researchers found Caesarean delivery prevented deaths in breech-born babies. The... Read more

Weight gain is related to an increased breast cancer risk

Archives of Internal Medicine 2007;167:2091-2102 | 02 November 2007

Women who gain weight throughout adulthood rather than maintaining a stable weight may have an increased risk for breast cancer, according to a new study. In the study, researchers analysed data from 99,039 postmenopausal women who reported their current body... Read more

Pill could reduce risk of cancers

BMJ | 28 September 2007

Taking the contraceptive pill does not increase a woman’s chances of developing cancer and may reduce the risk, according to a study. However, there was an increased risk for women who used it for more than eight years. Researchers from... Read more

Vagina used to access gall-bladder

Archives of Surgery 2007;142:823-827 | 28 September 2007

French surgeons have managed to successfully remove a woman’s gall-bladder through her vagina, according to a new report. During this three-hour long operation, the first of its kind, surgeons at the University Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg, performed a cholecystectomy through... Read more

PCOS a 'major economic health burden'

The Lancet | 07 September 2007

The diverse and complex female endocrine disorder polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which affects one in 15 women worldwide, is a major economic health burden that is likely to expand together with obesity. This information was presented at a seminar led... Read more

Chlamydia screening is shown as not good value for money

BMJ | 31 August 2007

Proactive chlamydia screening for young adults does not represent good value for money, according to a study. Researchers noted that with proactive screening, doctors and nurses use population registers to invite people to be screened regularly, while opportunistic screening targets... Read more

Obesity prior to a pregnancy associated with birth defects

Archives of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine | 24 August 2007

Mothers of babies born with some structural birth defects-including missing limbs, malformed hearts and underdeveloped spinal cords appear more likely to be obese prior to becoming pregnant than mothers whose children are born without such defects, according to a new... Read more

Calcium plus vitamin D may prevent weight gain in postmenopausal women

Archives of Internal Medicine 2007;167:893-902 | 08 June 2007

Older postmenopausal women who take calcium and vitamin D supplements may gain less weight than those who do not, although the overall effect is small, according to a new report. In the study, doctors enrolled 36,282 postmenopausal women aged 50... Read more

Breast MRI may be beneficial for surgical management of cancer

Archives of Surgery 2007:142:441-447 | 01 June 2007

Among women who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breast appears helpful in determining surgical treatment, according to a new report. In the study, doctors assessed 155 women with breast cancer newly diagnosed by... Read more

Study shows genetic markers are linked to breast cancer tumour

JAMA 2007;297:2103-2111 | 25 May 2007

Researchers have identified genetic markers on several chromosomes in the tissue surrounding tumour cells associated with breast cancer tumour grade and the presence of lymph node metastases. A high degree of variability is observed in biological behaviour and clinical outcome... Read more

Abortion and miscarriage not linked to breast cancer risk

Archives of Internal Medicine 2007;167:814-820 | 11 May 2007

Neither induced nor spontaneous abortions appear to be associated with breast cancer risk in premenopausal women, according to a new report. In the study, researchers examined the association between abortion and breast cancer in 105,716 women who were part of... Read more

Low dose aspirin does not protect women against cognitive decline

BMJ | 11 May 2007

Taking low-dose aspirin does not protect older women against cognitive decline, a new study has found. In the study, doctors at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, identified 6,377 women aged 65 years or more, who were taking... Read more

Large number of Irish women could have died from ovarian cancer linked to HRT

The Lancet | 04 May 2007

Dozens of Irish women may have died from ovarian cancer over the last 15 years because they were taking hormone replacement therapy, if new UK figures are any indication. That possibility arises out of a landmark UK study that found... Read more

Long-term aspirin use linked to reduced risk of dying in women

Archives of Internal Medicine 2007;167:562-572 | 13 April 2007

Women who take low to moderate doses of aspirin have a reduced risk of death from any cause, and especially heart disease-related deaths, according to a new report. In the study, doctors examined the association between aspirin use and death... Read more

Hormone therapy may be safer with patch than pill

Circulation 2007;115:840-845 | 23 March 2007

Transdermal estrogen, delivered by a patch or gel, is not associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), according to French researchers. VTEs are only a risk when taking estrogen by mouth. Data from the multi-centre case-control study of... Read more

Calcium and vitamin D supplements don’t affect heart disease risk

Circulation 2007;115:846-854 | 23 March 2007

Calcium and vitamin D supplementation neither increased nor decreased heart disease and stroke risk in generally healthy postmenopausal women over seven years of use, according to a new study. Researchers evaluated the risk of coronary and cerebrovascular events in 36,282... Read more

Women with prehypertension are at greater cardiovascular risk

Circulation 2007;115:855-860 | 23 March 2007

According to new American research, prehyper-tension exists in about 40 per cent of postmenopausal women and it is associated with a 58 per cent higher risk of cardiovascular death, regardless of ethnicity, compared to normal blood pressure. Using the most... Read more

Updated guidelines focus on women's lifetime heart risk

16 March 2007

Doctors should focus on women’s lifetime heart disease risk, not just short-term risk, according to updated American Heart Association guidelines. The 2007 Guidelines for Preventing Cardiovascular Disease in Women include expanded recommendations on lifestyle factors such as physical activity, nutrition,... Read more

Women's age a factor in heart attack deaths

Circulation 2007;115:833-839 | 16 March 2007

While women are typically referred for artery re-opening procedures less often than men after a heart attack, this disparity in care does not appear to be the main reason for women’s higher rate of death after a heart attack, according... Read more

Oestrogen gene affects risk of breast cancer

Circulation 2007;115 861-871 | 16 March 2007

A large Danish study rebuts the accepted idea that differences in an estrogen gene affect the risk of heart attack and stroke in response to hormone replacement therapy. However, the study found that the gene may be associated with an... Read more

HPV infection common among women

JAMA 2007;297:813-819 | 09 March 2007

As many as one in four women may be infected with the human papillomarivus (HPV), according to a new US study. In the study, doctors estimated the prevalence of HPV in the US by performing HPV DNA testing on 2,026... Read more

Cognitive therapy can help women with stress disorder

JAMA 2007;297:820-830 | 09 March 2007

Using a cognitive behavioural therapy called “prolonged exposure” appears more effective than ‘present-centred’ therapy, a supportive intervention to treat female military veterans and active duty women with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a new study. In the study, researchers... Read more

Over 60 per cent of women still drink during pregnancy

09 March 2007

The largest study ever conducted in Ireland to examine trends in the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and drugs by pregnant women during the past two decades, which was carried out by the Coombe Women’s Hospital, in Dublin, has found some... Read more

Group exercise recommended after breast cancer

BMJ | 02 March 2007

Group exercise sessions can help to improve the physical and psychological wellbeing of people diagnosed with breast cancer, a new study has found. Researchers from Scotland set out to determine if group exercise programmes could prove beneficial to women who... Read more

Genetic variation links to venous thrombosis

JAMA 2007;297:489-498 | 02 March 2007

Researchers have identified new genetic variations that may be associated with the risk of developing nonfatal venous thrombosis in postmenopausal women, according to a new study. In the study, researchers examined the association of common genetic variation in 24 clotting-related... Read more

Caffeine may not effect birth weight or length of pregnancy

BMJ | 09 February 2007

There is no evidence that moderate levels of caffeine consumption during pregnancy lead to a greater risk of premature births and underweight babies, according to a new study. Some previous studies have suggested that a high caffeine intake can lead... Read more

Folic acid supplements in early pregnancy reduces risk of cleft lip

BMJ | 09 February 2007

Taking folic acid supplements in early pregnancy seems to substantially reduce the risk of cleft lip, a new study says. It is known that taking folic acid in early pregnancy reduces the risk of neural tube defects. The recommended daily... Read more

Prenatal multivitamins may aid birth weight

Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 2007;161:58-64 | 19 January 2007

Undernourished women who take a vitamin and mineral supplement while pregnant may be less likely than women taking only iron and folic acid supplements to have babies weighing less than 2,500gm, according to a new report. In the study, Indian... Read more

First-time mothers face higher risk for postpartum mental disorders

JAMA 2006;296:2582-2589 | 12 January 2007

New mothers are at an increased risk for mental disorders such as schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder in the three months following the birth of their first child, according to a new study from Denmark. In the study, doctors analysed... Read more

Women need not wait to conceive after breast cancer

BMJ | 12 January 2007

Young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer need not wait the recommended two years after treatment before attempting to conceive, researchers have found. Women of child-bearing age who are diagnosed with breast cancer are currently advised to wait at... Read more

Vaccination combined with screening could prevent up to 95 per cent of cervical cancers

Colin Kerr | 12 January 2007

Vaccination in combination with a screening programme could prevent up to 95 per cent of cervical cancers and eventually could virtually eradicate the disease, which kills a quarter of a million people worldwide every year. That is the view of... Read more

Strategy to reduce teenage pregnancies is working in UK

The Lancet 2006;368:1879-1886 | 08 December 2006

The number of under-18s conceiving and having babies in England has declined since the implementation of the government’s national teenage pregnancy strategy in 1999, according to a new study. Conception rates for women younger than 18 years in England are... Read more

Precautionary approach best for pregnant women

The Lancet | 08 December 2006

Exposure limits for chemicals should be set at values that recognise the unique sensitivity of pregnant women and young children, and they should aim to protect brain development, according to experts in environmental medicine. According to the experts, the two... Read more