Although a woman's role in the home varies, a recent study shows that people favor not only a mother, but also her child and their relationship when she is not employed outside the home full time.
A Kansas State University study evaluated the perceptions people have of women and their children based on the woman's work status. The findings showed that people value, and do not differentiate between, mothers who stay in the home full time and mothers who find a compromise between working and at-home motherhood after they have a child. People also devalue mothers employed full time outside the home, relative to their non-employed counterparts, and perceive their children to be troubled and their relationships to be problematic.
"The most interesting, and potentially dangerous, finding is the view that if a child has a working mother, people don't like that child as much," said Jennifer Livengood, a K-State graduate student in psychology from Sweet Springs, Mo. "People really devalue a mom who works full time outside the home in comparison to a mom who doesn't. People like mothers who fulfill traditional stereotypes, like staying at home. That's just not a reality and not a preference for women as much as it used to be."
Livengood did the study for her master's thesis and collaborated with K-State's Mark Barnett, professor of psychology. The research was presented by Tammy Sonnentag, doctoral student in psychology from Edgar, Wis., at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology conference in January.
Previous research has shown that people rate stay-at-home moms as more likeable than mothers employed outside the home. While studies have shown that many women now would like more of a compromise between staying home full time and working outside the home full time, Livengood said there is little research on the perceptions of mothers who pursue this middle ground.
"I've always been interested in how women are viewed based on their choice to work outside the home, or not, after they have a child," Livengood said.
The researchers did a study involving undergraduate students, all of whom were single, and 99 percent of the sample had no children. Each participant first listened to one of three interviews that reflected a working mother, a stay-at-home mother and what the researchers called a middle mother.
The working mother said in the interview that she went back to work two weeks after giving birth and worked more than 40 hours per week. The stay-at-home mother reported having stopped working outside of the home after giving birth. The middle mother described taking 18 months away from work after giving birth and then going back to work part time and gradually increasing her work hours.
"As a cover story, the participants were led to believe that there were many mother-child pairs being evaluated to see if people could tell if there were problems in the relationship," Livengood said.
Then, each participant watched the same video of a mother and her 4-year-old son completing a puzzle and playing a game together. Because of the audiotape, the participants either thought she was a working mother, a stay-at-home mother or a middle mother.
The participants then filled out a questionnaire that evaluated their perception of the mother. They rated statements like, "She does a good job as a mom." They also filled out a questionnaire about their perceptions of the child and responded to statements like, "This child is well-adjusted." The last questionnaire regarded their perception of the mother-child relationship, such as if they thought the pair worked well together.
The findings showed that the participants didn't differentiate between the stay-at-home mother and middle mother, but they did devalue the working mother in comparison. Livengood said the similar ratings for the two mothers might indicate that individuals understand women need a compromise. Findings also showed that not only did the participants devalue the mother who worked outside the home full time, but they also extended that negative perception to the child and their relationship.
"By just telling them the mother's work status -- by just manipulating that one variable -- it was strong enough for participants to discriminate between the children of working mothers and the other two mothers, as well as between their relationships," Livengood said.
She said these findings might indicate that people perceive the child of a working mother to have a higher incidence of behavioral and adjustment problems and their relationship to be relatively cold and troubled.
She said this perception might be specific to the sample of undergraduate students. If not, it could mean that people treat children of working mothers differently and have negative expectations, which could initiate a self-fulfilling prophecy with the child.
"Women are going to continue working, and they're going to continue having children," Livengood said. "Knowing how their decisions in these arenas are perceived by others may help us understand the foundations of these potential biases and identify ways to support mothers in their work-family decisions."
Source:
Jennifer Livengood
Kansas State University
понедельник, 25 июля 2011 г.
понедельник, 18 июля 2011 г.
Why Is Breast Milk Best? It's All In The Genes, Study
Is breast milk so different from infant formula? The ability to track which genes are operating in an infant's intestine has allowed University of Illinois scientists to compare the early development of breast-fed and formula-fed babies. They say the difference is very real.
"For the first time, we can see that breast milk induces genetic pathways that are quite different from those in formula-fed infants. Although formula makers have tried to develop a product that's as much like breast milk as possible, hundreds of genes were expressed differently in the breast-fed and formula-fed groups," said Sharon Donovan, a U of I professor of nutrition.
Although both breast-fed and formula-fed babies gain weight and seem to develop similarly, scientists have known for a long time that breast milk contains immune-protective components that make a breast-fed infant's risk lower for all kinds of illnesses, she said.
"The intestinal tract of the newborn undergoes marked changes in response to feeding. And the response to human milk exceeds that of formula, suggesting that the bioactive components in breast milk are important in this response," she noted.
"What we haven't known is how breast milk protects the infant and particularly how it regulates the development of the intestine," she said.
Understanding those differences should help formula makers develop a product that is more like the real thing, she said. The scientists hope to develop a signature gene or group of genes to use as a biomarker for breast-fed infants.
Many of the differences found by the scientists were in fundamental genes that regulate the development of the intestine and provide immune defense for the infant.
In this small proof-of-concept study, Donovan used a new technique patented by Texas A&M colleague Robert Chapkin to examine intestinal gene expression in 22 healthy infants - 12 breast-fed, 10 formula-fed.
The technique involved isolating intestinal cells shed in the infants' stools, then comparing the expression of different genes between the two groups. Mothers in the study collected fecal samples from their babies at one, two, and three months of age. Scientists were then able to isolate high-quality genetic material, focusing on the RNA to get a gene expression or signature.
Donovan said that intestinal cells turn over completely every three days as billions of cells are made, perform their function, and are exfoliated. Examining the shed cells is a noninvasive way to examine intestinal health and see how nutrition affects intestinal development in infants.
Understanding early intestinal development is important for many reasons, she said.
"An infant's gut has to adapt very quickly. A new baby is coming out of a sterile environment, having received all its nutrients intravenously through the placenta. At that point, babies obviously must begin eating, either mother's milk or formula.
"They also start to become colonized with bacteria, so it's very important that the gut learns what's good and what's bad. The baby's body needs to be able to recognize a bad bacteria or a bad virus and fight it, but it also needs to recognize that even though a food protein is foreign, that protein is okay and the body doesn't want to develop an immune response to it," she said.
If anything goes wrong at this stage, babies can develop food allergies, inflammatory bowel disease, and even asthma. "We're very interested in frequent sampling at this early period of development," she added.
Donovan also would like to learn how bacteria in the gut differ in formula- and breast-fed babies, and this technique should make that possible. "Now we'll be able to get a complete picture of what's happening in an infant - from the composition of the diet to the microbes in the gut and the genes that are activated along the way."
Of potential clinical importance: The gene expressed most often in breast-fed infants is involved in the cell's response to oxygen deprivation. Lack of oxygen is a factor in the development of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a kind of gangrene of the intestine that can be fatal in premature babies. NEC is a leading cause of disease and death in neonatal intensive care units, with a reported 2,500 cases occurring annually in the United States and a mortality rate of 26 percent.
The study will appear in the June 2010 issue of the American Journal of Physiology, Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. Co-authors are Robert S. Chapkin, Chen Zhao, Ivan Ivanov, Laurie A. Davidson, Jennifer S. Goldsby, Joanne R. Lupton, and Edward R. Dougherty, all of Texas A&M University, Rose Ann Mathai and Marcia H. Monaco of the U of I, and Deshanie Rai and W. Michael Russell of Mead Johnson Nutrition. The study was funded by Mead Johnson Nutrition.
Source:
University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
"For the first time, we can see that breast milk induces genetic pathways that are quite different from those in formula-fed infants. Although formula makers have tried to develop a product that's as much like breast milk as possible, hundreds of genes were expressed differently in the breast-fed and formula-fed groups," said Sharon Donovan, a U of I professor of nutrition.
Although both breast-fed and formula-fed babies gain weight and seem to develop similarly, scientists have known for a long time that breast milk contains immune-protective components that make a breast-fed infant's risk lower for all kinds of illnesses, she said.
"The intestinal tract of the newborn undergoes marked changes in response to feeding. And the response to human milk exceeds that of formula, suggesting that the bioactive components in breast milk are important in this response," she noted.
"What we haven't known is how breast milk protects the infant and particularly how it regulates the development of the intestine," she said.
Understanding those differences should help formula makers develop a product that is more like the real thing, she said. The scientists hope to develop a signature gene or group of genes to use as a biomarker for breast-fed infants.
Many of the differences found by the scientists were in fundamental genes that regulate the development of the intestine and provide immune defense for the infant.
In this small proof-of-concept study, Donovan used a new technique patented by Texas A&M colleague Robert Chapkin to examine intestinal gene expression in 22 healthy infants - 12 breast-fed, 10 formula-fed.
The technique involved isolating intestinal cells shed in the infants' stools, then comparing the expression of different genes between the two groups. Mothers in the study collected fecal samples from their babies at one, two, and three months of age. Scientists were then able to isolate high-quality genetic material, focusing on the RNA to get a gene expression or signature.
Donovan said that intestinal cells turn over completely every three days as billions of cells are made, perform their function, and are exfoliated. Examining the shed cells is a noninvasive way to examine intestinal health and see how nutrition affects intestinal development in infants.
Understanding early intestinal development is important for many reasons, she said.
"An infant's gut has to adapt very quickly. A new baby is coming out of a sterile environment, having received all its nutrients intravenously through the placenta. At that point, babies obviously must begin eating, either mother's milk or formula.
"They also start to become colonized with bacteria, so it's very important that the gut learns what's good and what's bad. The baby's body needs to be able to recognize a bad bacteria or a bad virus and fight it, but it also needs to recognize that even though a food protein is foreign, that protein is okay and the body doesn't want to develop an immune response to it," she said.
If anything goes wrong at this stage, babies can develop food allergies, inflammatory bowel disease, and even asthma. "We're very interested in frequent sampling at this early period of development," she added.
Donovan also would like to learn how bacteria in the gut differ in formula- and breast-fed babies, and this technique should make that possible. "Now we'll be able to get a complete picture of what's happening in an infant - from the composition of the diet to the microbes in the gut and the genes that are activated along the way."
Of potential clinical importance: The gene expressed most often in breast-fed infants is involved in the cell's response to oxygen deprivation. Lack of oxygen is a factor in the development of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a kind of gangrene of the intestine that can be fatal in premature babies. NEC is a leading cause of disease and death in neonatal intensive care units, with a reported 2,500 cases occurring annually in the United States and a mortality rate of 26 percent.
The study will appear in the June 2010 issue of the American Journal of Physiology, Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. Co-authors are Robert S. Chapkin, Chen Zhao, Ivan Ivanov, Laurie A. Davidson, Jennifer S. Goldsby, Joanne R. Lupton, and Edward R. Dougherty, all of Texas A&M University, Rose Ann Mathai and Marcia H. Monaco of the U of I, and Deshanie Rai and W. Michael Russell of Mead Johnson Nutrition. The study was funded by Mead Johnson Nutrition.
Source:
University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
понедельник, 11 июля 2011 г.
Breast Cancer And Hormone Therapy - New Study Examines Whether Trends In Breast Cancer Incidence And Use Of HT May Be Directly Linked
The medical community has been debating for many years whether, and to what extent, postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) use is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer, says Professor Amos Pines, President of the International Menopause Society. Although it is agreed that long-term HT slightly increases that risk, the definition of long-term use is still unclear, particularly in view of data showing that it may vary significantly by type of HT (estrogen-alone vs. estrogen-progestin, brand of progestin, dosage). A new study from the Kaiser Permanente health plan[1] raises the question whether trends in breast cancer incidence and use of HT over the past 25 years may be directly linked.
The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trial was a landmark in menopause medicine since it provided information based on the best available study methodology[2]. By adopting its results as the ultimate source of information, many organizations, medical societies and health authorities actually declared that data derived from observations in the postmenopausal population are less valuable. Nevertheless, during the past few months, several studies have used databases on the incidence of breast cancer, on the one hand, and sales of HT on the other hand, in order to suggest a direct link between trends of hormone use and the number of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. While such information, by itself, is very important and interesting, conclusions must be drawn with great caution. It is tempting to simplify the observed year-by-year figures on HT use and breast cancer incidence and establish a 'mirror glass' equation: the more postmenopausal hormone use, the more breast cancer, and vice versa. But human biology is far too complicated and the pathophysiology of breast cancer is far too complex to adopt such a mechanistic approach, as the authors of those studies and related Editorials rightly say.
The mere fact that the incidence of lung cancer is higher among people carrying a lighter in their pocket does not mean that lighters cause lung cancer. Thus, having two parallel time trends, for breast cancer incidence and for hormone use, still makes it necessary to investigate further in order to better understand if and how those trends could be linked. For example, a third important player has now been added, namely the rate of mammography screening, which has proved to have similar fluctuations as HT use and breast cancer incidence1. According to the Kaiser Permanente registry[1], the rate of women aged 45-59 undergoing screening mammography in 2002-2004 (post-WHI period) decreased from 48% to 44%. Thus, awareness of the need for periodic breast examinations may ease, and the likelihood of women coming to be examined may decrease in a population that uses HT less frequently, which could lead to under-diagnosis of breast cancer.
On the other hand, the 28% increase in breast cancer incidence between the early 1980s and the early 1990s observed in the Kaiser Permanente cohort probably reflects the outcome of implementation of the mammography screening program during that period. The largest group among HT users in most of the countries (excluding the USA) has always been women younger than 60 years. The Kaiser Permanente data show that, for women aged 45-59, the 70% drop in HT use (defined as dispensation of at least one hormonal prescription) in the year 2006 (post-WHI period) as compared to the year 2000 (pre-WHI period) was associated with a non-significant decrease of 4.9% in breast cancer incidence, which translates into a reduction of less than one case of breast cancer per 10,000 women per year. Furthermore, a welcome but unexplained fact is that, in younger women (age groups < 45 years and 45-59 years), the incidence of invasive breast cancer started to decrease before the year 2000 (see Figure 1 in Glass et al.[1]). The same has been shown for the incidence of localized cancers (Figure 2[1]) and the age-adjusted annual incidence rate of both estrogen receptor-positive and -negative breast cancers (Figure 3[1]). Therefore, the decrease of breast cancer incidence analyzed from different angles by Glass and colleagues cannot be attributed simply to the drop in HT use, which started after the publication of the WHI study. There must be another, non-hormonal and still unknown factor explaining, at least in part, these changes in incidence since 1998.
Professor Pines concludes that the new epidemiological data coming from the Kaiser Permanente study do have scientific merits, but may be confusing when interpreted for the lay public. Health-care providers should stay with the first-grade information coming from the WHI study when discussing this issue with their patients: breast-wise, in women younger than 60, HT (particularly estrogen-alone) is safe. Long-term use may be associated with a small increased risk, in the order of one extra case per 1000 women per year. Discontinuation of HT brings this risk back to the values for age-matched non-users after 3-5 years. Weighing the overall benefits and risks of HT in the younger postmenopausal population clearly favors the use of HT for symptomatic women.
References
1. Glass AG, Lacey JV Jr, Carreon D, Hoover RN. Breast cancer incidence, 1980-2006: combined roles of menopausal hormone therapy, screening mammography, and estrogen receptor status. J Natl Cancer Inst 2007;99:1152-61
2. Rossouw JE, Anderson GL, Prentice RL, et al. Risks and benefits of estrogen plus progestin in healthy postmenopausal women: principal results from the Women's Health Initiative randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2002;288:321-33
THE INTERNATIONAL MENOPAUSE SOCIETY
The aims of the Society (IMS) are to promote knowledge, study and research on all aspects of aging in men and women; to organize, prepare, hold and participate in international meetings and congresses on menopause and climacteric; and to encourage the interchange of research plans and experience between individual members. The Society is a non-profit association, within the meaning of the Swiss Civil Code. It was created in 1978 during the first World Congress on the Menopause. In addition to organizing congresses, symposia, and workshops, the IMS owns its own journal: Climacteric.
For further information please go to: imsociety
Source: Jean Wright
International Menopause Society
The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trial was a landmark in menopause medicine since it provided information based on the best available study methodology[2]. By adopting its results as the ultimate source of information, many organizations, medical societies and health authorities actually declared that data derived from observations in the postmenopausal population are less valuable. Nevertheless, during the past few months, several studies have used databases on the incidence of breast cancer, on the one hand, and sales of HT on the other hand, in order to suggest a direct link between trends of hormone use and the number of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. While such information, by itself, is very important and interesting, conclusions must be drawn with great caution. It is tempting to simplify the observed year-by-year figures on HT use and breast cancer incidence and establish a 'mirror glass' equation: the more postmenopausal hormone use, the more breast cancer, and vice versa. But human biology is far too complicated and the pathophysiology of breast cancer is far too complex to adopt such a mechanistic approach, as the authors of those studies and related Editorials rightly say.
The mere fact that the incidence of lung cancer is higher among people carrying a lighter in their pocket does not mean that lighters cause lung cancer. Thus, having two parallel time trends, for breast cancer incidence and for hormone use, still makes it necessary to investigate further in order to better understand if and how those trends could be linked. For example, a third important player has now been added, namely the rate of mammography screening, which has proved to have similar fluctuations as HT use and breast cancer incidence1. According to the Kaiser Permanente registry[1], the rate of women aged 45-59 undergoing screening mammography in 2002-2004 (post-WHI period) decreased from 48% to 44%. Thus, awareness of the need for periodic breast examinations may ease, and the likelihood of women coming to be examined may decrease in a population that uses HT less frequently, which could lead to under-diagnosis of breast cancer.
On the other hand, the 28% increase in breast cancer incidence between the early 1980s and the early 1990s observed in the Kaiser Permanente cohort probably reflects the outcome of implementation of the mammography screening program during that period. The largest group among HT users in most of the countries (excluding the USA) has always been women younger than 60 years. The Kaiser Permanente data show that, for women aged 45-59, the 70% drop in HT use (defined as dispensation of at least one hormonal prescription) in the year 2006 (post-WHI period) as compared to the year 2000 (pre-WHI period) was associated with a non-significant decrease of 4.9% in breast cancer incidence, which translates into a reduction of less than one case of breast cancer per 10,000 women per year. Furthermore, a welcome but unexplained fact is that, in younger women (age groups < 45 years and 45-59 years), the incidence of invasive breast cancer started to decrease before the year 2000 (see Figure 1 in Glass et al.[1]). The same has been shown for the incidence of localized cancers (Figure 2[1]) and the age-adjusted annual incidence rate of both estrogen receptor-positive and -negative breast cancers (Figure 3[1]). Therefore, the decrease of breast cancer incidence analyzed from different angles by Glass and colleagues cannot be attributed simply to the drop in HT use, which started after the publication of the WHI study. There must be another, non-hormonal and still unknown factor explaining, at least in part, these changes in incidence since 1998.
Professor Pines concludes that the new epidemiological data coming from the Kaiser Permanente study do have scientific merits, but may be confusing when interpreted for the lay public. Health-care providers should stay with the first-grade information coming from the WHI study when discussing this issue with their patients: breast-wise, in women younger than 60, HT (particularly estrogen-alone) is safe. Long-term use may be associated with a small increased risk, in the order of one extra case per 1000 women per year. Discontinuation of HT brings this risk back to the values for age-matched non-users after 3-5 years. Weighing the overall benefits and risks of HT in the younger postmenopausal population clearly favors the use of HT for symptomatic women.
References
1. Glass AG, Lacey JV Jr, Carreon D, Hoover RN. Breast cancer incidence, 1980-2006: combined roles of menopausal hormone therapy, screening mammography, and estrogen receptor status. J Natl Cancer Inst 2007;99:1152-61
2. Rossouw JE, Anderson GL, Prentice RL, et al. Risks and benefits of estrogen plus progestin in healthy postmenopausal women: principal results from the Women's Health Initiative randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2002;288:321-33
THE INTERNATIONAL MENOPAUSE SOCIETY
The aims of the Society (IMS) are to promote knowledge, study and research on all aspects of aging in men and women; to organize, prepare, hold and participate in international meetings and congresses on menopause and climacteric; and to encourage the interchange of research plans and experience between individual members. The Society is a non-profit association, within the meaning of the Swiss Civil Code. It was created in 1978 during the first World Congress on the Menopause. In addition to organizing congresses, symposia, and workshops, the IMS owns its own journal: Climacteric.
For further information please go to: imsociety
Source: Jean Wright
International Menopause Society
понедельник, 4 июля 2011 г.
Louisville Courier-Journal Examines Efforts To Reduce Gynecological Cancer Disparities In Rural Kentucky
The Louisville Courier-Journal on Monday examined a program that is providing gynecological cancer treatment in areas of rural Kentucky that otherwise would lack specialists. According to the Courier-Journal, Kentucky has the third-highest cervical cancer rate in the nation, driven by a high number of cases in the state's rural areas. There are only 10 gynecological oncologists in the state, all of whom are located in the urban areas of Louisville and Lexington.
The program -- a partnership between Trover Health System and the University of Louisville's James Graham Brown Cancer Center -- offers surgeries, radiation treatments and chemotherapy to women with gynecological cancers, who are referred to the program by their local physicians. Gynecological oncologists from other areas travel to the center to provide the care. Between 2006 and 2009, the program recorded 610 patient visits.
The Courier-Journal reports that there were 16.2 deaths per 100,000 cases of gynecological cancers in the far-western part of Kentucky from 2001 through 2005, compared with a state average of 15.8 deaths per 100,000 cases. According to Thomas Tucker, director of the Kentucky Cancer Registry, and Robert Hilgers, executive director of the Kentucky Cervical Cancer Coalition, the disparities can be attributed to poverty, poor access to care, and lack of education and awareness. Low-income women are more likely to be uninsured or underinsured and unable to afford care. In addition, women with low education levels or incomes below the poverty level are less likely than other women to receive regular Pap tests to detect signs of cervical cancer (Ungar, Louisville Courier-Journal, 3/29).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2010 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
воскресенье, 3 июля 2011 г.
Gene With Possible Link To Infertility Identified In Mice
Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have identified the role of a gene in regulating molecular signals involved with ovarian follicle development, which may one day help shed light on some of the causes of fertility issues in humans.
The steps involved with conception and pregnancy are delicate and complex - particularly the process of folliculogenesis. In females, fertility is dependant on the growth of a follicle, a structure that ultimately transforms to release a mature egg. In an ordinary cycle, one follicle, known as the dominant follicle, matures to release an egg, while the rest of the eggs produced in that cycle will die. Disruption at any stage in the development of the follicle can prevent this maturation and impair fertility, as well as alter the production of hormones in the ovaries.
In the study, published online in the Oct. 1 issue of the journal Biology of Reproduction, researchers used a mouse model to examine the role of a gene known as Smad-3 in the early stages of follicular growth to better understand the molecular mechanisms that could influence fertility. Specifically, they looked at the signaling pathways involved in the follicles' response to follicle stimulating hormone, or FSH. FSH is one of the most important hormones involved in fertility and is responsible for helping a woman's body develop a mature egg.
The team, led by principal investigator Elizabeth McGee, M.D., associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the VCU School of Medicine, reported that female mice missing the Smad-3 gene did not experience normal ovulation and were infertile because there is a reduced ability of the follicle to respond to FSH stimulation. Further, the team concluded that Smad-3 regulates follicle growth and an important family of proteins that are essential for follicle development.
"Learning precisely how the FSH receptor is regulated is an important step in understanding the subtle defects in signal transduction that can interfere with follicle development and female fertility and could lead to new types of fertility treatments," said McGee, who is director of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the VCU Medical Center.
This work was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.
The steps involved with conception and pregnancy are delicate and complex - particularly the process of folliculogenesis. In females, fertility is dependant on the growth of a follicle, a structure that ultimately transforms to release a mature egg. In an ordinary cycle, one follicle, known as the dominant follicle, matures to release an egg, while the rest of the eggs produced in that cycle will die. Disruption at any stage in the development of the follicle can prevent this maturation and impair fertility, as well as alter the production of hormones in the ovaries.
In the study, published online in the Oct. 1 issue of the journal Biology of Reproduction, researchers used a mouse model to examine the role of a gene known as Smad-3 in the early stages of follicular growth to better understand the molecular mechanisms that could influence fertility. Specifically, they looked at the signaling pathways involved in the follicles' response to follicle stimulating hormone, or FSH. FSH is one of the most important hormones involved in fertility and is responsible for helping a woman's body develop a mature egg.
The team, led by principal investigator Elizabeth McGee, M.D., associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the VCU School of Medicine, reported that female mice missing the Smad-3 gene did not experience normal ovulation and were infertile because there is a reduced ability of the follicle to respond to FSH stimulation. Further, the team concluded that Smad-3 regulates follicle growth and an important family of proteins that are essential for follicle development.
"Learning precisely how the FSH receptor is regulated is an important step in understanding the subtle defects in signal transduction that can interfere with follicle development and female fertility and could lead to new types of fertility treatments," said McGee, who is director of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the VCU Medical Center.
This work was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.
суббота, 2 июля 2011 г.
About 1.2M Brazilian Women Hospitalized In Last Five Years For Illegal Abortion-Related Complications, Report Says
About 1.2 million women in Brazil have been hospitalized in the last five years with infections, vaginal bleeding and other complications resulting from illegal abortions, according to a report released on Wednesday by the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Reuters reports.
The report, based on data from Brazil's Ministry of Health, found that about one million abortions are conducted in the country annually, including illegal abortions and miscarriages. About 230,000 women seek treatment from the country's health system annually for abortion-related complications, including hemorrhaging and perforation of the vaginal wall and uterus. The report also found that about five women die from complications that arise from unsafe procedures for every 100,000 live births.
Maria Jose Araujo, a member of the panel of health experts that presented the report, said the number of illegal abortions among young women is increasing. According to the report, about 3,000 girls ages 10 to 14 were hospitalized for complications resulting from abortions in 2005 and more than 46,000 girls ages 15 to 19 sought treatment. Araujo added that black, indigenous and lower-income women disproportionately seek abortions in Brazil.
"Legal prohibition does not eliminate the practice of abortion, everybody knows this," Carmen Barroso, director of IPPF's Western Hemisphere Region, said, adding that IPPF is in favor of developing a program to offer pregnant women information and counseling even if abortion remains illegal in the country.
Brazilian Health Minister Jose Gomes Temporao on Monday at a ceremony for a new family planning program renewed his promise to initiate a debate on abortion. "The government will get the issue rolling so women can decide," Temporao said (Welsh, Reuters, 5/30).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
The report, based on data from Brazil's Ministry of Health, found that about one million abortions are conducted in the country annually, including illegal abortions and miscarriages. About 230,000 women seek treatment from the country's health system annually for abortion-related complications, including hemorrhaging and perforation of the vaginal wall and uterus. The report also found that about five women die from complications that arise from unsafe procedures for every 100,000 live births.
Maria Jose Araujo, a member of the panel of health experts that presented the report, said the number of illegal abortions among young women is increasing. According to the report, about 3,000 girls ages 10 to 14 were hospitalized for complications resulting from abortions in 2005 and more than 46,000 girls ages 15 to 19 sought treatment. Araujo added that black, indigenous and lower-income women disproportionately seek abortions in Brazil.
"Legal prohibition does not eliminate the practice of abortion, everybody knows this," Carmen Barroso, director of IPPF's Western Hemisphere Region, said, adding that IPPF is in favor of developing a program to offer pregnant women information and counseling even if abortion remains illegal in the country.
Brazilian Health Minister Jose Gomes Temporao on Monday at a ceremony for a new family planning program renewed his promise to initiate a debate on abortion. "The government will get the issue rolling so women can decide," Temporao said (Welsh, Reuters, 5/30).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Blogs Comment On Coakley Victory, Nelson Amendment, Incarcerated Pregnant Women
The following summarizes selected women's health-related blog entries.
~ "Pregnant, in Prison and Denied Care," Rachel Roth, The Nation: In 2009, "incarcerated women and their allies have achieved a remarkable string of victories against inhumane treatment, ... send[ing] a strong signal to the rest of the country to stop subjecting women to [the] dangerous and degrading practice" of shackling pregnant prisoners during childbirth, Roth writes. However, the "pain and humiliation they endure" during childbirth "likely caps months of difficulty from being pregnant behind bars, months without adequate prenatal care or nutrition, or even basics like a bed to sleep on or clothes to accommodate their changing shape," Roth continues, adding that the "denial of appropriate care to pregnant women is part and parcel of the general state of medical neglect in prisons" in the U.S. She writes, "Until elected officials mandate" reporting of pregnancy outcomes in prisons, "we will have to rely on the efforts of imprisoned women, journalists, human rights investigators, researchers, lawyers and advocates to document the reality of life for pregnant women inside prison walls" (Roth, The Nation, 12/10).
~ "Deconstructing Harry," Robert Costa, National Review: In an entry examining 10 things "to watch in the Senate health care debate," Costa writes that there are several questions surrounding abortion coverage and the outcome of the final vote on the bill, including whether Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) will "play hardball and push for his amendment's language to be included in the bill via" Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) manager's amendment. Costa writes that his "prediction" is that "Nelson talks about walking away, only to be cajoled back" by Reid, who "knows how to sweeten pots" (Costa, National Review, 12/10).
~ "Does Ireland's Abortion Law Violate Human Rights?" Delia Lloyd, Politics Daily: The outcome of a "potentially landmark" case before the European Court of Human Rights "may very well end up changing abortion law in Ireland, ... may also affect abortion law in other parts of Europe" and "might well impinge on American jurisprudence domestically," Lloyd writes. The case challenges abortion laws in Ireland, a country that Lloyd says "has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the world." Ireland outlawed abortion in 1861, and subsequent laws allow life sentences for women who undergo the procedure, as well as maintain that fetuses have explicit rights beginning at contraception, according to Lloyd. The lawsuit alleges that Irish laws violate the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees rights to life and privacy, and also prohibits torture and discrimination. "If the court rules in favor of the three women, this would establish a new minimum degree of protection to which a woman seeking an abortion would be entitled under the European Convention," Lloyd writes, adding that the ruling could be binding to all member states, including nations with very strict abortion laws (Lloyd, Politics Daily, 12/10).
~ "Stupak's NYT Op-Ed: Congresswoman Capps Responds," Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.), RH Reality Check: Capps counters assertions made by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) in a New York Times opinion piece on Dec. 9. Stupak in the opinion piece examines whether an amendment he sponsored with Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) that restricts access to abortion services is consistent with current law and public opinion. The Stupak-Pitts amendment "goes well beyond current law by contracting access to abortion services and is in no way the simple extension of the Hyde amendment its proponents claim," Capps writes, adding that an amendment she sponsored would have barred federal funding for abortions but allowed plans offered in proposed insurance exchanges to fund abortions using private money from premiums. Allowing insurers to segregate federal and private funding would be consistent with current laws that permit churches and military contractors to do the same, Capps writes. Capps also cites recent polls showing that 54% of U.S. residents oppose reform plans that would bar private insurers from covering abortion and that 52% of voters "support the 'Capps compromise'" (Capps, RH Reality Check, 12/10).
~ "Nelson Amendment Fails, but More Obstacles Remain for Pro-Choicers," Jessica Grose, Double X's "XX Factor": "On the surface," the defeat of an amendment to the Senate's health care reform bill (HR 3590) sponsored by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) that mirrors language in the Stupak amendment "seems like a victory for pro-choice forces in the Senate," Grose writes. However, she adds that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has indicated that "the fight is not over." To placate Nelson, who has said he would filibuster the bill if his language is not adopted by the Senate, Reid has indicated that he would consider including different language that restricts abortion rights. This "is not the only disappointing news for women's health" because neither the Senate bill nor the House (HR 3962) bill requires coverage of all components of a typical gynecological "well visit," according to Grose. She concludes, "If essential care isn't part of a health insurance reform, getting the bill passed is a pyrrhic victory for women at best" (Grose, "XX Factor," Double X, 12/9).
~ "Five Unresolved Questions on Abortion in Health Care Debate," Dan Gilgoff, U.S. News & World Report's "God & Country": Gilgoff addresses five lingering questions concerning the progress of health reform. First, Gilgoff questions whether a Democratic senator who opposes abortion rights -- Sens. Robert Casey (Pa.) or Ben Nelson (Neb.) -- will "withhold a cloture vote on the Senate health care bill because it lacks a strict ban on federal dollars for abortions." Next, he wonders whether the House would approve a bill that lacks "a sweeping Stupak-Pitts ban on federal dollars available to health care plans that offer abortion coverage." Third, Gilgoff considers whether the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has enough power to prevent passage of a reform bill that omits the Stupak-Pitts language. Fourth, Gilgoff asks whether "segregating federal money from personal premiums in funding abortion coverage [constitutes] a ban on federally funded abortion" in a government-managed insurance plan. Finally, he wonders whether a compromise will emerge that goes beyond the Capps plan's segregation of private and federal funding for abortion services but "stops short of preventing government-subsidized plans from covering the procedure" (Gilgoff, "God & Country," U.S. News & World Report, 12/9).
~ "Coakley Wins, Nelson Loses: A Victory for Women," Ellen Malcolm, Politics Daily: Women "certainly understand" the concept of "trying to change the world for the better, periodically celebrating small victories, when all of the sudden a convergence of events creates huge and significant change," Malcolm, president of EMILY's List, writes. For example, Dec. 8 marked "a convergence of events [that] resulted in tremendous victories for women," including Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley winning the U.S. Senate Democratic primary and the defeat of Sen. Ben Nelson's (D-Neb.) amendment, which would have banned federally subsidized insurance plans from covering abortion services. Malcolm adds, "One victory shows women know how to win. One victory shows why women need to win." The events on Dec. 8 make "it clear that women see the world differently than men" and that their "perspectives need to be represented in our representative democracy," Malcolm writes, adding, "When we succeed in electing more women" like Coakley, abortion-rights opponents "won't have the power to define, create or expand the 'status quo' for women" (Malcolm, Politics Daily, 12/11).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
Getting To The Root Of Caring For Your Hair At Any Age
For most people, and especially women,
hair is their crowning glory that defines a significant part of their
appearance and personal style. Yet, despite its delicate composition, hair
is routinely subjected to significant damage from styling products, hair
dyes, straightening or waving procedures and even sun exposure. Over time,
hair that was once radiant can look brittle, frizzy and lackluster.
Speaking today at the American Academy of Dermatology's (Academy) Skin
Academy, dermatologist Zoe D. Draelos, MD, FAAD, from High Point, N.C.,
discussed the most common causes of hair damage, including how to prevent
it and ways to maintain healthy hair as we age.
"It's important to understand that hair is nonliving and cannot be
repaired once it is injured," said Dr. Draelos. "As we get older, hair
growth slows down and the cosmetic beauty of our hair decreases. Hair loss
that occurs from continual hair breakage over the years is a serious
cosmetic concern for many women, so the key is to prevent this damage by
stopping the cycle of over-processing and over-grooming our hair and
selecting hair care products with proven hair-health benefits."
In Our 20s
While age-wise our hair should be at its healthiest in our 20s, Dr.
Draelos noted that some young women fall prey to yo-yo dieting or fad diets
at this age -- which can wreak havoc on hair. For hair to be healthy, it
needs nourishment in the form of protein, vitamins and minerals from the
foods we eat.
"Hair is a sign of our general overall health," said Dr. Draelos. "When
a person has an eating disorder or is omitting certain foods from her diet
-- such as meat -- this can adversely affect the health and appearance of
the hair. Hair that is not getting enough nutrition from the foods we eat
doesn't grow well and it won't have that radiant, healthy glow."
Since meat is an excellent source of protein, which is important for
hair health, vegetarians need to be sure to supplement their diet with
other complete, or whole, sources of protein. Complete proteins are those
that contain all of the essential amino acids for the dietary needs of
humans. Dr. Draelos advised vegetarians to consume milk products, such as
cheese, milk or yogurt, for complete proteins. She also cautioned that some
proteins in vegetables are not complete sources of protein and taking
multivitamins will not help make up for a lack of dietary protein, as they
do not contain protein.
Another hair concern for women in their 20s, and 30s, is what happens
to their hair when they stop taking birth control pills. Dr. Draelos
explained that when estrogen levels fall during this process, hair will
fall out.
"Sometimes when a woman notices her hair is falling out, she might not
link it to a certain event, such as stopping oral contraceptives, since
hair typically doesn't shed for about three months after an occurrence that
is happening inside the body," added Dr. Draelos. "I tell my patients that
our hair is like looking at tree rings -- it's an indication of what's
happened in the past."
In Our 30s
For women in their 30s, pregnancy is a common life event that can
affect hair health. During pregnancy, all of the hair follicles on the
scalp are usually signaled to grow -- resulting in luxurious,
radiant-looking hair. However, in the six months following delivery, hair
sheds.
"Many times, some of the hair that is shed post-pregnancy may
eventually re-grow," said Dr. Draelos. "However, in women who have
female-pattern hair loss, the hair may not re-grow. Those women who have an
inherited tendency towards female-pattern hair loss should seek
dermatologic help at that point."
In Our 40s
Although hair dyes are popular for women of all ages, women in their
40s may be more likely to turn to hair color as a way to camouflage gray
hair that typically starts to appear at this age. Dr. Draelos explained
that gray hair occurs when the pigment cells in the body stop producing
pigments, which is a sign that the body's ability to produce pigment is
decreasing.
"Once the hair has been chemically dyed, it strips the protective lipid
layer of the hair shaft and opens up holes in the hair shaft, allowing the
dye to enter and create a new color," said Dr. Draelos. "Hair dyeing is
damaging no matter what color or what kind of hair dye you use, but
lightening your hair color more than three shades requires higher volumes
of peroxide -- which in turn creates more holes in the hair shaft and
causes more damage. So, the best thing a woman can do if she wants to cover
her gray hair is to stay 'on shade' -- or to dye her hair within three
color shades of her natural color. Typically, dyeing hair darker is better
than dyeing it lighter."
In addition, women in their 40s usually enter the periomenopause
period. As estrogen levels start to fall, women may notice more hair
thinning, that their hair doesn't grow as quickly, and the hair shaft
starts to thin slightly in diameter. Dr. Draelos noted that women who are
having trouble with hair growth during periomenopause should see their
dermatologist for treatment.
In Our 50s and Beyond
Once a woman reaches her 50s, she will notice that hair growth
naturally slows down. Since the diameter of the hair shaft continues to
thin, Dr. Draelos advises women to shorten the amount of time they leave on
styling products -- such as hair dyes or permanent wave solutions --
because thinner hair shafts require less time to process.
Dr. Draelos recommended that older women use a good conditioner, as
some protein-containing conditioners can replace lost protein and increase
hair strength by as much as 10 percent. She also advised women to handle
their hair as little as possible, including avoiding over-brushing hair.
"A lot of older women tend to use a lot of hairspray to make their hair
appear fuller, and some of the new flexible hairsprays will move with the
hair better," said Dr. Draelos. "So, when you sleep on the hair, you don't
break the hair shaft because the hairspray has made it so brittle."
Dr. Draelos added that women of all ages can benefit from some of the
newer hair care products, as well as following a few basic hair care tips.
These include:
-- Make sure you wash your scalp, not just your hair. Washing only your
hair strips the sebum, or oil, from the hair and creates fly-away hair
that is dull and coarse.
-- Washing your hair every day is not necessary, particularly as you get
older. Dr. Draelos added that how often you shampoo your hair depends
on how much sebum your hair makes naturally.
-- As you get older, you also can shampoo your hair too infrequently,
which can lead to scalp disease or dandruff. Women of color also
should avoid shampooing the hair too infrequently, which makes them
prone to these conditions.
-- "2-in-1" shampoos that remove oil from the scalp, clean the hair, then
condition the hair in the rinse phase are good choices for damaged or
chemically-treated hair.
-- New silicone technology has revolutionized hair conditioning --
smoothing the cuticle, temporarily mending split ends, decreasing
combing friction, improving the ability of hair to retain color and
decreasing hair breakage.
-- Some newer hairsprays contain sunscreen, which Dr. Draelos noted
prevent protein breakdown due to sun exposure and also prevent hair dye
from fading.
-- Some of the after-dye conditioners included in hair dye kits now
contain sunscreen, which also prevents the hair dye from fading.
-- Since hair dyes remove the lipid layer of fat that protects the hair,
the newest after-dye conditioners are effectively replacing this
protective layer, as are some conditioners specially formulated for
color-treated hair.
"Safeguarding your hair from unnecessary chemical damage is a
worthwhile investment, as the result will be hair that maintains its
texture and radiance over the long term," said Dr. Draelos. "Any concerns
about the health of your hair or unexplained hair loss should be addressed
with a dermatologist."
Headquartered in Schaumburg, Ill., the American Academy of Dermatology
(Academy), founded in 1938, is the largest, most influential, and most
representative of all dermatologic associations. With a membership of more
than 15,000 physicians worldwide, the Academy is committed to: advancing
the diagnosis and medical, surgical and cosmetic treatment of the skin,
hair and nails; advocating high standards in clinical practice, education,
and research in dermatology; and supporting and enhancing patient care for
a lifetime of healthier skin, hair and nails.
American Academy of Dermatology
aad
hair is their crowning glory that defines a significant part of their
appearance and personal style. Yet, despite its delicate composition, hair
is routinely subjected to significant damage from styling products, hair
dyes, straightening or waving procedures and even sun exposure. Over time,
hair that was once radiant can look brittle, frizzy and lackluster.
Speaking today at the American Academy of Dermatology's (Academy) Skin
Academy, dermatologist Zoe D. Draelos, MD, FAAD, from High Point, N.C.,
discussed the most common causes of hair damage, including how to prevent
it and ways to maintain healthy hair as we age.
"It's important to understand that hair is nonliving and cannot be
repaired once it is injured," said Dr. Draelos. "As we get older, hair
growth slows down and the cosmetic beauty of our hair decreases. Hair loss
that occurs from continual hair breakage over the years is a serious
cosmetic concern for many women, so the key is to prevent this damage by
stopping the cycle of over-processing and over-grooming our hair and
selecting hair care products with proven hair-health benefits."
In Our 20s
While age-wise our hair should be at its healthiest in our 20s, Dr.
Draelos noted that some young women fall prey to yo-yo dieting or fad diets
at this age -- which can wreak havoc on hair. For hair to be healthy, it
needs nourishment in the form of protein, vitamins and minerals from the
foods we eat.
"Hair is a sign of our general overall health," said Dr. Draelos. "When
a person has an eating disorder or is omitting certain foods from her diet
-- such as meat -- this can adversely affect the health and appearance of
the hair. Hair that is not getting enough nutrition from the foods we eat
doesn't grow well and it won't have that radiant, healthy glow."
Since meat is an excellent source of protein, which is important for
hair health, vegetarians need to be sure to supplement their diet with
other complete, or whole, sources of protein. Complete proteins are those
that contain all of the essential amino acids for the dietary needs of
humans. Dr. Draelos advised vegetarians to consume milk products, such as
cheese, milk or yogurt, for complete proteins. She also cautioned that some
proteins in vegetables are not complete sources of protein and taking
multivitamins will not help make up for a lack of dietary protein, as they
do not contain protein.
Another hair concern for women in their 20s, and 30s, is what happens
to their hair when they stop taking birth control pills. Dr. Draelos
explained that when estrogen levels fall during this process, hair will
fall out.
"Sometimes when a woman notices her hair is falling out, she might not
link it to a certain event, such as stopping oral contraceptives, since
hair typically doesn't shed for about three months after an occurrence that
is happening inside the body," added Dr. Draelos. "I tell my patients that
our hair is like looking at tree rings -- it's an indication of what's
happened in the past."
In Our 30s
For women in their 30s, pregnancy is a common life event that can
affect hair health. During pregnancy, all of the hair follicles on the
scalp are usually signaled to grow -- resulting in luxurious,
radiant-looking hair. However, in the six months following delivery, hair
sheds.
"Many times, some of the hair that is shed post-pregnancy may
eventually re-grow," said Dr. Draelos. "However, in women who have
female-pattern hair loss, the hair may not re-grow. Those women who have an
inherited tendency towards female-pattern hair loss should seek
dermatologic help at that point."
In Our 40s
Although hair dyes are popular for women of all ages, women in their
40s may be more likely to turn to hair color as a way to camouflage gray
hair that typically starts to appear at this age. Dr. Draelos explained
that gray hair occurs when the pigment cells in the body stop producing
pigments, which is a sign that the body's ability to produce pigment is
decreasing.
"Once the hair has been chemically dyed, it strips the protective lipid
layer of the hair shaft and opens up holes in the hair shaft, allowing the
dye to enter and create a new color," said Dr. Draelos. "Hair dyeing is
damaging no matter what color or what kind of hair dye you use, but
lightening your hair color more than three shades requires higher volumes
of peroxide -- which in turn creates more holes in the hair shaft and
causes more damage. So, the best thing a woman can do if she wants to cover
her gray hair is to stay 'on shade' -- or to dye her hair within three
color shades of her natural color. Typically, dyeing hair darker is better
than dyeing it lighter."
In addition, women in their 40s usually enter the periomenopause
period. As estrogen levels start to fall, women may notice more hair
thinning, that their hair doesn't grow as quickly, and the hair shaft
starts to thin slightly in diameter. Dr. Draelos noted that women who are
having trouble with hair growth during periomenopause should see their
dermatologist for treatment.
In Our 50s and Beyond
Once a woman reaches her 50s, she will notice that hair growth
naturally slows down. Since the diameter of the hair shaft continues to
thin, Dr. Draelos advises women to shorten the amount of time they leave on
styling products -- such as hair dyes or permanent wave solutions --
because thinner hair shafts require less time to process.
Dr. Draelos recommended that older women use a good conditioner, as
some protein-containing conditioners can replace lost protein and increase
hair strength by as much as 10 percent. She also advised women to handle
their hair as little as possible, including avoiding over-brushing hair.
"A lot of older women tend to use a lot of hairspray to make their hair
appear fuller, and some of the new flexible hairsprays will move with the
hair better," said Dr. Draelos. "So, when you sleep on the hair, you don't
break the hair shaft because the hairspray has made it so brittle."
Dr. Draelos added that women of all ages can benefit from some of the
newer hair care products, as well as following a few basic hair care tips.
These include:
-- Make sure you wash your scalp, not just your hair. Washing only your
hair strips the sebum, or oil, from the hair and creates fly-away hair
that is dull and coarse.
-- Washing your hair every day is not necessary, particularly as you get
older. Dr. Draelos added that how often you shampoo your hair depends
on how much sebum your hair makes naturally.
-- As you get older, you also can shampoo your hair too infrequently,
which can lead to scalp disease or dandruff. Women of color also
should avoid shampooing the hair too infrequently, which makes them
prone to these conditions.
-- "2-in-1" shampoos that remove oil from the scalp, clean the hair, then
condition the hair in the rinse phase are good choices for damaged or
chemically-treated hair.
-- New silicone technology has revolutionized hair conditioning --
smoothing the cuticle, temporarily mending split ends, decreasing
combing friction, improving the ability of hair to retain color and
decreasing hair breakage.
-- Some newer hairsprays contain sunscreen, which Dr. Draelos noted
prevent protein breakdown due to sun exposure and also prevent hair dye
from fading.
-- Some of the after-dye conditioners included in hair dye kits now
contain sunscreen, which also prevents the hair dye from fading.
-- Since hair dyes remove the lipid layer of fat that protects the hair,
the newest after-dye conditioners are effectively replacing this
protective layer, as are some conditioners specially formulated for
color-treated hair.
"Safeguarding your hair from unnecessary chemical damage is a
worthwhile investment, as the result will be hair that maintains its
texture and radiance over the long term," said Dr. Draelos. "Any concerns
about the health of your hair or unexplained hair loss should be addressed
with a dermatologist."
Headquartered in Schaumburg, Ill., the American Academy of Dermatology
(Academy), founded in 1938, is the largest, most influential, and most
representative of all dermatologic associations. With a membership of more
than 15,000 physicians worldwide, the Academy is committed to: advancing
the diagnosis and medical, surgical and cosmetic treatment of the skin,
hair and nails; advocating high standards in clinical practice, education,
and research in dermatology; and supporting and enhancing patient care for
a lifetime of healthier skin, hair and nails.
American Academy of Dermatology
aad
A Rhode Island Hospital Study Explains Differences Between Male And Female Victims In Community Violence Assaults
A new study from Rhode Island Hospital shows that a large proportion of victims of community violence treated in its emergency department are female. Injured adolescent females are more likely than males to be injured by a relative or intimate partner, and are more likely to be injured by a single assailant. Among females aged 10 to 19 who suffer an injury, however, most of the injuries are inflicted by a non-partner; these injuries are also more likely to have been caused by blunt force than a weapon. The study is now published online in advance of print in the Journal of Emergency Medicine.
In 2007, almost 485,000 violence-related injuries among adolescents aged 10 to 19 years were seen in emergency departments across the United States. While males are well known to be associated with community violence, the researchers report there is an increasing incidence of non-partner violence among young women. To date, little is known about the characteristics of assaulted young women. As a result of this knowledge gap, the National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called for greater attention to the attributes of young women with violent injuries.
Lead author Megan Ranney, M.D., M.P.H., of the department of emergency medicine at Rhode Island Hospital, and her colleagues conducted a retrospective chart review to begin to fill this gap. They studied the charts of all non-traffic related injuries among youth ages 10 to 19 who were seen in a three-year period in either the hospital's adult or pediatric trauma center, a Level I trauma center located in an urban area in Rhode Island's capital city of Providence.
In total, 828 charts were reviewed, and the researchers found 385 of the 828 injuries were caused by what they classify as "interpersonal violence" (meaning, that the injured person was intentionally hurt by someone else). Of the 385 violent injuries, 150 (40 percent) occurred among females, while 235 were among males. Female and male victims had similar race, age or insurance status.
Several key findings emerged from the study:
Females were more likely than males to be documented as being injured by an intimate partner or relative, injured by only one person, and injured during the daytime.
A higher percent of injured females were hurt by someone who was not an intimate partner (e.g., a friend, sibling or acquaintance) than by a partner.
Overall, females were significantly more likely than males to be injured by someone known to them (57 percent of females versus 28 percent of males)
Females were less likely to be documented as being injured by weapons (4 percent females versus 16 percent males)
Ranney says, "Where male and female victims of community violence differed in this chart review was in the circumstances of their injury. Our study shows that adolescent females are more likely than males to be injured by a relative or intimate partner, and equally likely to be injured by friends or strangers. "
She adds, "Although only adolescent females reported suffering an injury at the hands of an intimate partner, overall, more adolescent females were injured by a non-partner than by a partner. And they were more likely to be injured by blunt force than by a penetrating weapon such as a knife. To our knowledge, these distinctions have not been previously reported in the literature. These findings have important implications for preventing violent injury among young women; although dating violence is an important cause of injury, so are fights with friends. "
The researchers also had a second goal for the study: to examine the completeness of the documentation within the charts and the accuracy of the coding for those injuries. Their review found, in agreement with previous literature, that relying on hospital-provided data on the deliberateness for adolescent females' injuries may result in erroneous conclusions. The chart review found that large numbers of injuries were miscoded, and, more importantly, crucial demographic and injury-related information was missing from many charts.
Ranney says, "These inaccuracies suggest that alternative modes of intentional injury surveillance for adolescents should be created. The large amount of missing information, especially in terms of race/ethnicity, is particularly concerning and deserves further study. "
Of note, however, Ranney adds, "Interestingly, females' circumstances of injury, particularly the perpetrator of their injuries, were consistently better documented than males'. Nonetheless, our findings on missing information suggest that emergency physicians should be better educated as to the value of assessing the circumstances in which youth are injured, and, by extension, the importance of charting the youths' responses. "
The researchers conclude that while most existing violence prevention programs focus on either female victims of intimate partner violence or on violence among males, this review suggests that adolescent female non-partner violence deserves further attention. Ranney notes, "Violent injuries caused by friends and strangers account for greater numbers of emergency department visits for young women than intimate partner or dating violence. In addition, because female adolescents seem to be injured under different circumstances than males, the injury prevention methods that work to prevent male youth violence many not work for females, and further research into those risk factors is needed. "
Ranney's principle affiliation is Rhode Island Hospital, a member hospital of the Lifespan health system in Rhode Island. The researcher also has an academic appointment at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and is also a physician with University Emergency Medicine Foundation.
Source:
Nancy Cawley Jean
Lifespan
In 2007, almost 485,000 violence-related injuries among adolescents aged 10 to 19 years were seen in emergency departments across the United States. While males are well known to be associated with community violence, the researchers report there is an increasing incidence of non-partner violence among young women. To date, little is known about the characteristics of assaulted young women. As a result of this knowledge gap, the National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called for greater attention to the attributes of young women with violent injuries.
Lead author Megan Ranney, M.D., M.P.H., of the department of emergency medicine at Rhode Island Hospital, and her colleagues conducted a retrospective chart review to begin to fill this gap. They studied the charts of all non-traffic related injuries among youth ages 10 to 19 who were seen in a three-year period in either the hospital's adult or pediatric trauma center, a Level I trauma center located in an urban area in Rhode Island's capital city of Providence.
In total, 828 charts were reviewed, and the researchers found 385 of the 828 injuries were caused by what they classify as "interpersonal violence" (meaning, that the injured person was intentionally hurt by someone else). Of the 385 violent injuries, 150 (40 percent) occurred among females, while 235 were among males. Female and male victims had similar race, age or insurance status.
Several key findings emerged from the study:
Females were more likely than males to be documented as being injured by an intimate partner or relative, injured by only one person, and injured during the daytime.
A higher percent of injured females were hurt by someone who was not an intimate partner (e.g., a friend, sibling or acquaintance) than by a partner.
Overall, females were significantly more likely than males to be injured by someone known to them (57 percent of females versus 28 percent of males)
Females were less likely to be documented as being injured by weapons (4 percent females versus 16 percent males)
Ranney says, "Where male and female victims of community violence differed in this chart review was in the circumstances of their injury. Our study shows that adolescent females are more likely than males to be injured by a relative or intimate partner, and equally likely to be injured by friends or strangers. "
She adds, "Although only adolescent females reported suffering an injury at the hands of an intimate partner, overall, more adolescent females were injured by a non-partner than by a partner. And they were more likely to be injured by blunt force than by a penetrating weapon such as a knife. To our knowledge, these distinctions have not been previously reported in the literature. These findings have important implications for preventing violent injury among young women; although dating violence is an important cause of injury, so are fights with friends. "
The researchers also had a second goal for the study: to examine the completeness of the documentation within the charts and the accuracy of the coding for those injuries. Their review found, in agreement with previous literature, that relying on hospital-provided data on the deliberateness for adolescent females' injuries may result in erroneous conclusions. The chart review found that large numbers of injuries were miscoded, and, more importantly, crucial demographic and injury-related information was missing from many charts.
Ranney says, "These inaccuracies suggest that alternative modes of intentional injury surveillance for adolescents should be created. The large amount of missing information, especially in terms of race/ethnicity, is particularly concerning and deserves further study. "
Of note, however, Ranney adds, "Interestingly, females' circumstances of injury, particularly the perpetrator of their injuries, were consistently better documented than males'. Nonetheless, our findings on missing information suggest that emergency physicians should be better educated as to the value of assessing the circumstances in which youth are injured, and, by extension, the importance of charting the youths' responses. "
The researchers conclude that while most existing violence prevention programs focus on either female victims of intimate partner violence or on violence among males, this review suggests that adolescent female non-partner violence deserves further attention. Ranney notes, "Violent injuries caused by friends and strangers account for greater numbers of emergency department visits for young women than intimate partner or dating violence. In addition, because female adolescents seem to be injured under different circumstances than males, the injury prevention methods that work to prevent male youth violence many not work for females, and further research into those risk factors is needed. "
Ranney's principle affiliation is Rhode Island Hospital, a member hospital of the Lifespan health system in Rhode Island. The researcher also has an academic appointment at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and is also a physician with University Emergency Medicine Foundation.
Source:
Nancy Cawley Jean
Lifespan
Gene May Put Women With Migraine At Increased Risk Of Heart Disease And Stroke
Women who experience migraine with aura appear to be at an increased risk of heart disease and stroke if they have a certain gene, according to a study published in the July 30, 2008, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
For the study, researchers followed 25,001 Caucasian women for the occurrence of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and ischemic stroke. About 18 percent of the women in the study had a history of migraine while 40 percent of those with active migraine reported migraine with aura. Migraine with aura can be described as neurological symptoms that usually last for about 30 minutes and most often lead to visual disturbances. The women were also tested for a certain gene variant in the methyleneterahydrofolate reductase gene.
During a 12-year follow-up period, 625 cardiovascular disease events occurred.
The study found that women who had both the gene variant and migraine with aura had more than three times the risk of cardiovascular disease, which was driven by four times the risk for stroke compared with women who did not have the gene variant and no history of migraine. An estimated 11 percent of the study population carries the gene variant.
"This gene by itself does not appear to increase the risk for overall and for specific cardiovascular disease, but rather this research suggests a possible connection between the gene variant and migraine with aura. While it is too early to start testing young women with migraine with aura for this gene variant, more focused research will help us to understand these complex links and will help us to potentially develop preventative strategies," said study author Tobias Kurth, MD, ScD, with Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. Kurth is also a member of the American Academy of Neurology.
Since the study only looked at women, investigators say it is not known whether the results would be the same in men.
"Doctors should try to reduce heart disease risk factors and advise young women who experience migraine with aura not to smoke and to consider birth control pill alternatives as these increase the risk of ischemic vascular problems," said Kurth.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death and stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States.
The study was supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the National Cancer Institute, the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, the Leducq Foundation, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, F. Hoffman La-Roche and Roche Molecular Systems and the German Research Foundation.
The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 21,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to improving patient care through education and research. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as epilepsy, dystonia, migraine, Huntington's disease, and dementia. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit aan.
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)
1080 Montreal Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55116
United States
neurology
For the study, researchers followed 25,001 Caucasian women for the occurrence of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and ischemic stroke. About 18 percent of the women in the study had a history of migraine while 40 percent of those with active migraine reported migraine with aura. Migraine with aura can be described as neurological symptoms that usually last for about 30 minutes and most often lead to visual disturbances. The women were also tested for a certain gene variant in the methyleneterahydrofolate reductase gene.
During a 12-year follow-up period, 625 cardiovascular disease events occurred.
The study found that women who had both the gene variant and migraine with aura had more than three times the risk of cardiovascular disease, which was driven by four times the risk for stroke compared with women who did not have the gene variant and no history of migraine. An estimated 11 percent of the study population carries the gene variant.
"This gene by itself does not appear to increase the risk for overall and for specific cardiovascular disease, but rather this research suggests a possible connection between the gene variant and migraine with aura. While it is too early to start testing young women with migraine with aura for this gene variant, more focused research will help us to understand these complex links and will help us to potentially develop preventative strategies," said study author Tobias Kurth, MD, ScD, with Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. Kurth is also a member of the American Academy of Neurology.
Since the study only looked at women, investigators say it is not known whether the results would be the same in men.
"Doctors should try to reduce heart disease risk factors and advise young women who experience migraine with aura not to smoke and to consider birth control pill alternatives as these increase the risk of ischemic vascular problems," said Kurth.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death and stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States.
The study was supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the National Cancer Institute, the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, the Leducq Foundation, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, F. Hoffman La-Roche and Roche Molecular Systems and the German Research Foundation.
The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 21,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to improving patient care through education and research. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as epilepsy, dystonia, migraine, Huntington's disease, and dementia. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit aan.
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)
1080 Montreal Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55116
United States
neurology
Advanced Laparoscopic Techniques And The Use Of Harmonic(R) Technology In Gynecologic Surgery
Join surgeons, Dr. Roger Ferland and Dr. Lori Warren, for a free one-hour live webcast highlighting the use of minimally invasive techniques in gynecologic surgery. The doctors will focus on the patient benefits of two approaches, Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy and Laparoscopic Supracervical Hysterectomy.
Since Total Laparoscopic and Laparoscopic Supracervical Hysterectomies are performed less invasively than open procedures, benefits to the patient typically include shortened hospital stays, faster recovery times, a decreased rate of infection, and fewer complications following surgery. The surgeons will review these benefits and will provide laparoscopic hysterectomy tips and tricks useful to the novice and experienced gynecologic surgeon. The presentation will include a review of the use of Harmonic® technology in gynecologic surgery.
Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy
Dr. Ferland will demonstrate Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy (TLH) with coagulation of the uterine vessels and anterior and posterior colpotomies with the Harmonic ACE®. Dr. Ferland will demonstrate tips for laparoscopic suturing of the vaginal cuff, followed by a discussion by the surgeons.
Laparoscopic Supracervical Hysterectomy
Dr. Warren will present the Laparoscopic Supracervical Hysterectomy (LSH) procedure performed using Harmonic® technology. She will provide tips for coagulation of the uterine vessels, as well as the drill technique utilizing the Harmonic ACE® to amputate the uterus. Benefits of doing a subtotal hysterectomy, along with rates of cervical cancer in the cervical stump, and cervical bleeding, will be reviewed by the surgeons.
The hour-long webcast will originate from the Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island in Providence. Audience members may participate in the live program by sending their questions directly to the surgeons. An archive of the program will be posted shortly following the webcast and can be accessed through this OR-live website.
Presenters:
- Roger Ferland, MD, FACOG
GYN Team Chief
Women and Infants Hospital
Associate Clinical Professor OB/GYN
Brown University
Providence, RI
- Lori Warren, MD
Women First of Louisville
Advanced Laparoscopic Gynecologic Surgeon
Baptist Hospital East
Assistant Clinical Professor OB/GYN
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY
This presentation may include demonstration of the use of surgical devices; it is not intended to be used as a surgical training guide. Other surgeons may employ different techniques. Individual surgeon preference and experience, as well as patient needs, should always dictate variation in procedure steps. Before using any medical device, including those demonstrated or referenced in this presentation, review all relevant package inserts, with particular attention to the indications, contraindications, warnings and precautions, and steps for use of the device. This presentation is the work of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views of Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
OR-Live
Since Total Laparoscopic and Laparoscopic Supracervical Hysterectomies are performed less invasively than open procedures, benefits to the patient typically include shortened hospital stays, faster recovery times, a decreased rate of infection, and fewer complications following surgery. The surgeons will review these benefits and will provide laparoscopic hysterectomy tips and tricks useful to the novice and experienced gynecologic surgeon. The presentation will include a review of the use of Harmonic® technology in gynecologic surgery.
Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy
Dr. Ferland will demonstrate Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy (TLH) with coagulation of the uterine vessels and anterior and posterior colpotomies with the Harmonic ACE®. Dr. Ferland will demonstrate tips for laparoscopic suturing of the vaginal cuff, followed by a discussion by the surgeons.
Laparoscopic Supracervical Hysterectomy
Dr. Warren will present the Laparoscopic Supracervical Hysterectomy (LSH) procedure performed using Harmonic® technology. She will provide tips for coagulation of the uterine vessels, as well as the drill technique utilizing the Harmonic ACE® to amputate the uterus. Benefits of doing a subtotal hysterectomy, along with rates of cervical cancer in the cervical stump, and cervical bleeding, will be reviewed by the surgeons.
The hour-long webcast will originate from the Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island in Providence. Audience members may participate in the live program by sending their questions directly to the surgeons. An archive of the program will be posted shortly following the webcast and can be accessed through this OR-live website.
Presenters:
- Roger Ferland, MD, FACOG
GYN Team Chief
Women and Infants Hospital
Associate Clinical Professor OB/GYN
Brown University
Providence, RI
- Lori Warren, MD
Women First of Louisville
Advanced Laparoscopic Gynecologic Surgeon
Baptist Hospital East
Assistant Clinical Professor OB/GYN
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY
This presentation may include demonstration of the use of surgical devices; it is not intended to be used as a surgical training guide. Other surgeons may employ different techniques. Individual surgeon preference and experience, as well as patient needs, should always dictate variation in procedure steps. Before using any medical device, including those demonstrated or referenced in this presentation, review all relevant package inserts, with particular attention to the indications, contraindications, warnings and precautions, and steps for use of the device. This presentation is the work of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views of Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
OR-Live
Congress Adjourns Without Passing Bills Aimed At Allocating Funding For Breast Cancer Research
Congress adjourned earlier this month without the Senate or House passing bills aimed at allocating funding for research into the environmental causes of breast cancer, CQ HealthBeat reports. The Senate version (S 757), sponsored by Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.), would allocate $30 million annually for fiscal years 2007 through 2012 for the research. The House version (HR 2231), sponsored by Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), would allocate the same funding levels for FY 2006 through 2011. The Senate version has 66 bipartisan co-sponsors and was scheduled for floor consideration before the August recess, but Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) objected to the measure. According to Coburn, Congress should focus on reforming NIH rather than passing bills aimed at allocating funding for specific diseases or illnesses, CQ HealthBeat reports. The House version has 255 bipartisan co-sponsors but was stalled when Reps. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) and Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) during a House Committee on Energy and Commerce meeting attempted to add HR 2231 to legislation (HR 6164) that aims to overhaul NIH, according to CQ HealthBeat. The National Breast Cancer Coalition, which has advocated in support of the measures, plans to continue its goal by working to get the legislation passed when Congress returns in November, according to coalition head Fran Visco (Carey, CQ HealthBeat, 10/6).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Wash. Pharmacy Board To Change Rule On Emergency Contraception, Other Drugs
The Washington state Board of Pharmacy voted 3-2 on Thursday to move forward with changes to a rule that prohibits pharmacies from refusing to dispense legal medications, including emergency contraception, the AP/Seattle Times reports (AP/Seattle Times, 11/4). The current rule allows individual pharmacists to refuse to dispense a medication based on moral objections, although pharmacies are still legally required to help the patient.
Thursday's vote does not change the rule, but it launches a months-long revision process. The board's next meeting is scheduled for Dec. 16.
The rule took effect in 2007, one year after it was adopted by the state Department of Health and Board of Pharmacy. Shortly after the rule's implementation, two pharmacists and an Olympia-based pharmacy challenged it in federal court on the grounds that it violated constitutional rights. Planned Parenthood and the women's rights group Legal Voice joined the lawsuit over concerns about patients' access to medication, such as EC. A judge has put the case on hold to allow the state to modify the rule and avoid lengthy court proceedings.
Court documents from earlier this year suggest several possible changes, including allowing a pharmacy to refuse to fill a medication as long as it provides a "facilitated referral," which would include calling another pharmacy, confirming that the medication is in stock and telling the patient where to go. Such referrals are already common practice for out-of-stock drugs, according to the state.
Public, State Officials Weigh In
Prior to Thursday's vote, the board held two public hearings and received more than 5,000 comments, most of which were opposed to changing the rule, DOH spokesperson Donn Moyer said.
Gov. Chris Gregorie (D) and Health Secretary Mary Selecky also oppose changing the rule. Gregorie said that referrals could decrease access to medication for patients in rural areas.
On Wednesday, Selecky wrote to the board, "The current rule strikes the correct balance between patient access to medication and valid reasons why a pharmacist might not fill a prescription," adding, "The rule has served patient safety well in Washington over the three years it's been in place" (Ho, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 11/4).
Board member Dan Connolly said the state cannot afford another drawn-out legal challenge (AP/Seattle Times, 11/4).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families.
© 2010 National Partnership for Women & Families. All rights reserved.
Sedentary Behavior Puts White Women At Greatest Risk For Obesity
Obesity is climbing steadily among American women and an inactive lifestyle is one risk factor. A new study finds that sedentary white women are more apt to become obese than are sedentary African-American women.
Researchers looked at data from 22,948 African-American women and 7,830 white women in 12 Southeastern U.S. states, where obesity is most prevalent. Participants, who mostly were in their fifth decade, were enrollees in the ongoing Southern Community Cohort Study between 2002 and 2006.
"The odds of severe obesity were nearly 4.5 times higher in white women and 1.5 times higher in black women in the highest quartile of sedentary behavior," according to researchers led by Maciej Buchowski, Ph.D., director of the energy balance laboratory at Vanderbilt University.
Buchowski said the reasons for the racial disparities remain unclear, because they did not do a controlled trial. He said he suspects that there could be some cultural explanation or difference in metabolism between the two groups, or perhaps African-America women are more active during sedentary time - cooking or doing other chores while watching TV.
The study appears online and in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
"The key take-home message here is that reducing time in sedentary behavior is important," Buchowski said. "Our population was economically disadvantaged, so it is unlikely that they could join a club to participate in structured physical activity." Still, he said, "women do not need to walk for half an hour, but they can spend less time sitting. They can walk around the house, for example, or juggle a small bottle of water in their hands to increase their energy output without much effort.
"Remember - every calorie counts," he said. "These small changes could also be helpful in preventing obesity in the first place."
Amy Luke, Ph.D., associate professor of preventive medicine and epidemiology at Loyola University Chicago, who was not involved in this research, suggested that increased sedentary behavior might be a result, rather than a cause, of obesity.
"It must also be recognized that the data from this study are self-reported and finding associations between activity and obesity is not uncommon with questionnaires," Luke said. "Curiously, almost no studies utilizing objective measures of physical activity have found any relationship between physical activity and weight gain among women."
"Physical activity and obesity gap between black and white women in the Southeastern U.S."
Buchowski MS, et al.
Am J Prev Med 39(2), 2010.
Source:
Health Behavior News Service
Researchers looked at data from 22,948 African-American women and 7,830 white women in 12 Southeastern U.S. states, where obesity is most prevalent. Participants, who mostly were in their fifth decade, were enrollees in the ongoing Southern Community Cohort Study between 2002 and 2006.
"The odds of severe obesity were nearly 4.5 times higher in white women and 1.5 times higher in black women in the highest quartile of sedentary behavior," according to researchers led by Maciej Buchowski, Ph.D., director of the energy balance laboratory at Vanderbilt University.
Buchowski said the reasons for the racial disparities remain unclear, because they did not do a controlled trial. He said he suspects that there could be some cultural explanation or difference in metabolism between the two groups, or perhaps African-America women are more active during sedentary time - cooking or doing other chores while watching TV.
The study appears online and in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
"The key take-home message here is that reducing time in sedentary behavior is important," Buchowski said. "Our population was economically disadvantaged, so it is unlikely that they could join a club to participate in structured physical activity." Still, he said, "women do not need to walk for half an hour, but they can spend less time sitting. They can walk around the house, for example, or juggle a small bottle of water in their hands to increase their energy output without much effort.
"Remember - every calorie counts," he said. "These small changes could also be helpful in preventing obesity in the first place."
Amy Luke, Ph.D., associate professor of preventive medicine and epidemiology at Loyola University Chicago, who was not involved in this research, suggested that increased sedentary behavior might be a result, rather than a cause, of obesity.
"It must also be recognized that the data from this study are self-reported and finding associations between activity and obesity is not uncommon with questionnaires," Luke said. "Curiously, almost no studies utilizing objective measures of physical activity have found any relationship between physical activity and weight gain among women."
"Physical activity and obesity gap between black and white women in the Southeastern U.S."
Buchowski MS, et al.
Am J Prev Med 39(2), 2010.
Source:
Health Behavior News Service
Nuns Have 'Complicated' Role In Abortion-Rights Debate, Slate Opinion Piece States
To "liberal Catholics disenchanted with the church," a letter from a group of nearly 60,000 Catholic nuns supporting the Senate health reform bill's (HR 3590) abortion language "looks like a welcome feminist upswell from within one of the world's most patriarchal organizations," Slate copy editor Noreen Malone writes in an opinion piece. She adds that although some liberals and abortion-rights supporters have praised the nuns, "the full picture is also more complicated."
Malone continues, "Nuns are quite literally a dying breed," and the "women's movement has played a role in the declining appeal of the habit." Malone writes, "Nowadays, a Catholic woman can do the same work as a layperson she would do as a nun (and taking the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience doesn't grant her the privilege of celebrating mass, of course)."
Malone adds that the "nuns' health care letter might suggest that the ones who are left are increasingly left-leaning," which is "probably true of the older leadership." However, it is "not as true of the shrinking pool of women who are becoming nuns now," according to Malone. Catholic clergy who work with young nuns say that "the women who now take vows tend to be far more conservative than those who entered a generation or two ago," Malone states.
Nonetheless, "for now, the progressives are in power, and they harnessed in favor of the health care bill the mystique, a gravity and accordance of respect that taking the veil still commands," Malone writes. "If 60,000 deeply religious Catholic women had signed that same letter in favor of health reform, the act of defiance just wouldn't have resonated the same way," she continues. Facing the Vatican's ongoing "broader disapproval with how some nuns have updated their mission for modernity," the nuns who wrote the letter have "been quite careful to note that their disagreement isn't doctrinal; it's about how to interpret the political language of the bill, not a move away from a pro-life stance," according to Malone.
She writes that the letter "created a window for lawmakers ... at a key historical moment" and "came to the rescue just in time" for antiabortion-rights Catholic House members, "who reversed themselves and voted for the bill." Malone concludes, "The health care lesson the sisters taught sets a precedent even if the activists among them become a rare species" (Malone, Slate, 3/30).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2010 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
U.S. Supreme Court Orders Reviews Of Lower Court Rulings On Abortion Laws In Missouri, Virginia
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ordered the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review its decision to overturn a Virginia law that bans so-called "partial-birth" abortion following the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling last week that upheld a federal law (S 3) banning the procedure, the Washington Post reports (Markon, Washington Post, 4/24). The Supreme Court also ordered the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review the case of a Missouri law that bans partial-birth abortion, the AP/Kansas City Star reports (AP/Kansas City Star, 4/24). The 2003 Virginia law defined "partial-birth infanticide" as intentional vaginal delivery of an infant "for the purpose of performing an overt act that the person knows will kill the partially delivered, living infant" and established it as a felony. The Center for Reproductive Rights challenged the law on behalf of the Richmond Medical Center for Women and abortion provider William Fitzhugh. A three-judge panel of the 4th circuit court in June 2005 voted 2-1 to overturn the law because it lacked an exception to protect the health of pregnant women. The panel cited the 2000 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Stenberg v. Carhart, which struck down a similar Nebraska law for lacking a health exception (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 9/7/05). However, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy in the court's ruling last week to uphold the federal law wrote in the majority opinion that the "law need not give abortion doctors unfettered choice in the course of their medical practice," adding that "medical uncertainty over whether the act's prohibition creates significant health risks provides a sufficient basis to conclude ... that the act does not impose an undue burden" on women seeking abortion (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 4/19). According to the Post, legal experts familiar with the 4th circuit court on Monday said that the court is likely, but not certain, to reverse its previous decision. Under the court's rules, the same panel that voted to overturn the law in 2005 will review the decision (Washington Post, 4/24).
Missouri Law
Missouri's partial-birth abortion ban, which passed in 1999, says that individuals who cause "the death of a living infant ... by an overt act performed when the infant is partially born or born" could face charges equal to murder. The law has never been enforced. Planned Parenthood Federation of America argued that the law is unconstitutional and violates the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision, which effectively barred state abortion bans. U.S. District Judge Scott Wright in July 2004 ruled the law unconstitutional because it does not include an exception to protect the health of pregnant women. Wright also said that he based his decision on the Stenberg ruling. A three-judge panel of the 8th circuit court in November 2005 upheld Wright's ruling, saying the state had not provided any new evidence to contradict Stenberg (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 11/30/05). Scott Holste, a spokesperson for Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon (R), said Nixon planned to file a motion on Monday asking the court to lift the injunction against the state law, which would allow the law to take effect immediately. According to the AP/Star, physicians who violate the law could face up to two years in prison (AP/Kansas City Star, 4/24).
NPR's "Morning Edition" on Wednesday included a discussion with Nancy Northup, president of CRR, about the Supreme Court ruling and state abortion legislation (Montagne, "Morning Edition," 4/25). Audio of the segment is available online. "Morning Edition" on Thursday is scheduled to include a discussion with an abortion-rights opponent on similar topics.
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Perceived Social Standing May Influence Body Mass Index Of Adolescent Girls
The lower a teenage girl perceives herself to be on the social ladder the higher her likelihood of gaining weight for the subsequent 24 months of this perception seems to be, says an article in Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (JAMA/Archives).
The writers explain that the percentage of American adolescent girls who are classified as overweight has gone up from 14% in 1999 to 16% in 2004. "Children who are overweight experience many health complications but perceive the most immediate consequence of overweight to be social discrimination. To lessen this health and economic burden, it is important to identify factors that contribute to excess weight gain and the development of obesity."
Adina R. Lemeshow, S.M., Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Tobacco Control, and team looked at questionnaires that had been completed by 4,446 girls aged 12-18 years in 1999. In the questionnaires the girls reported their height, weight, TV watching habits, and diet. They also answered the following question "At the top of the ladder are the people in your school with the most respect and the highest standing. At the bottom are the people who no one respects and no one wants to hang around with. Where would you place yourself on the ladder?" Girls had to place themselves in a 10-rung ladder scale.
The researchers compared the girls who placed themselves in the top five rungs to those who perceived themselves to be in the bottom four.
In 1999, the average BMI (body mass index) of all the girls was 20.8; in 2001 it rose to 22.1. During those two years 11.7% (520) of the girls had a BMI increase of 2 units or more.
The researchers wrote "After adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, baseline BMI, diet, television viewing, depression, global and social self-esteem, menarche, height growth, mother's BMI and pretax household income, adolescent girls who placed themselves on the low end of the school subjective social status scale had a 69 percent increased odds of having a two-unit increase in BMI during the next two years compared with other girls."
The authors concluded "It is important that researchers consider physical, behavioral, environmental and socioemotional factors that might contribute to the rising prevalence of overweight in adolescents. Previous research suggests that emotional factors such as depression and low self-esteem and self-perception contribute to the burden of overweight in adolescents. Our study contributes to this body of literature in that, to our knowledge, it is the first to prospectively evaluate the relationship between subjective social status in the school community and change in BMI, and our findings suggest that low school subjective social status may be an important contributor to increases in BMI in girls over time."
Accompanying Editorial
Clea McNeely, M.A., Dr.P.H., and Robert Crosnoe, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, in an accompanying editorial, wrote "Despite the need for urgent action in the obesity epidemic, the health community's mixed history of success with peer interventions should serve as a story of caution for designing interventions based on incomplete understandings of how adolescents' health behaviors are shaped by their peers. Future adolescent health research, therefore, should seek to identify the specific ways that peers transmit health-related information and norms to each other in their everyday lives, either through face-to-face contact or through social networking activities on the Internet (e.g., MySpace). The study by Lemeshow and colleagues contributes to this knowledge base, which in the future can be used to consistently harness the power of peers to promote health."
"Subjective Social Status in the School and Change in Adiposity in Female Adolescents
Findings from a Prospective Cohort Study"
Adina R. Lemeshow, SM; Laurie Fisher, SM; Elizabeth Goodman, MD; Ichiro Kawachi, MD, PhD; Catherine S. Berkey, ScD; Graham A. Colditz, MD, DrPH
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162(1):23-28.
Click here to view abstract online
Editorial
"Social Status, Peer Influence, and Weight Gain in Adolescence. Promising Directions for Addressing the Obesity Epidemic"
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162(1):91-92.
Click here to see first 150 words of the Editorial online
The writers explain that the percentage of American adolescent girls who are classified as overweight has gone up from 14% in 1999 to 16% in 2004. "Children who are overweight experience many health complications but perceive the most immediate consequence of overweight to be social discrimination. To lessen this health and economic burden, it is important to identify factors that contribute to excess weight gain and the development of obesity."
Adina R. Lemeshow, S.M., Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Tobacco Control, and team looked at questionnaires that had been completed by 4,446 girls aged 12-18 years in 1999. In the questionnaires the girls reported their height, weight, TV watching habits, and diet. They also answered the following question "At the top of the ladder are the people in your school with the most respect and the highest standing. At the bottom are the people who no one respects and no one wants to hang around with. Where would you place yourself on the ladder?" Girls had to place themselves in a 10-rung ladder scale.
The researchers compared the girls who placed themselves in the top five rungs to those who perceived themselves to be in the bottom four.
In 1999, the average BMI (body mass index) of all the girls was 20.8; in 2001 it rose to 22.1. During those two years 11.7% (520) of the girls had a BMI increase of 2 units or more.
The researchers wrote "After adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, baseline BMI, diet, television viewing, depression, global and social self-esteem, menarche, height growth, mother's BMI and pretax household income, adolescent girls who placed themselves on the low end of the school subjective social status scale had a 69 percent increased odds of having a two-unit increase in BMI during the next two years compared with other girls."
The authors concluded "It is important that researchers consider physical, behavioral, environmental and socioemotional factors that might contribute to the rising prevalence of overweight in adolescents. Previous research suggests that emotional factors such as depression and low self-esteem and self-perception contribute to the burden of overweight in adolescents. Our study contributes to this body of literature in that, to our knowledge, it is the first to prospectively evaluate the relationship between subjective social status in the school community and change in BMI, and our findings suggest that low school subjective social status may be an important contributor to increases in BMI in girls over time."
Accompanying Editorial
Clea McNeely, M.A., Dr.P.H., and Robert Crosnoe, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, in an accompanying editorial, wrote "Despite the need for urgent action in the obesity epidemic, the health community's mixed history of success with peer interventions should serve as a story of caution for designing interventions based on incomplete understandings of how adolescents' health behaviors are shaped by their peers. Future adolescent health research, therefore, should seek to identify the specific ways that peers transmit health-related information and norms to each other in their everyday lives, either through face-to-face contact or through social networking activities on the Internet (e.g., MySpace). The study by Lemeshow and colleagues contributes to this knowledge base, which in the future can be used to consistently harness the power of peers to promote health."
"Subjective Social Status in the School and Change in Adiposity in Female Adolescents
Findings from a Prospective Cohort Study"
Adina R. Lemeshow, SM; Laurie Fisher, SM; Elizabeth Goodman, MD; Ichiro Kawachi, MD, PhD; Catherine S. Berkey, ScD; Graham A. Colditz, MD, DrPH
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162(1):23-28.
Click here to view abstract online
Editorial
"Social Status, Peer Influence, and Weight Gain in Adolescence. Promising Directions for Addressing the Obesity Epidemic"
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162(1):91-92.
Click here to see first 150 words of the Editorial online
Taking The Shame Out Of Pudendal Neuralgia
What could possibly be worse than struggling with a painful condition and feeling ashamed to discuss the problem because of its intimate nature? Such is the case for many suffering with pudendal neuralgia, a little known disease that affects one of the most sensitive areas of the body. This area is innervated by the pudendal nerve, named after the Latin word for shame.
Due to the location of the discomfort combined with inadequate knowledge, some physicians make reference to the pain as psychological. But nothing could be further from the truth. Unfortunately, discussing the condition with gynecologists, urologists and neurologists often proves fruitless since most know nothing about the condition and therefore cannot diagnose it.
What is Pudendal Neuralgia?
Pudendal neuralgia is a chronic and painful condition that occurs in both men and women, although studies reveal that about two-thirds of those with the disease are women. The primary symptom is pain in the genitals or the anal-rectal area and the immense discomfort is usually worse when sitting. The pain tends to move around in the pelvic area and can occur on one or both sides of the body. Sufferers describe the pain as burning, knife-like or aching, stabbing, pinching, twisting and even numbness.
These symptoms are usually accompanied by urinary problems, bowel problems and sexual dysfunction. Because the pudendal nerve is responsible for sexual pleasure and is one of the primary nerves related to orgasm, sexual activity is extremely painful, if not impossible for many pudendalites. When this nerve becomes damaged, irritated, or entrapped, and pudendal neuralgia sets in, life loses most of its pleasure.
Where is the pudendal nerve?
It lies deep in the pelvis and follows a path that comes from the sacral area and later separates into three branches, one going to the anal-rectal area, one to the perineum, and one to the penis or clitoris. Since there are slight anatomic variations with each person, a patient's symptoms can depend on which of the branches are affected, although often all three branches are involved. The fact that the pudendal nerve carries sensory, motor, and autonomic signals adds to the variety of symptoms that can be exhibited.
Diagnosis
Because pudendal neuralgia is uncommon and can be similar to other diseases, it is often misdiagnosed, leading some to have inappropriate and unnecessary surgery. Early in the diagnosis process, it is crucially important to undergo an MRI of the lumbar-sacral and pelvic regions to determine that no tumors or cysts are pressing on the nerve. In addition, the patient should be screened for possible infections or immune diseases, as well as having an evaluation by a pelvic floor physical therapist to determine the health of the pelvic floor muscles and to uncover whether skeletal alignment abnormalities exist. An accurate patient history is needed to assess whether there has been a trauma or an injury to the nerve from surgery, childbirth, or exercise. Tests that offer additional diagnostic clues include sensory testing, the pudendal nerve motor latency test, and electromyography. A nerve block that provides several hours of relief is another tool that helps to determine if the pudendal nerve is the source of pain.
Pudendal Neuralgia and Depression
One of the most common symptoms that accompanies pudendal neuralgia is severe depression. Some people with the disease have committed suicide due to the intractable pain. For that reason, it is important to consider antidepressants, as they can help lessen the hypersensitivity of the genital area in addition to relieving bladder problems. Certain anti-seizure drugs reportedly help to alleviate neuropathic pain while anti-anxiety drugs provide substantial relief of muscle spasms and assist with sleeping.
Uninformed physicians are reluctant to prescribe opiates for an illness that shows no visible abnormality, yet the desperate nature of genital nerve pain requires that opiates be prescribed for these patients. While medications are not always satisfactory, they do help take the edge off of the pain for many people. Until the correct treatment is determined, it is imperative that patients with pudendal neuralgia receive adequate pain management since the pain associated with this illness can be intense.
Treatment
Treatment depends on the cause of distress to the nerve. When the cause is not obvious patients are advised to try the least invasive and least risky therapies initially.
-- Physical therapy that includes myofascial release and trigger point therapy internally through the vagina or rectum assists with relaxing of the pelvic floor, especially if pelvic floor dysfunction is the cause of nerve irritation. If no improvement is found after six to twelve sessions, nerve damage or nerve entrapment might be considered.
-- Botox is now used in medical settings to relax muscles and shows promise when injected into pelvic floor muscles; though finding a physician adept at this treatment is difficult.
-- Pudendal nerve blocks using a long-acting analgesic and a steroid can reduce the nerve inflammation and are usually given in a series of three injections four to six weeks apart.
-- If physical therapy, Botox, and nerve injections fail to provide adequate relief, some patients opt for pudendal nerve decompression surgery.
There are three published approaches to pudendal nerve decompression surgery but there is debate among members of the pudendal nerve entrapment community as to which approach is the best. Since there are advantages and disadvantages to each approach, patients face considerable confusion when deciding which type of surgery to choose. Because there are only a handful of surgeons in the world who perform these surgeries, most patients have to travel long distances for help. Moreover, the recovery period is often painful and takes anywhere from six months to several years since nerves heal very slowly. Unfortunately, early statistics indicate that only 60 to 80 percent of surgeries are successful in offering at least a 50 percent improvement. Patients whose surgeries are not successful or who do not wish to pursue surgery have the option of trying an intrathecal pain pump which delivers pain medication locally and helps to avoid some of the side effects of oral medications. Others pursue the option of a neurostimulator either to the sacral area or directly to the pudendal nerves. These are relatively new therapies for pudendal neuralgia so it is difficult to predict success rates. Some pudendalites have devised ingenious contraptions for pain relief ranging from u-shaped cushions cut from garden pads all the way to balloons filled with water, frozen, and inserted into the vagina. Most have a favorite cushion for sitting and many have special computer set-ups for home and office use in order to avoid sitting. Generally speaking, jeans are a no-no, so patients revise their wardrobes to include baggy pants and baggy underwear - if they are able to tolerate wearing underwear.
Clearly more research is required to find effective methods to better manage the pain and debilitation of pudendal neuralgia. But in the meantime, friends and family close to those who have this devastating illness play a huge role in helping patients cope, thereby maintaining the best quality of life possible. Support, love and understanding are of primary importance for those suffering with this affliction.
: Ms. Violet Matthews
Ms. Violet Matthews has a Bachelor's degree in nursing and has been an active member of a Pudendal Neuralgia forum for 2 years. Having suffered with Pudendal Neuralgia, she has seen a 75% improvement in quality of life since her pudendal nerve decompression surgery in France two years ago. Married with two children, Ms. Matthews resides in Southwestern United States. You can usually find Violet at pudendalhope/forum/.
Further information is available at spuninfo or tipna/forum/index.php.
View drug information on Botox.
Due to the location of the discomfort combined with inadequate knowledge, some physicians make reference to the pain as psychological. But nothing could be further from the truth. Unfortunately, discussing the condition with gynecologists, urologists and neurologists often proves fruitless since most know nothing about the condition and therefore cannot diagnose it.
What is Pudendal Neuralgia?
Pudendal neuralgia is a chronic and painful condition that occurs in both men and women, although studies reveal that about two-thirds of those with the disease are women. The primary symptom is pain in the genitals or the anal-rectal area and the immense discomfort is usually worse when sitting. The pain tends to move around in the pelvic area and can occur on one or both sides of the body. Sufferers describe the pain as burning, knife-like or aching, stabbing, pinching, twisting and even numbness.
These symptoms are usually accompanied by urinary problems, bowel problems and sexual dysfunction. Because the pudendal nerve is responsible for sexual pleasure and is one of the primary nerves related to orgasm, sexual activity is extremely painful, if not impossible for many pudendalites. When this nerve becomes damaged, irritated, or entrapped, and pudendal neuralgia sets in, life loses most of its pleasure.
Where is the pudendal nerve?
It lies deep in the pelvis and follows a path that comes from the sacral area and later separates into three branches, one going to the anal-rectal area, one to the perineum, and one to the penis or clitoris. Since there are slight anatomic variations with each person, a patient's symptoms can depend on which of the branches are affected, although often all three branches are involved. The fact that the pudendal nerve carries sensory, motor, and autonomic signals adds to the variety of symptoms that can be exhibited.
Diagnosis
Because pudendal neuralgia is uncommon and can be similar to other diseases, it is often misdiagnosed, leading some to have inappropriate and unnecessary surgery. Early in the diagnosis process, it is crucially important to undergo an MRI of the lumbar-sacral and pelvic regions to determine that no tumors or cysts are pressing on the nerve. In addition, the patient should be screened for possible infections or immune diseases, as well as having an evaluation by a pelvic floor physical therapist to determine the health of the pelvic floor muscles and to uncover whether skeletal alignment abnormalities exist. An accurate patient history is needed to assess whether there has been a trauma or an injury to the nerve from surgery, childbirth, or exercise. Tests that offer additional diagnostic clues include sensory testing, the pudendal nerve motor latency test, and electromyography. A nerve block that provides several hours of relief is another tool that helps to determine if the pudendal nerve is the source of pain.
Pudendal Neuralgia and Depression
One of the most common symptoms that accompanies pudendal neuralgia is severe depression. Some people with the disease have committed suicide due to the intractable pain. For that reason, it is important to consider antidepressants, as they can help lessen the hypersensitivity of the genital area in addition to relieving bladder problems. Certain anti-seizure drugs reportedly help to alleviate neuropathic pain while anti-anxiety drugs provide substantial relief of muscle spasms and assist with sleeping.
Uninformed physicians are reluctant to prescribe opiates for an illness that shows no visible abnormality, yet the desperate nature of genital nerve pain requires that opiates be prescribed for these patients. While medications are not always satisfactory, they do help take the edge off of the pain for many people. Until the correct treatment is determined, it is imperative that patients with pudendal neuralgia receive adequate pain management since the pain associated with this illness can be intense.
Treatment
Treatment depends on the cause of distress to the nerve. When the cause is not obvious patients are advised to try the least invasive and least risky therapies initially.
-- Physical therapy that includes myofascial release and trigger point therapy internally through the vagina or rectum assists with relaxing of the pelvic floor, especially if pelvic floor dysfunction is the cause of nerve irritation. If no improvement is found after six to twelve sessions, nerve damage or nerve entrapment might be considered.
-- Botox is now used in medical settings to relax muscles and shows promise when injected into pelvic floor muscles; though finding a physician adept at this treatment is difficult.
-- Pudendal nerve blocks using a long-acting analgesic and a steroid can reduce the nerve inflammation and are usually given in a series of three injections four to six weeks apart.
-- If physical therapy, Botox, and nerve injections fail to provide adequate relief, some patients opt for pudendal nerve decompression surgery.
There are three published approaches to pudendal nerve decompression surgery but there is debate among members of the pudendal nerve entrapment community as to which approach is the best. Since there are advantages and disadvantages to each approach, patients face considerable confusion when deciding which type of surgery to choose. Because there are only a handful of surgeons in the world who perform these surgeries, most patients have to travel long distances for help. Moreover, the recovery period is often painful and takes anywhere from six months to several years since nerves heal very slowly. Unfortunately, early statistics indicate that only 60 to 80 percent of surgeries are successful in offering at least a 50 percent improvement. Patients whose surgeries are not successful or who do not wish to pursue surgery have the option of trying an intrathecal pain pump which delivers pain medication locally and helps to avoid some of the side effects of oral medications. Others pursue the option of a neurostimulator either to the sacral area or directly to the pudendal nerves. These are relatively new therapies for pudendal neuralgia so it is difficult to predict success rates. Some pudendalites have devised ingenious contraptions for pain relief ranging from u-shaped cushions cut from garden pads all the way to balloons filled with water, frozen, and inserted into the vagina. Most have a favorite cushion for sitting and many have special computer set-ups for home and office use in order to avoid sitting. Generally speaking, jeans are a no-no, so patients revise their wardrobes to include baggy pants and baggy underwear - if they are able to tolerate wearing underwear.
Clearly more research is required to find effective methods to better manage the pain and debilitation of pudendal neuralgia. But in the meantime, friends and family close to those who have this devastating illness play a huge role in helping patients cope, thereby maintaining the best quality of life possible. Support, love and understanding are of primary importance for those suffering with this affliction.
: Ms. Violet Matthews
Ms. Violet Matthews has a Bachelor's degree in nursing and has been an active member of a Pudendal Neuralgia forum for 2 years. Having suffered with Pudendal Neuralgia, she has seen a 75% improvement in quality of life since her pudendal nerve decompression surgery in France two years ago. Married with two children, Ms. Matthews resides in Southwestern United States. You can usually find Violet at pudendalhope/forum/.
Further information is available at spuninfo or tipna/forum/index.php.
View drug information on Botox.
Placebo Helps Improve Sexual Satisfaction In Women, Study Finds
Women who took a placebo during a clinical trial measuring sexual satisfaction experienced improvements in symptoms such as low sex drive, according to a study published in the September issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine, USA Today reports. The findings suggests that simply by taking action or feeling more hopeful about their sex lives, the women experienced improved satisfaction, the authors said.
View drug information on Cialis.
Researchers at the University of Texas-Austin Sexual Psychophysiology Laboratory used data collected during a clinical trial to test the erectile dysfunction drug Cialis in women. Of 50 women taking a placebo, one-third experienced more satisfying sex over a 12-week period in which they met with clinicians and completed questionnaires about their symptoms. The women involved in the study were in committed, stable relationships, and many were married.
Cindy Meston, a UTA psychology professor and co-author of the study, said decreased sex drive is normal for women in long-term relationships. Some women taking the placebo might have experienced more satisfaction because the trial gave them hope for improvement or because increased sexual activity led to more intimacy with their partners, Meston noted.
Measuring female sexual dysfunction and satisfaction can be difficult because it is largely based on a woman's own observations, Meston said. Andrea Bradford, co-author of the study, said, "Sexual dysfunction is, in a way, what a woman says it is." She said, "If she perceives herself to have low desire or difficulty having an orgasm, that's what we take," adding, "Changing how you approach the problem might in itself make a big difference" (Klinck, USA Today, 11/15).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families.
© 2010 National Partnership for Women & Families. All rights reserved.
View drug information on Cialis.
Planned Parenthood Supporters Urge Orange County, Calif., Board To Reinstate Sex Education Grant
Supporters of Planned Parenthood Orange and San Bernardino Counties are petitioning the Orange County, Calif., Board of Supervisors to reverse its March 10 decision to suspend a sex education grant to the organization, the Orange County Register reports. The board had voted unanimously to suspend the $291,788 grant after several board members said they opposed awarding grants to Planned Parenthood because its clinics perform abortions (Muir, Orange County Register, 4/7). Representatives for Planned Parenthood said the grant in question was not used to fund abortions. The grant was used to fund a sex education program that offers information about physiology, anatomy, sexually transmitted infections, birth control and abstinence (Hanley, Los Angeles Times, 4/8).
The Register reports that about 50 supporters from several groups attended the board's Tuesday meeting to urge supervisors to reinstate the grant. Carla Westfall, a representative for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said the group is "appalled" that members of the board presented "religious views as justification for rescinding an existing contract with a group that was providing a much needed public service and was doing it well." Allyson Sonenshine, president of the local Planned Parenthood board, presented a petition with more than 2,400 signatures in support of reinstating the grant. She said losing the grant will have a drastic impact on Planned Parenthood's health education programs in the county.
The supervisors did not address the issue because it was not on the agenda, and the board is not scheduled to reconvene for two weeks, the Register reports. County spokesperson Brooke De Baca said the county will not speculate on what could happen if the grant is never reconsidered. The Register reports that it is unclear whether the contract would be reinstated if the supervisors take no action or if it can remain suspended indefinitely (Orange County Register, 4/7).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
The Register reports that about 50 supporters from several groups attended the board's Tuesday meeting to urge supervisors to reinstate the grant. Carla Westfall, a representative for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said the group is "appalled" that members of the board presented "religious views as justification for rescinding an existing contract with a group that was providing a much needed public service and was doing it well." Allyson Sonenshine, president of the local Planned Parenthood board, presented a petition with more than 2,400 signatures in support of reinstating the grant. She said losing the grant will have a drastic impact on Planned Parenthood's health education programs in the county.
The supervisors did not address the issue because it was not on the agenda, and the board is not scheduled to reconvene for two weeks, the Register reports. County spokesperson Brooke De Baca said the county will not speculate on what could happen if the grant is never reconsidered. The Register reports that it is unclear whether the contract would be reinstated if the supervisors take no action or if it can remain suspended indefinitely (Orange County Register, 4/7).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
Top Ways Moms Can Pamper Themselves On Mother's Day
According to the California Teratogen Information Service (CTIS) Pregnancy Health Information Line, a statewide non-profit that educates women about exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding, about 80 percent of new moms experience what's known as the "baby blues." The baby blues typically affect a woman three to five days after giving birth and can last for up to ten days, with symptoms that include unexplained crying, irritability and sadness.
"Women with questions about depression during and after pregnancy are some of the most common callers to our information line," said Christina Chambers, PhD, MPH, professor of pediatrics and director of the CTIS Pregnancy Health Information Line, which is based at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. "That's why it's so important new moms take some time for themselves after giving birth and what better time to remind them of that than during Mother's Day," she added.
*Get outdoors, smell the flowers and enjoy the Spring - Have sun in your area? Boost your vitamin D with a 15 - 30 minute walk. "In one study, being outside for about 30 minutes in the peak day time produced 1000 I.U.'s of vitamin D," explained Sonia Alvarado, a CTIS Pregnancy Health Information Line supervising counselor. "Several studies, including a recent one out of Loyola University in Chicago, have suggested that Vitamin D lifts mood," she added.
- Sleep - We know this isn't easy for any new parent, however, getting quality sleep to help you focus on your needs, as well as the baby's, is crucial. According to Alvarado, a 2009 Norwegian study found sleep disturbances and subjective sleep quality were the aspects of sleep most strongly associated with depression shortly after a woman gave birth. "Difficulty falling or staying asleep even when the baby is sleeping is an important sign of depression or anxiety," added Katie P. Hirst, MD, a reproductive psychiatrist and director of the UC San Diego Health System Maternal Mental Health Clinic. "I encourage women with pregnancy or postpartum insomnia to talk to their health care provider."
- Speak your mind - "Please cook me dinner." "I need a night off." Reach out to your partner, girlfriends and sisters/brothers for help with your new baby, so you can get some rest or take time for yourself in general. If they can't watch the baby, they may be able to cook you a few meals, clean your house, massage your back or just keep you company.
- Take a mental vacation - A lot of new mothers simply can't get away. That doesn't mean you can't be creative! Take these steps for a mental vacation: Using all of your senses, close your eyes and visualize where you would like to be. For example, walking along a beach near the ocean. Smell the ocean. Feel the breeze on your face. Listen to the sounds of the waves. Practice meditation breathing. Taking five to 10 minutes a few times per day, can help you take a mental vacation from those baby blues.
While many new moms fall into the category of typical "baby blues," about 15 to 20 percent suffer from post-partum depression, which often carries more severe symptoms and requires immediate medical attention.
Source:
University of California, San Diego Health Sciences
"Women with questions about depression during and after pregnancy are some of the most common callers to our information line," said Christina Chambers, PhD, MPH, professor of pediatrics and director of the CTIS Pregnancy Health Information Line, which is based at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. "That's why it's so important new moms take some time for themselves after giving birth and what better time to remind them of that than during Mother's Day," she added.
*Get outdoors, smell the flowers and enjoy the Spring - Have sun in your area? Boost your vitamin D with a 15 - 30 minute walk. "In one study, being outside for about 30 minutes in the peak day time produced 1000 I.U.'s of vitamin D," explained Sonia Alvarado, a CTIS Pregnancy Health Information Line supervising counselor. "Several studies, including a recent one out of Loyola University in Chicago, have suggested that Vitamin D lifts mood," she added.
- Sleep - We know this isn't easy for any new parent, however, getting quality sleep to help you focus on your needs, as well as the baby's, is crucial. According to Alvarado, a 2009 Norwegian study found sleep disturbances and subjective sleep quality were the aspects of sleep most strongly associated with depression shortly after a woman gave birth. "Difficulty falling or staying asleep even when the baby is sleeping is an important sign of depression or anxiety," added Katie P. Hirst, MD, a reproductive psychiatrist and director of the UC San Diego Health System Maternal Mental Health Clinic. "I encourage women with pregnancy or postpartum insomnia to talk to their health care provider."
- Speak your mind - "Please cook me dinner." "I need a night off." Reach out to your partner, girlfriends and sisters/brothers for help with your new baby, so you can get some rest or take time for yourself in general. If they can't watch the baby, they may be able to cook you a few meals, clean your house, massage your back or just keep you company.
- Take a mental vacation - A lot of new mothers simply can't get away. That doesn't mean you can't be creative! Take these steps for a mental vacation: Using all of your senses, close your eyes and visualize where you would like to be. For example, walking along a beach near the ocean. Smell the ocean. Feel the breeze on your face. Listen to the sounds of the waves. Practice meditation breathing. Taking five to 10 minutes a few times per day, can help you take a mental vacation from those baby blues.
While many new moms fall into the category of typical "baby blues," about 15 to 20 percent suffer from post-partum depression, which often carries more severe symptoms and requires immediate medical attention.
Source:
University of California, San Diego Health Sciences
Physicians In Clinics With Religious Affiliations Less Likely To Prescribe EC Than Those In Nonreligious-Affiliated Clinics
Physicians working in hospitals or clinics without religious affiliations are more likely than physicians working in religious-affiliated facilities to prescribe emergency contraception, which can prevent pregnancy if taken up to 72 hours after sexual intercourse, according to research published in the American Journal of Public Health, Reuters Health reports. Linda Prine of Albert Einstein College of Medicine and colleagues surveyed faculty, residents and nurse practitioners working in six residency programs, three of which were affiliated with the Catholic Church. The researchers created nine scenarios -- including whether participants would prescribe EC to a woman seeking a pregnancy test who is not pregnant and not using contraception; if they would prescribe EC over the phone; and whether they refill EC prescriptions. According to researchers, in seven of the nine situations, health workers in nonreligious-affiliated facilities more readily prescribed EC than those working in religious-affiliated facilities. The findings also show that 10.4% of providers in religious-affiliated institutions said that during a routine exam they "all or some of the time" would prescribe EC to women who were not using a continuous method of birth control, compared with 41.7% of those in nonreligious-affiliated practices. About one in four providers at religious-affiliated institutions said they encouraged women to fill EC prescriptions, compared with nearly half of health care providers in nonreligious-affiliated facilities, according to the findings. "[T]he real take-home message is this medication needs to be over the counter because physicians are not doing a good job of getting it out there," Prine said. According to Prine and her colleagues, "This survey demonstrates that religious affiliation clearly creates a deterrent to prescribing emergency contraception in a wide range of clinical scenarios. For women as consumers, they need to be wary of the affiliation of the offices where they get their medical care" (Harding, Reuters Health, 8/15).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Vitamin D Repletion Does Not Alter Urinary Calcium Excretion In Healthy Postmenopausal Women
UroToday - Vitamin D needs, especially in the northern latitudes where direct sunlight is unavailable for much of the year, are currently under scrutiny by members of both the scientific and medical communities. Vitamin D primarily plays a role in regulating calcium absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. However, epidemiologic and laboratory studies support the notion that vitamin D might play a role in chemoprevention - particularly of cancers of the colon, breast, ovarian, and prostate (Garland et al., Am J Public Health 2006;96:252-61) - immune modulation and prevention of certain autoimmune disorders (Cantorna et al., Exp Biol Med 2004;229:1136-1142), promoting bone integrity and preserving muscle mass (Montero-Odasso et al., Mol Aspects Med 2005;26:203-19), cardiovascular disease prevention (Wang et al., Circulation 2008;117:503-11), and prevention of all-cause mortality (Melamed et al., Arch Intern Med 2008;168:1629-37).
Current vitamin D recommendations too low? The current recommended intake values for vitamin D were established in 1997 by the Institute of Medicine of The National Academies, which is responsible for publishing The Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs), a set of nutrient recommendations for >40 essential macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals based on age, gender, and lifestage.
In light of mounting evidence of both the frequency of low vitamin D status and newly-appreciated roles for vitamin D, and following pleas from such organizations as the Canadian Pediatric Society, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, a review of vitamin D needs was initiated earlier this year. The anticipated outcome of this review is 2010, at which time new recommendations for vitamin D are expected.
To dose or not to dose: that is the question. As a growing number of individuals are reportedly supplementing with vitamin D in an effort to protect against various sequelae related to vitamin D insufficiency, it seems imperative to determine whether this practice should be recommended in calcium stone formers, especially as they may suffer from some of the same comorbidities purported to be managed with vitamin D intakes above the current recommendations.
For many years, calcium stone formers have been instructed to avoid vitamin D supplementation for fear that it may contribute to or exacerbate hypercalciuria. However, data supporting this recommendation are scarce. We ascertained the safety of vitamin D repletion in vitamin D insufficient post-menopausal women with respect to 24-h urinary calcium excretion. We undertook this evaluation as a first step towards the planning and implementation of a vitamin D repletion/supplementation study in stone formers.
Vitamin D repletion did not alter urinary calcium excretion. Calcium absorption increased nominally (3%, p = 0.04) in post-menopausal women after vitamin D repletion with 50,000 IU ergocalciferol daily for 15 days, without a change in urinary calcium excretion. Such data suggest that vitamin D repletion might also be safe in calcium stone formers with and without hypercalciuria.
While post-menopausal women carry a higher risk for urolithiasis than younger women and are thus a good model for urolithiasis research, the safety of higher vitamin D intakes in stone formers should be rigorously assessed. This information is crucial if we are to make evidence-based recommendations about vitamin D to calcium stone formers, especially if vitamin D recommendations are increased, as is expected, within the next year.
Kristina L. Penniston, PhD, and Karen E. Hansen, MD as part of Beyond the Abstract on UroToday.
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Current vitamin D recommendations too low? The current recommended intake values for vitamin D were established in 1997 by the Institute of Medicine of The National Academies, which is responsible for publishing The Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs), a set of nutrient recommendations for >40 essential macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals based on age, gender, and lifestage.
In light of mounting evidence of both the frequency of low vitamin D status and newly-appreciated roles for vitamin D, and following pleas from such organizations as the Canadian Pediatric Society, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, a review of vitamin D needs was initiated earlier this year. The anticipated outcome of this review is 2010, at which time new recommendations for vitamin D are expected.
To dose or not to dose: that is the question. As a growing number of individuals are reportedly supplementing with vitamin D in an effort to protect against various sequelae related to vitamin D insufficiency, it seems imperative to determine whether this practice should be recommended in calcium stone formers, especially as they may suffer from some of the same comorbidities purported to be managed with vitamin D intakes above the current recommendations.
For many years, calcium stone formers have been instructed to avoid vitamin D supplementation for fear that it may contribute to or exacerbate hypercalciuria. However, data supporting this recommendation are scarce. We ascertained the safety of vitamin D repletion in vitamin D insufficient post-menopausal women with respect to 24-h urinary calcium excretion. We undertook this evaluation as a first step towards the planning and implementation of a vitamin D repletion/supplementation study in stone formers.
Vitamin D repletion did not alter urinary calcium excretion. Calcium absorption increased nominally (3%, p = 0.04) in post-menopausal women after vitamin D repletion with 50,000 IU ergocalciferol daily for 15 days, without a change in urinary calcium excretion. Such data suggest that vitamin D repletion might also be safe in calcium stone formers with and without hypercalciuria.
While post-menopausal women carry a higher risk for urolithiasis than younger women and are thus a good model for urolithiasis research, the safety of higher vitamin D intakes in stone formers should be rigorously assessed. This information is crucial if we are to make evidence-based recommendations about vitamin D to calcium stone formers, especially if vitamin D recommendations are increased, as is expected, within the next year.
Kristina L. Penniston, PhD, and Karen E. Hansen, MD as part of Beyond the Abstract on UroToday.
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Childhood Gynecological Surgeries Have Higher Error Rates, Study Finds
Girls who have gynecological surgeries have four times the risk of having surgical objects left inside them, compared with children who have other surgeries, according to a study published in the Archives of Surgery, MyHealthNewsDaily/MSNBC reports. Although cases of surgical objects being left inside children are rare, the study's findings suggest that some procedures -- such as ovarian cyst removal -- carry a higher risk.
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center analyzed more than 1.9 million U.S. hospital records of surgeries on children from 1988 to 2005. Cases of foreign objects left in a child's body occurred in 0.02% of the surgeries, or 413 cases. Most of the errors, 21.5%, occurred during gastrointestinal surgeries. However, the rate of errors was much higher among pediatric gynecological surgeries at 0.96 errors per 1,000 patients, compared with 0.13 errors per 1,000 gastrointestinal patients.
Although having foreign objects left inside the body did not increase the death rate, children who experience these medical errors spent an average of eight more days in the hospital. They also accumulated more than $35,000 in additional hospital charges than children who did not experience errors.
Study researcher Fizan Abdullah said more frequent errors occurred in gynecological surgeries "because of the anatomic considerations in that part of the body." He said the pelvic area includes more difficult-to-reach areas where surgeons are more likely to lose objects, such as sponges or small instruments. Hospital protocols, such as having staff count sponges and instruments, can help prevent such errors (Rettner, MyHealthNewsDaily/MSNBC, 11/15).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families.
© 2010 National Partnership for Women & Families. All rights reserved.
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