3500 20- to 24-year-old women from Troms?? and Hamar in Norway were offered free hormonal contraception for a year. The result was that the abortion rate in the trial cities was halved.
The project came to an end in December 2009, and the results obtained by the SINTEF Technology and Society scientists were quite clear:
The abortion rate in the trial cities was halved, and the women involved were very happy to be given free contraception of this sort, according to the project manager, research manager Anita Oren.
The project was carried out on behalf of the Directorate of Health.
Abortion rate rising throughout the country
In 2002, Norwegian women aged between 16 and 19 were offered free hormone-based contraception. Abortion rates fell dramatically and reached their lowest level in 2005. In 2006, after the authorities modified the scheme and introduced part-payment for hormonal contraception, the number of terminations among this age-group began to rise once more. Since then, the abortion rate among 16- to 19-year-olds has risen every year.
Women aged 20 to 24 have the highest number of abortions, and this rate has risen steadily in the course of the past few years. The study demonstrates that when women in this age-group are offered gratis contraception, their abortion rate also falls.
More continuous use
The results demonstrate that Norwegian women are efficient users of contraception. No fewer than 93 percent of them say that they have used hormonal contraception in the course of their lives.
The study also shows that the actual number of women using hormonal contraception tended not to increase in the course of the study. However, the women in the trial municipalities who were offered gratis contraception used with fewer breaks in use.
The women in the study claimed that an important reason for their continuous use was that the hormonal contraception was free They themselves said that they tend to leave of contraception when they are less well-off," says ??ren. The researchers also looked at how the contraceptives were picked up from chemists', both before and during the study period. The figure clearly showed that users picked up their contraception more often during the period when it was free.
"The offer of free hormonal contraception doe not necessarily lead to more users, but to more frequent use," says ??ren. If the aim is to reduce the number of terminations, the project shows that the offer of free hormonal contraception can be an effective measure. It is also what women themselves say that they want," she adds.
Twice as much use of long-term methods of contraception
In the cities involved in the trial, the use of long-term methods of contraception such as hormonal spirals and IUDs/implants more than doubled. These methods work continuously for three to five years and provide the best protection against undesired pregnancy. As a one-off investment, however, they are regarded as more expensive alternatives to the "Pill".
"Women themselves say that they are very pleased to have the freedom to choose the type of product they prefer, irrespective of price," says ??ren.
Facts about the contraceptive study:
The cities covered by the trial were Troms?? and Hamar, while the control cities were Bod?? and Porsgrunn.
-- Women from 20 - 24 years of age were offered free contraception between May 2008 and May 2009.
-- A questionnaire was distributed to 20- to 24-year-old women, both before the start of the trial and after it had finished.
-- The methods of contraception covered by the offer included contraceptive pills, mini-pills, contraceptive injections, skin patches, vaginal rings, IUDs, implants, hormone spirals and copper spirals.
-- Women aged between 20 and 24 have the highest rate of abortions in Norway.
Source: SINTEF
понедельник, 27 февраля 2012 г.
понедельник, 20 февраля 2012 г.
Marital Sex Single Greatest HIV Risk For Women Around The World
For a growing number of women in rural Mexico - and around the world - marital sex represents their single greatest risk for HIV infection. According to a new Mailman School of Public Health Study, because marital infidelity by men is so deeply ingrained across many cultures, existing HIV prevention programs are putting a growing number of women at risk of developing the HIV virus. The findings, indicating that globally, prevention programs that take a "just say no" approach and encourage men to be monogamous are unlikely to be effective, underline the need for programs that make extramarital sex safer, rather than - unrealistically - trying to eradicate it. These findings are published in the June 2007 issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
The article's lead author, Jennifer S. Hirsch, PhD, associate professor of Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, is principal investigator on a large comparative study showing that the inevitability of men's infidelity in marriage is true across cultures. This was borne out in the research conducted in rural Mexico as well as in similar studies she is overseeing in rural New Guinea and southeastern Nigeria, which are published in the same issue of the American Journal of Public Health. Two additional studies underway, in Uganda and Vietnam, are expected to show similar results.
The Mexico study was based on six months of anthropological research, including participant observation, 20 marital case studies, 37 key informant interviews, and document analysis to explore the factors that shape HIV risk among married women in Degollado, one of the Mexico's rural communities.
In rural Mexico, reputation is a critical aspect of sexual identity, and attention to reputation provides insight into why people act in ways that are socially safer, but physically risky. "What we found in our research was that culturally constructed notions of reputation in this community led to sexual behavior designed to minimize men's social, rather than viral, risks," said Dr. Hirsch. "We also saw that men's desire for companionate intimacy actually increases women's risk for HIV infection."
A major factor in the study was that married men in the community left their homes to travel to the United States or large Mexican cities to find work. While away for long periods, they engaged in extra-marital and unsafe sex, which can lead to HIV infection. When men return home, they are said to be on honeymoon again, which includes resuming marital sexual relations.
"The result is that women are infected by their husbands, the very people with whom they are supposed to be having sex and, according to social conventions of Mexico, the only people with whom they are ever supposed to have sex," said Dr. Hirsch. "This challenges existing approaches to HIV prevention. It renders abstinence impossible and unilateral monogamy ineffective. Marital condom use is also not a serious option, because of women's deep, culturally supported commitment to the fiction of fidelity."
In New Guinea, researchers also saw labor migration as a major contributor to infidelity. Moreover, many men did not view sexual fidelity as necessary for achieving a happy marriage, but they viewed drinking and "looking for women" as important for male friendships.
In the Nigerian study, the social organization of infidelity was shaped by economic inequality, aspirations for modern lifestyles, gender disparities, and contradictory moralities. There, it is men's anxieties and ambivalence about masculinity, sexual morality, and social reputation in the context of seeking modern lifestyles - rather than immoral sexual behavior and traditional culture - that exacerbate the risks of HIV/AIDS.
According to Dr. Hirsch, the policy implications of these findings are clear. "This study has direct implications for the types of prevention programs we should be supporting," she observes. "We might find men's persistent and widespread participation extramarital sex to be troubling - but it's a deeply rooted aspect of social organization, and one that is unlikely to be easily changed. Public health programs alone can't stop extramarital sex, so we need to think about how to reduce the risk. Saying that 'be faithful' will protect married women is not true - unilateral monogamy is not an effective prevention strategy."
About the Mailman School of Public Health
The only accredited school of public health in New York City, and among the first in the nation, Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health provides instruction and research opportunities to more than 950 graduate students in pursuit of masters and doctoral degrees. Its students and more than 300 multi-disciplinary faculty engage in research and service in the city, nation, and around the world, concentrating on biostatistics, environmental health sciences, epidemiology, health policy and management, population and family health, and sociomedical sciences. mailman.hslumbia.edu/
Contact: Stephanie Berger
Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
The article's lead author, Jennifer S. Hirsch, PhD, associate professor of Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, is principal investigator on a large comparative study showing that the inevitability of men's infidelity in marriage is true across cultures. This was borne out in the research conducted in rural Mexico as well as in similar studies she is overseeing in rural New Guinea and southeastern Nigeria, which are published in the same issue of the American Journal of Public Health. Two additional studies underway, in Uganda and Vietnam, are expected to show similar results.
The Mexico study was based on six months of anthropological research, including participant observation, 20 marital case studies, 37 key informant interviews, and document analysis to explore the factors that shape HIV risk among married women in Degollado, one of the Mexico's rural communities.
In rural Mexico, reputation is a critical aspect of sexual identity, and attention to reputation provides insight into why people act in ways that are socially safer, but physically risky. "What we found in our research was that culturally constructed notions of reputation in this community led to sexual behavior designed to minimize men's social, rather than viral, risks," said Dr. Hirsch. "We also saw that men's desire for companionate intimacy actually increases women's risk for HIV infection."
A major factor in the study was that married men in the community left their homes to travel to the United States or large Mexican cities to find work. While away for long periods, they engaged in extra-marital and unsafe sex, which can lead to HIV infection. When men return home, they are said to be on honeymoon again, which includes resuming marital sexual relations.
"The result is that women are infected by their husbands, the very people with whom they are supposed to be having sex and, according to social conventions of Mexico, the only people with whom they are ever supposed to have sex," said Dr. Hirsch. "This challenges existing approaches to HIV prevention. It renders abstinence impossible and unilateral monogamy ineffective. Marital condom use is also not a serious option, because of women's deep, culturally supported commitment to the fiction of fidelity."
In New Guinea, researchers also saw labor migration as a major contributor to infidelity. Moreover, many men did not view sexual fidelity as necessary for achieving a happy marriage, but they viewed drinking and "looking for women" as important for male friendships.
In the Nigerian study, the social organization of infidelity was shaped by economic inequality, aspirations for modern lifestyles, gender disparities, and contradictory moralities. There, it is men's anxieties and ambivalence about masculinity, sexual morality, and social reputation in the context of seeking modern lifestyles - rather than immoral sexual behavior and traditional culture - that exacerbate the risks of HIV/AIDS.
According to Dr. Hirsch, the policy implications of these findings are clear. "This study has direct implications for the types of prevention programs we should be supporting," she observes. "We might find men's persistent and widespread participation extramarital sex to be troubling - but it's a deeply rooted aspect of social organization, and one that is unlikely to be easily changed. Public health programs alone can't stop extramarital sex, so we need to think about how to reduce the risk. Saying that 'be faithful' will protect married women is not true - unilateral monogamy is not an effective prevention strategy."
About the Mailman School of Public Health
The only accredited school of public health in New York City, and among the first in the nation, Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health provides instruction and research opportunities to more than 950 graduate students in pursuit of masters and doctoral degrees. Its students and more than 300 multi-disciplinary faculty engage in research and service in the city, nation, and around the world, concentrating on biostatistics, environmental health sciences, epidemiology, health policy and management, population and family health, and sociomedical sciences. mailman.hslumbia.edu/
Contact: Stephanie Berger
Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
понедельник, 13 февраля 2012 г.
Female Survivors Take Action Against A Cancer Deadlier Than Cervical Cancer By Launching The American Bladder Cancer Society
Bladder cancer survivors and caregivers will be celebrating the 4th of July with a renewed spirit and new purpose this year. They have banded together to raise awareness of this forgotten cancer, and will officially launch the American Bladder Cancer Society (ABLCS). Reminding Americans that bladder cancer now has a group of dedicated champions throughout the country fighting to save lives, finding a cure, and creating awareness.
Leading the efforts of this not-for-profit cancer society are:
-- Cynthia Kinsella, president, a 4 year survivor who resides in Massachusetts;
-- Sylvia Ramsey-Rezner, vice-president, 13 year survivor who resides in Georgia
-- Karen Greene, director, an 8 year survivor who resides in New York
According to President, Cynthia Kinsella, "The organization is actively reaching out across America, and is establishing a virtual community through its web site bladdercancersupport that is dedicated to raising awareness, and providing advocacy and support to those diagnosed with bladder cancer, and their care givers."
The members of this too often forgotten bladder cancer community, are coming together after a long and sometimes painful journey, but one also connected by each survivor's spirit of hope and dedication to making a difference in the lives of others. They are committed to sending up the flares, turning up the volume, and reaching out to provide hope and an active community where no one with the diagnosis of bladder cancer, or their caregivers, will face the isolation they experienced.
About Bladder Cancer
According to the National Cancer Institute, the prevalence of bladder cancer in the United States has surpassed that of lung cancer. This cancer is linked to smoking and occupational exposure to chemicals, yet if detected early, is very treatable and can have almost a 95% survival rate. In women, bladder cancer is about as prevalent as cervical and ovarian cancer.
Women should particularly be aware of the risks and signs of bladder cancer. Women account for 1 out of 4 newly diagnosed bladder malignancies and 1 out of 3 deaths from bladder cancer annually. A greater percentage of women are diagnosed at a later stage of the disease, resulting in a reduced 10 year survival rate compared to men.
Bladder Cancer Facts:
-- Total women diagnosed with cervical cancer yearly 11,070, deaths 3,870
-- Total women diagnosed with bladder cancer yearly 17,580, deaths 4,150
-- Total Men diagnosed with Colon cancer 53,760
-- Total Men diagnosed with urinary bladder cancer 51,230.
-- Bladder cancer is most common in men over 65 years.
-- It is the second most common urologic malignancy.
-- It is the fifth most common cancer in the United States with an estimated 68,810 new cases in 2008; and an estimated 14,100 deaths in 2008.
-- Men have four times a higher incidence of bladder cancer than women, and it is the fourth leading cause of cancer in men.
-- Women have a higher mortality rate because they are generally diagnosed in later stages of the disease.
-- Firefighters are particularly at risk, with a two times greater incidence than the general population.
-- Bladder cancer has the highest rate of recurrence of any cancer, including skin cancer, with a 50-85 percent recurrence within 6-12 months.
The risk factors for bladder cancer:
-- Smoking
-- Exposure to smoke and carcinogens
-- Occupational exposure to chemicals and dyes
-- Family history
An important symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine (called hematuria), as well as urinary burning and frequency. These symptoms should not be ignored. Between 20 and 25 percent of bladder cancers are first diagnosed after they have reached the invasive stage, making them much harder to treat successfully.
About the American Bladder Cancer Society
The American Bladder Cancer Society's function is to raise awareness of bladder cancer among the general public and the medical community, to advocate for the advancement of research into a cure, treatment, early diagnosis, and quality of life issues of survivors, to support bladder cancer survivors by providing community as well as by encouraging the concept of informed medical consumerism.
There are over 500,000 bladder cancer survivors each year in the United States, and yet there is little, if any support, there are no celebrities leading campaigns to make the public aware, or to assist with fundraising efforts. That is the reason the American Bladder Cancer Society's logo has the words, "Forget Us Not".
The American Bladder Cancer Society was incorporated in the state of Massachusetts as a non-profit corporation on February 26, 2008. For more information consult its website at bladdercancersupport . According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men and the eighth in women, with more than 68,000 new cases per year, and 14,000 deaths annually in the United States. Women have a higher mortality rate because they are generally diagnosed in later stages of the disease. Bladder cancer prevalence in women is similar to cervical cancer.
Bladder cancer has the highest rate of reoccurrence of any cancer, including skin cancer, with a 50 to 85 percent recurrence rate. Among U.S. males, there are almost as many new cases of bladder cancer reported each year as colon cancer in men.
American Bladder Cancer Society
Leading the efforts of this not-for-profit cancer society are:
-- Cynthia Kinsella, president, a 4 year survivor who resides in Massachusetts;
-- Sylvia Ramsey-Rezner, vice-president, 13 year survivor who resides in Georgia
-- Karen Greene, director, an 8 year survivor who resides in New York
According to President, Cynthia Kinsella, "The organization is actively reaching out across America, and is establishing a virtual community through its web site bladdercancersupport that is dedicated to raising awareness, and providing advocacy and support to those diagnosed with bladder cancer, and their care givers."
The members of this too often forgotten bladder cancer community, are coming together after a long and sometimes painful journey, but one also connected by each survivor's spirit of hope and dedication to making a difference in the lives of others. They are committed to sending up the flares, turning up the volume, and reaching out to provide hope and an active community where no one with the diagnosis of bladder cancer, or their caregivers, will face the isolation they experienced.
About Bladder Cancer
According to the National Cancer Institute, the prevalence of bladder cancer in the United States has surpassed that of lung cancer. This cancer is linked to smoking and occupational exposure to chemicals, yet if detected early, is very treatable and can have almost a 95% survival rate. In women, bladder cancer is about as prevalent as cervical and ovarian cancer.
Women should particularly be aware of the risks and signs of bladder cancer. Women account for 1 out of 4 newly diagnosed bladder malignancies and 1 out of 3 deaths from bladder cancer annually. A greater percentage of women are diagnosed at a later stage of the disease, resulting in a reduced 10 year survival rate compared to men.
Bladder Cancer Facts:
-- Total women diagnosed with cervical cancer yearly 11,070, deaths 3,870
-- Total women diagnosed with bladder cancer yearly 17,580, deaths 4,150
-- Total Men diagnosed with Colon cancer 53,760
-- Total Men diagnosed with urinary bladder cancer 51,230.
-- Bladder cancer is most common in men over 65 years.
-- It is the second most common urologic malignancy.
-- It is the fifth most common cancer in the United States with an estimated 68,810 new cases in 2008; and an estimated 14,100 deaths in 2008.
-- Men have four times a higher incidence of bladder cancer than women, and it is the fourth leading cause of cancer in men.
-- Women have a higher mortality rate because they are generally diagnosed in later stages of the disease.
-- Firefighters are particularly at risk, with a two times greater incidence than the general population.
-- Bladder cancer has the highest rate of recurrence of any cancer, including skin cancer, with a 50-85 percent recurrence within 6-12 months.
The risk factors for bladder cancer:
-- Smoking
-- Exposure to smoke and carcinogens
-- Occupational exposure to chemicals and dyes
-- Family history
An important symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine (called hematuria), as well as urinary burning and frequency. These symptoms should not be ignored. Between 20 and 25 percent of bladder cancers are first diagnosed after they have reached the invasive stage, making them much harder to treat successfully.
About the American Bladder Cancer Society
The American Bladder Cancer Society's function is to raise awareness of bladder cancer among the general public and the medical community, to advocate for the advancement of research into a cure, treatment, early diagnosis, and quality of life issues of survivors, to support bladder cancer survivors by providing community as well as by encouraging the concept of informed medical consumerism.
There are over 500,000 bladder cancer survivors each year in the United States, and yet there is little, if any support, there are no celebrities leading campaigns to make the public aware, or to assist with fundraising efforts. That is the reason the American Bladder Cancer Society's logo has the words, "Forget Us Not".
The American Bladder Cancer Society was incorporated in the state of Massachusetts as a non-profit corporation on February 26, 2008. For more information consult its website at bladdercancersupport . According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men and the eighth in women, with more than 68,000 new cases per year, and 14,000 deaths annually in the United States. Women have a higher mortality rate because they are generally diagnosed in later stages of the disease. Bladder cancer prevalence in women is similar to cervical cancer.
Bladder cancer has the highest rate of reoccurrence of any cancer, including skin cancer, with a 50 to 85 percent recurrence rate. Among U.S. males, there are almost as many new cases of bladder cancer reported each year as colon cancer in men.
American Bladder Cancer Society
понедельник, 6 февраля 2012 г.
Calcium, Vitamin D Supplements May Help Prevent Weight Gain In Postmenopausal Women
Postmenopausal women who take
calcium and vitamin D supplements may gain less weight than those who do
not, although the overall effect is small, according to a report authored
by a Kaiser Permanente research scientist and featured in the May 14, 2007
edition of Archives of Internal Medicine.
The study included 36,282 postmenopausal women ages 50 to 79 years who
were enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative clinical trial. It found
that those who took daily calcium and vitamin D supplements over a
seven-year period weighed an average 0.28 pounds less, and were less likely
to gain weight than women who received placebos.
The greatest benefits were seen in women who began the study with
inadequate calcium intakes -- those consuming less than the current
recommendation of 1,200 mg of calcium per day. These women were found to be
11 percent less likely to experience small weight gains (2.2 to 6.6 pounds)
after three years, and 11 percent less likely to gain more moderate amounts
of weight (more than 6.6 pounds).
"While this study shows that calcium and vitamin D supplements appear
to have some small benefits when it comes to controlling weight, women
clearly should continue practicing the basic tenets of weight management --
that is monitoring calories in their diets and getting at least 30 minutes
of physical activity a day," said lead author Bette Caan, DrPH, a senior
epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente's Division of Research in Oakland,
Calif. "Further research may be warranted to address the effect of calcium
and vitamin D supplementation combined with caloric restriction and
physical activity on weight gain prevention."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the
percentage of women ages 50 to 79 who are obese increased by nearly 50
percent in the 1990s.
Dr. Caan noted that age-related changes in body composition, metabolic
factors and hormone levels, combined with declines in physical activity,
are all factors that can contribute to weight gain and obesity as women
age.
"We know that preventing weight gain is likely to have significant
health benefits for middle-aged women, so early to middle menopause may be
a critical period for women to effectively manage their weight," she said.
Previous studies have shown some evidence that calcium and vitamin D
supplements, as well as foods rich in these nutrients, may play a role in
effective weight management. One explanation is that calcium and vitamin D
work together to regulate metabolism. In addition, calcium may help
decrease fatty acid absorption in the intestine.
Dr. Caan said the latest study findings do not justify altering current
dietary recommendations, and that postmenopausal women should continue to
be advised to consume 1,200 mg a day of calcium as recommended by the Food
and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences.
Study participants were already enrolled in the dietary modification
and/or hormone therapy arms of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), a long-
term clinical trial launched in 1991 by the National Institutes of Health
to address the most common causes of death, disability and impaired quality
of life in postmenopausal women.
Women were randomized at their first or second year annual visit to
receive a dose of 1,000 mg of calcium plus 400 international units (IU) of
vitamin D supplements or placebo in a study initially designed to test
whether these supplements would reduce the incidence of hip fractures and
colorectal cancer. That study found that the supplements slowed loss of
bone density over a seven-year period, but were associated with
non-significant lower rates of hip fractures, and were not found to be
effective in preventing colorectal cancer in healthy postmenopausal women.
The latest study is believed to be the largest double-blind, placebo-
controlled clinical trial to report the effects of calcium and vitamin D
supplementation on weight change. It was funded by the National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health.
The Kaiser Permanente Division of Research conducts, publishes, and
disseminates epidemiologic and health services research to improve the
health and medical care of Kaiser Permanente members and the society at
large. It seeks to understand the determinants of illness and well being
and to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of health care.
Currently, the center's 400-plus staff is working on more than 250
epidemiological and health services research projects.
Kaiser Permanente
kaiserpermanente
calcium and vitamin D supplements may gain less weight than those who do
not, although the overall effect is small, according to a report authored
by a Kaiser Permanente research scientist and featured in the May 14, 2007
edition of Archives of Internal Medicine.
The study included 36,282 postmenopausal women ages 50 to 79 years who
were enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative clinical trial. It found
that those who took daily calcium and vitamin D supplements over a
seven-year period weighed an average 0.28 pounds less, and were less likely
to gain weight than women who received placebos.
The greatest benefits were seen in women who began the study with
inadequate calcium intakes -- those consuming less than the current
recommendation of 1,200 mg of calcium per day. These women were found to be
11 percent less likely to experience small weight gains (2.2 to 6.6 pounds)
after three years, and 11 percent less likely to gain more moderate amounts
of weight (more than 6.6 pounds).
"While this study shows that calcium and vitamin D supplements appear
to have some small benefits when it comes to controlling weight, women
clearly should continue practicing the basic tenets of weight management --
that is monitoring calories in their diets and getting at least 30 minutes
of physical activity a day," said lead author Bette Caan, DrPH, a senior
epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente's Division of Research in Oakland,
Calif. "Further research may be warranted to address the effect of calcium
and vitamin D supplementation combined with caloric restriction and
physical activity on weight gain prevention."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the
percentage of women ages 50 to 79 who are obese increased by nearly 50
percent in the 1990s.
Dr. Caan noted that age-related changes in body composition, metabolic
factors and hormone levels, combined with declines in physical activity,
are all factors that can contribute to weight gain and obesity as women
age.
"We know that preventing weight gain is likely to have significant
health benefits for middle-aged women, so early to middle menopause may be
a critical period for women to effectively manage their weight," she said.
Previous studies have shown some evidence that calcium and vitamin D
supplements, as well as foods rich in these nutrients, may play a role in
effective weight management. One explanation is that calcium and vitamin D
work together to regulate metabolism. In addition, calcium may help
decrease fatty acid absorption in the intestine.
Dr. Caan said the latest study findings do not justify altering current
dietary recommendations, and that postmenopausal women should continue to
be advised to consume 1,200 mg a day of calcium as recommended by the Food
and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences.
Study participants were already enrolled in the dietary modification
and/or hormone therapy arms of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), a long-
term clinical trial launched in 1991 by the National Institutes of Health
to address the most common causes of death, disability and impaired quality
of life in postmenopausal women.
Women were randomized at their first or second year annual visit to
receive a dose of 1,000 mg of calcium plus 400 international units (IU) of
vitamin D supplements or placebo in a study initially designed to test
whether these supplements would reduce the incidence of hip fractures and
colorectal cancer. That study found that the supplements slowed loss of
bone density over a seven-year period, but were associated with
non-significant lower rates of hip fractures, and were not found to be
effective in preventing colorectal cancer in healthy postmenopausal women.
The latest study is believed to be the largest double-blind, placebo-
controlled clinical trial to report the effects of calcium and vitamin D
supplementation on weight change. It was funded by the National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health.
The Kaiser Permanente Division of Research conducts, publishes, and
disseminates epidemiologic and health services research to improve the
health and medical care of Kaiser Permanente members and the society at
large. It seeks to understand the determinants of illness and well being
and to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of health care.
Currently, the center's 400-plus staff is working on more than 250
epidemiological and health services research projects.
Kaiser Permanente
kaiserpermanente
Подписаться на:
Комментарии (Atom)