http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. (HealthDay)—For young women with breast cancer, a longer treatment delay time (TDT) is associated with decreased survival, especially for African-American women, those with public or no insurance, and those with low socioeconomic status; and women with early-stage breast cancer with Medicaid are more likely to undergo mastectomy than those with private insurance, according to two studies published online April 24 in JAMA Surgery. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-breast-ca-tx-common-poor.html Surgery Thu, 25 Apr 2013 05:23:44 EST news286086210 Getting a good night's sleep isn't always easy for women at menopause. Exercise may help, but women can have a tough time carving out leisure time for it. The good news from a study published online today in Menopause, the journal of the North American Menopause Society, is that higher levels of routine daily physical activity may be the more important key to a better night's sleep for many women who have hot flashes or night sweats. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-hot-days-nights.html Health Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:28:59 EST news283602532 A newly identified set of genes may predict which women are at high risk for getting breast cancer that is sensitive to estrogen and, therefore, would be helped by taking drugs to prevent it, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-genes-breast-cancer-aid.html Cancer Tue, 19 Mar 2013 13:21:54 EST news282918105 Unusually high calcium levels in the blood can almost always be traced to primary hyperparathyroidism, an undertreated, underreported condition that affects mainly women and the elderly, according to a new study by UCLA researchers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-endocrine-disorder-common-elevated-calcium.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:49:42 EST news280673313 A Wayne State University researcher has identified characteristics in benign breast disease associated with future cancer risk in African-American women. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-cancer-african-american-women-benign-breast.html Cancer Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:10:01 EST news279819694 (Medical Xpress)—African-American women die from breast cancer at a higher percentage rate than other populations. Numerous factors contribute to that fact, but it can be at least partially attributed to the lack of communication emphasizing the importance of screenings and preventative care suited to the demographic. A University of Kansas professor has authored a study analyzing a series of public service announcements targeted to African-American women finding that, when culturally appropriate, they can be effective. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-psas-african-american-women.html Cancer Wed, 06 Feb 2013 09:00:01 EST news279361878 Researchers have found that African American women exhibit a higher risk for sexually transmitted infections including HIV/Aids. But what motivates this group of women to have sex? And when are they more likely to use protection? http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-safe-sex-african-american-women.html Health Thu, 31 Jan 2013 16:17:45 EST news278871429 Hair care and maintenance issues are primary factors that deter African-American women from exercising, a major health concern for a group that has the highest rates of overweight or obesity in the country. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-hair-issues-contribute-barriers-african-american.html Health Mon, 17 Dec 2012 16:00:01 EST news274959349 Three University of Kentucky (UK) sociologists have co-authored a study that helps to fill a gap in our understanding of suicide risk among African-American women. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-bridge-gap-suicide-african-american-women.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 13 Dec 2012 10:52:14 EST news274618314 African American women with early stage, invasive breast cancer were 12 percent less likely than Caucasian women with the same diagnosis to receive a minimally invasive technique, axillary sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy, years after the procedure had become the standard of surgical practice, according to research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-african-american-women-breast-cancer.html Cancer Wed, 05 Dec 2012 14:13:53 EST news273939221 A new study shows that African American women coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are less likely to die from liver disease than Caucasian or Hispanic women. Findings in the November issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, indicate that lower liver-related mortality in African American women was independent of other causes of death. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-african-american-women-hivhcv-die.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 01 Nov 2012 11:14:58 EST news270987287 Socioeconomic status across one's lifetime is related to weight gain and risk of obesity in African American women, according to a new study led by researchers from the Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University. These findings currently appear online in the journal Ethnicity & Disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-socioeconomic-status-linked-weight-gain.html Health Wed, 13 Jun 2012 12:35:17 EST news258809710 Researchers and doctors at the North Shore-LIJ Health System and the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have discovered a potential explanation for why breast cancer is not experienced the same way with African American and Caucasian patients. This data will be presented at the 2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting to be held from Friday through Tuesday (June 1-5) in Chicago, IL. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-dna-marker-differences-breast-cancer.html Cancer Sat, 02 Jun 2012 13:07:08 EST news257861219 Some types of breast cancer can be successfully treated with drugs such as tamoxifen, but treatment for a type of breast cancer more common in young and black women is still limited to radiation and general chemotherapy. Called triple negative breast cancer, this type of cancer is the focus of a 20-month, $8.6-million research project that aims to find new diagnostic tools and options for drugs. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-collaborative-clues-hard-to-treat-breast-cancer.html Cancer Wed, 16 May 2012 17:30:17 EST news256408180 African-American breast cancer survivors were satisfied with their cancer treatment, but most were never offered clinical trials opportunities or support services during or after their treatment, according to a study by a UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center researcher and her community partner, Rev. Tammie Dynse. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-african-american-breast-cancer-survivors-inadequate.html Cancer Tue, 01 May 2012 10:30:05 EST news255086148 The color of our skin or where we come does matter when it comes to how we react to a racist insult. A new study has found that African American women are more likely than Asian American women to directly rebuff racist comments, a difference that may reflect deeply rooted cultural differences. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-rebuffing-racial-insults-culture-behavior.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:07:35 EST news253447646 American women of African ancestry are more likely than European Americans to have estrogen receptor (ER) negative breast cancer. There continues to be discussion about the role of low levels of vitamin D in the development of breast cancer for these women. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Breast Cancer Research has shown that specific genetic variations in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and in CYP24A1 (responsible for deactivating vitamin D) are associated with an increase in breast cancer risk, particularly for ER negative breast cancer, for African American women. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-vitamin-d-racial-differences-breast.html Cancer Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:00:13 EST news252768619 A new economic analysis, conducted by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and featured in the current issue of Springer's journal AIDS and Behavior, showed that the DC Female Condom program, a public-private partnership to provide and promote female condoms, prevented enough HIV infections in the first year alone to save over $8 million in future medical care costs (over and above the cost of the program). This means that for every dollar spent on the program, there was a cost savings of nearly $20. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-dc-female-condom-highly-effective.html HIV & AIDS Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:00:03 EST news251980668 A study of cervical cancer incidence and mortality in North Carolina has revealed areas where rates are unusually high. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-pockets-high-cervical-cancer-north.html Cancer Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:13:22 EST news250769594 As a brand new year gets underway, people all over America are resolving to better manage their weight and have a more healthy 2012. According to a new study, those starting new weight loss programs may be surprised to find out that both location and level of experience may influence their success. A recent article published in The Journal of Black Psychology (a journal from the Association of Black Psychologists, published by SAGE) finds that African American women beginning a new group weight loss program are more successful if they are less experienced with weight management and if the program meets in a church. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-dieting-denomination.html Psychology & Psychiatry Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:38:35 EST news247502310 (Boston) -The incidence of type 2 diabetes and hypertension increases with cumulative levels of exposure to nitrogen oxides, according to a new study led by researchers from the Slone Epidemiology Center (SEC) at Boston University. The study, which appears online in the journal Circulation, was led by Patricia Coogan, D.Sc., associate professor of epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health and the SEC. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-air-pollution-linked-diabetes-hypertension.html Cardiology Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:20:01 EST news244994555 A team of researchers at Wayne State University's Parent Health Lab in the School of Medicine have received a three-year grant to develop a computer-delivered intervention for pregnant women at risk for alcohol use, which can lead to lifelong negative effects on the fetus. Prenatal exposure to alcohol affects attentional, cognitive, social and behavioral functioning and is a major cause of mental retardation. Infants born to African American women are at increased risk of adverse effects. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-computer-delivered-intervention-alcohol-pregnancy.html Health Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:45:03 EST news238855496 African American women who develop gestational diabetes mellitus during pregnancy face a 52 percent increased risk of developing diabetes in the future compared to white women who develop GDM during pregnancy, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published online in the journal Diabetologia. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-african-american-women-gestational-diabetes-high.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 20 Oct 2011 05:59:17 EST news238309149 African-American women develop functional health challenges earlier than their fellow seniors, researchers say http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-african-american-women-functional-earlier.html Health Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:07:58 EST news236257672 The risk of death increases with higher levels of overweight and obesity among African American women, according to a new study led by researchers from the Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University. In addition, a larger waist size was associated with a higher risk of death among women who were not obese. The relationship between body size and risk of death was strongest for deaths from cardiovascular disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-obesity-large-waist-size-linked.html Health Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:26:48 EST news234635139 Investigators from the Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center have reported findings that may shed light on why African American women have a disproportionately higher risk of developing more aggressive and difficult-to-treat breast cancers, specifically estrogen and progesterone receptor negative (ER-/PR-) cancers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-bu-contributors-high-incidence-breast.html Cancer Tue, 16 Aug 2011 13:49:23 EST news232721350 Women with post-traumatic stress disorder are likely to have smaller babies and deliver prematurely, a new University of Michigan study suggests. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-linked-smaller.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 28 Jul 2011 05:20:28 EST news231049209 Using incense or lighting a candle may seem like good ways to let go of racial stress, but a recent study found that might not be the case in terms of racial tension among women. In fact, some coping strategies employed by African-American women may actually increase their stress instead of alleviate it, according to a recent study from Psychology of Women Quarterly. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-african-american-women-stress-compounded.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:39:08 EST news229682329 Wayne State University researchers believe medical practitioners can help reduce the number of breast cancer deaths among low-income African-American women by more effectively educating their patients about the importance of mammography screening. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-health-emphasize-breast-cancer-screening.html Cancer Fri, 01 Jul 2011 12:25:29 EST news228741917 Researchers from Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center have found four new genetic variants in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) that confer a higher risk of systemic lupus erythemathosus ("lupus") in African American women. The study, which currently appears on-line in Human Genetics, is believed to be the first to comprehensively assess the association between genetic variants in the MHC region and risk of lupus in African American women. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-genetic-factors-lupus-african-american-women.html Genetics Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:24:32 EST news228133447