http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Simple screening implemented in obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) clinics may identify previously undetected heart disease risk among women and has the potential to greatly increase education about prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease in female patients, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-obgyn-screening-heart-disease.html Cardiology Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:12:36 EST news251975548 How often does your doctor ask about your sexual life? Unfortunately, the answer may be: not often enough. Leaving the subject off the check-up checklist could mean missing an important link to overall wellness. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-dont-sex.html Obstetrics & gynaecology Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:25:26 EST news251627118 Delivering a full-term baby of small birth weight has been shown to be an independent indicator of later heart disease for the mother, and as equivalent in risk as high blood pressure and diabetes. Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston further report that the odds of ischemic heart disease (IHD) among women whose full-term babies are small for their gestational age (SGA) are twice that of other women. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-delivery-small-full-term-infant-mothers.html Cardiology Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:00:01 EST news250955216 Freezing eggs or ovarian tissue for the sole purpose of delaying childbearing for social reasons may prove too costly for society, according to a recent analysis by a University of Illinois at Chicago researcher. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-childbearing.html Obstetrics & gynaecology Wed, 14 Mar 2012 13:40:42 EST news250951220 (HealthDay) -- For years, women with the severe form of premenstrual syndrome known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) were told that their symptoms should subside the day menstruation begins. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-severe-pms-longer-thought.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:50:01 EST news250190213 When making decisions and counseling about risk and management options for deliveries between 22 and 26 weeks (periviable deliveries), obstetricians are heavily influenced by family preferences, particularly by the impression that parents consistently prefer to have everything possible done to prolong a pregnancy or "save the baby" through interventions such as cesarean section. The results of a University of Pennsylvania study are published in the March issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-family-strongly-decision-premature-deliveries.html Obstetrics & gynaecology Fri, 02 Mar 2012 04:30:01 EST news249884714 Living in a poor neighborhood was linked with worse chronic pain for young adults, according to a study by the University of Michigan Health System, but young black patients faced difficulties with pain management no matter where they lived. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-pain-chronic-tougher-poor-neighborhoods.html Health Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:49:05 EST news249842718 (HealthDay) -- Nicotine patches don't seem to be of much use in helping pregnant women quit smoking, a new study finds. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-nicotine-patches-pregnancy.html Health Thu, 01 Mar 2012 05:16:08 EST news249801360 For the first time, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers have isolated egg-producing stem cells from the ovaries of reproductive age women and shown these cells can produce what appear to be normal egg cells or oocytes. In the March issue of Nature Medicine, the team from the Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology at MGH reports the latest follow-up study to their now-landmark 2004 Nature paper that first suggested female mammals continue producing egg cells into adulthood. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-scientists-isolate-egg-producing-stem-cells.html Medical research Sun, 26 Feb 2012 13:00:11 EST news249480547 (HealthDay) -- Hormonal contraceptives appear to thwart pregnancy just as well in overweight and obese women as those of normal weight despite markedly lower pregnancy-prevention hormone levels among heavier females, a group of reproductive experts said. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-contraceptives-obese-women-hormone.html Obstetrics & gynaecology Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:10:01 EST news249302807 (HealthDay) -- A second company reports that it has developed a prenatal blood test to detect Down syndrome, potentially providing yet another option for pregnant women who want to know whether their unborn child has the condition. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-blood-syndrome-pregnancy.html Obstetrics & gynaecology Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:00:01 EST news249216150 Canada's ranking in international child health indexes would dramatically improve if measurements were standardized, according to a new study by researchers from the University of British Columbia, Dalhousie University, McGill University, the University of Calgary, and the Public Health Agency of Canada, working with the Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System and funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-international-infant-mortality-flawed.html Health Fri, 17 Feb 2012 05:00:01 EST news248675856 In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that indicate that elevated levels of cell-free DNA in the first trimester do not predict the subsequent development of preeclampsia. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-elevated-cell-free-dna-trimester-preeclampsia.html Other Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:34:22 EST news248175256 In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that women who have undergone one prior delivery via cesarean section appear to know little about the risks and benefits associated with undergoing either a second cesarean or trial of labor to attempt a vaginal delivery, and that the preference of their medical provider strongly affects their selection between the two options. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-pregnant-women-prior-cesarean-delivery.html Other Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:52:19 EST news247985532 In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that indicate that duration of stay in the United States is associated with increased risk of preterm birth for Hispanic women. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-residence-factor-preterm-birth.html Health Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:33:56 EST news247984427 Despite the numerous medical advances that happen every day, the infant mortality rate in the United States is still higher than most European countries. While experts believe this is closely linked to the growing rate of pre-term births, researchers are committed to finding ways to make labor and delivery safer. Northwestern Medicine researchers are examining a new device that may support improved newborn health at delivery through closer monitoring of infant oxygen use during labor. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-northwestern-trial-device-newborn-health.html Other Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:50:01 EST news243696415 Women with a short cervix should be treated with vaginal progesterone to prevent preterm birth, according to a landmark study by leading obstetricians around the world. Vaginal progesterone decreased the rate of preterm birth by 42%, and significantly reduced the rate of respiratory distress syndrome and the need for mechanical ventilation, as well as a composite of several complications of premature newborns (e.g. infection, necrotizing enterocolitis, intracranial hemorrhage, etc.). An early online version of the study was published today in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AJOG). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-vaginal-progesterone-preterm-birth-neonatal.html Other Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:50:01 EST news243081633 A decade after millions of women went cold turkey on the hormone pills that controlled their hot flashes, mood swings and other menopausal symptoms, some doctors say the therapy is safe to try again. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-hormone-therapy-comeback-doctors-minimized.html Medications Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:30:03 EST news242492217 Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine researchers have discovered that the infiltration of white blood cells into an expectant mother's blood vessels may explain high blood pressure in pregnancy. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-high-blood-pressure-pregnancy.html Obstetrics & gynaecology Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:38:56 EST news239290730 A large pad of fat cells that extends from the stomach and covers the intestines provides nutrients that promote the spread and growth of ovarian cancer, reports a research team based at the University of Chicago in the journal Nature Medicine, published online October 30th, 2011. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-fat-cells-abdomen-fuel-ovarian.html Cancer Sun, 30 Oct 2011 14:00:11 EST news239200932 Five years ago, Sheri Scott was beginning a new chapter in her life. The recently engaged 31-year-old was eagerly browsing bridal magazines and busy planning for her big day. Unfortunately, just weeks following her engagement, Scott was diagnosed with breast cancer. Suddenly, she was juggling medical appointments and planning a double mastectomy instead of a wedding. Soon after her diagnosis, Scott was approached by her doctor at Northwestern Memorial Hospital about preserving her fertility. He explained that cancer treatment could compromise her fertility and stated there were options available if she wanted to preserve her chances of having children. In that moment, having a family was the farthest thing from her mind, but the conversation sparked a decision that would change her life forever. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-life-cancer-family-treatment.html Cancer Mon, 24 Oct 2011 10:40:26 EST news238671170 (Medical Xpress) -- Fourteen states now mandate partial or comprehensive health insurance coverage of fertility treatment. These mandates have resulted in more women using assisted reproductive technologies (ART). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-states-fertility-treatment-coverage-births.html Health Fri, 21 Oct 2011 08:06:18 EST news238403166 It can be difficult to sort through the many messages regarding breast cancer screening. Fancy billboards seen along the highways, recommendations made by your neighbor or the local newscaster, or mixed messages throughout the internet can cause confusion. What is the best way to screen for breast cancer? http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-breast-cancer-screening.html Cancer Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:10:01 EST news236511549 A new study published in the international journal Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica (AOGS) reveals that fear of childbirth is a predisposing factor for emergency and elective cesarean sections, even after psychological counseling. This may mean a negative experience that lasts a lifetime among the approximately 3% of women who in this study were estimated to suffer from excessive fear of childbirth. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-childbirth-likelihood-c-section.html Other Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:48:22 EST news235820893 Using breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) screenings among targeted, high-risk, underserved women significantly decreased diagnostic cost and increased patient compliance rates with follow-up compared to using general risk mammography screenings. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-high-risk-underserved-women-benefited-mri.html Cancer Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:25:12 EST news235736699 For more than 100,000 area women, chronic vulvar pain (pain at the opening to the vagina) is so severe it makes intercourse, and sometimes sitting for long periods of time, painful, if not impossible. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-chronic-vulvar-pain-reality-women.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:58:07 EST news235223869 George R. Saade, M.D., president of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, gave a compelling presentation to SMFM members on the links between pregnancy outcomes and women's long-term health. He emphasized the importance of greater physician collaboration in reviewing patients' health records, particularly in noting pregnancy outcomes as these can be important indicators of future health problems. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-women-long-term-health-based-pregnancy.html Obstetrics & gynaecology Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:53:50 EST news235130019 World-renowned genetics expert Aubrey Milunsky, MD, DSc, has penned a new book focused on new DNA tests that have dramatically expanded our ability to avoid, prevent, diagnose, predict and treat many genetic disorders. Based on a lifetime of experience, he recounts the lessons learned from many families who benefitted from new advances in genetics, or could have, if they had only known. The book, Your Genes, Your Health: A Critical Family Guide That Could Save Your Life, provides important information about many genetic disorders, more especially since each of us unwittingly carries a significant number of harmful genes. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-busm-professor-authors-knowledge-genes.html Genetics Fri, 26 Aug 2011 11:46:57 EST news233577994 In a recent issue of Cancer Research, Daniel J. Powell, Jr., PhD, a research assistant professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, showed for the first time that engineered human T cells can eradicate deadly human ovarian cancer in immune-deficient mice. Ovarian cancer is the most lethal reproductive cancer for women, with one-fifth of women diagnosed with advanced disease surviving five years. Nearly all ovarian cancers (90%) are characterized by their expression of a distinct cell-surface protein called alpha-folate receptor, which can be a target for engineered T cells. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-effective-approach.html Cancer Mon, 08 Aug 2011 10:50:01 EST news232018837 Menopause has little to no impact on whether women become more susceptible to diabetes, according to a one-of-a-kind study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-menopause-diabetes.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 26 Jul 2011 10:50:01 EST news230894763