Tag: women’s health (Page 4 of 13)

When A Little Wine Is A Good Thing

March 9, 2012 / Staff

Women who drink moderately have lower stroke risk.

Although there are many confusing, contradictory, and concocted reports it seems that the consensus is in.

When you consider that a women’s risk of dying from heart disease or stroke is greater than her risk of breast cancer,( a recent study found a link between drinking alcohol and an increased risk of breast cancer ) then it is worth entertaining the idea of a glass of red wine as a good thing.

Blood clots can cause the most common type of stroke, so fewer blood clots should mean fewer ischemic strokes. That’s what this new study, which was published online today in the journal Stroke, found.
The researchers also found less risk of hemorrhagic stroke, which is caused by a burst blood vessel in the brain. Earlier studies have found more risk of hemorrhagic stroke, perhaps because a clot would be a good thing there.

Research, Wellness

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The Real Cost Of Birth Control

March 9, 2012 / Staff

The birth control debate wages on and the issues are just starting to come to the surface.

One of the concerns at the center of this discussion is the overall cost of birth control and who should pay?

According to the Guttmacher Institute, the average woman who has two children will spend three decades trying to avoid an unintended pregnancy. The Institute of Medicine says that’s one reason that women tend to incur higher out-of-pocket costs for preventive care than men.
Yes, there already are some options for more affordable contraception, such as public clinics or Planned Parenthood.
About 55 percent of local health departments offer some family planning services, according to the National Association of County & City Health Officials. Many of those receive federal Title X funding, which means they can offer contraception on a sliding fee scale. The poorest women may get it free, while others may pay full price or somewhere in between.

Availability, cost and education need to be considered in this debate, also, identifying where the real need lies.

Health Care Policy, Health Insurance, Resources, Wellness

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Cellulite Treatment Breakthrough

March 3, 2012 / Staff

One time treatment for cellulite offers hope for millions of women.

It is a dream come true for many women who suffer with unsightly lumps and bumps known as cellulite.

Diet and exercise seem to do little to impact the fatty tissue just below the surface of the skin.

Dr. Bruce Katz, director of the Juva Skin and Laser Center in New York City, introduced the Cellulaze, the first one-time laser treatment approved for cellulite by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Cellulite occurs when collagen bands under the skin pull down, causing hills of fat to push up – resulting in that infamous dimpled appearance.
“For the first time, we really actually have a laser that treats all three components of cellulite,” Katz said.
Katz threads a laser under the skin to break the collagen bands, smoothing the appearance of cellulite in just one session.
“The real ground-breaking difference here, is that the laser beam is split in two different directions,” he said. “It is the first time we have ever been able to do that.”

Doctors, Research

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New Guidelines On Breast Feeding Suggest More Is Better

February 29, 2012 / Staff

The American Academy of Pediatrics is suggesting that women should breast feed exclusively for the first year of a child’s life.

Adding food as the baby requires it but not offering formula or juices.

Breast milk is the best way to start off life and it offers great benefits to the mother, as well.

The health benefits of breast-feeding include protection against respiratory illness, ear infections, gastrointestinal diseases, asthma and the skin condition eczema.
Breast-fed infants are more than one-third less likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome and are 15 to 30 percent less likely to become obese teens and adults, according to the AAP.

Quality Control, Research, Resources, Wellness

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Egg Producing Stem Cells Found In Women May Offer Hope For Infertility

February 27, 2012 / Staff

Egg producing stem cells found in mice have led to studies on humans to determine if women also produce these cells.

The research looks promising in humans and may offer hope to women struggling with infertility due to illness or age.

It was once thought that women are born with all of the eggs that they will ever produce but that theory is changing.

More studies need to be done to confirm stem cell findings and the implications that may derive from the discovery.

“Our current views of ovarian aging are incomplete. There’s much more to the story than simply the trickling away of a fixed pool of eggs,” said lead researcher Jonathan Tilly of Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital, who has long hunted these cells in a series of controversial studies.

Quality Control, Research

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