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Top Women's Health Stories of 2007
With 2008 only a few days away, there's no better time than now to reflect on the most impactful women's health stories of the year. These stories are firm reminders that men and women are not equally affected in all realms of health.
5. Diabetes Death Rates Among Women Remain Unchanged
Diabetes mortality rates have been on the decline for decades. Good news, right? Unfortunately, this is true only for men. Death rates for women with
diabetes have remained the same, and the difference in mortality rates for women with and without diabetes has doubled over that time. Women with diabetes can maximize thir life expectancy by eating a healthy diet, not smoking, and staying active. (Read more about Top Women's Health Stories of 2007)
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How COPD Affects Women
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is on the rise among women and, since 2000, their mortality rates have surpassed those of men. However, despite the rising prevalence, morbidity, and mortality among women, there is little medical understanding of the disease's gender differences. A recent study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine has demonstrate the disease is manifested differently in the genders, and risk factors, symptoms, disease progression, and even diagnosis, differ substantially. (Read more about How COPD Affects Women)
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Women With Depression At Risk For Osteoporosis
A study from the National Institute of Mental Health has found that women who suffer from depression are more likely to enter menopause with an increased risk of bone fractures. Researchers report that 17% of women with depression had decreased bone mass in the femoral neck, compared to 2% of women who did not have depression. Additionally, low bone mass in the lumbar spine was found in 20% of depressed women, compared to 9% who were not depressed. The researchers theorized that women with depression have overactive immune systems that produce a chemical known as IL-6. This chemical is associated with bone loss as well as promoting inflammation. During adolescence, bone mass reaches its peak and begins to decline through the rest of life, thinning at a faster rate after a woman undergoes menopause. (Read more about Women With Depression At Risk For Osteoporosis)
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The Most Alarming Health Stories of 2007
With a new year full of it's own surprises soon to be underway, now is a good time to reflect on the most shocking medical stories of 2007.
5. For Older Men Low Levels of Testosterone Can Be.. Fatal?
We don't usually associate testosterone levels in men with matters of life and death. However, research revealed that older men with low levels of testosterone were 40 percent more likely to die during an 18 year period. It's not certain if testosterone supplements are safe or effective at reducing mortality. Researchers recommend lifestyle changes to prevent or decrease incidence of obesity. (Read more about The Most Alarming Health Stories of 2007)
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Pregnancy Imaging Exams May Be Harmful to Unborn Children
A recent study from the Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University has found that pregnant women are receiving more high-tech imaging exams, exposing their babies to higher doses of radiation than a decade ago. Despite the levels of radiation exposure being low, a slight risk of harm to the developing fetus remains. Over 5,000 imaging examinations performed on pregnant women from 1997 to 2006 were reviewed by Brown researchers. The number of exams were found to have increased 121 percent and included CT scans, nuclear medicine, and plain X-rays. The routine abdominal ultrasound does not expose the patient to ionizing radiation that can lead to cell damage. (Read more about Pregnancy Imaging Exams May Be Harmful to Unborn Children)
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Yogurt Consumption Linked to Healthier Body Weights for Women
Research conducted by The General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition finds that women who eat yogurt frequently are less likely to be overweight and more likely to meet the recommended daily intake of important nutrients, like calcium and vitamin D. The fourteen day study followed the diets of approximately 3,000 women ages 19 and older. Thirteen percent of these women ate three or more servings of yogurt over a two week period. In this group, the women on average had a 15% lower body mass index compared with women who consumed no yogurt. (Read more about Yogurt Consumption Linked to Healthier Body Weights for Women)
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Low Fat Diet Linked to Reduced Risk of Ovarian Cancer
A recent study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute suggests that there is a link between a low fat diet high in fruits, vegetables, and grains and a reduced risk of ovarian cancer. The discovery came from the Women's Health Initiative Dietary Modification Randomized Controlled Trial over 8 years. The trial assigned 20,000 women to the diet change group and had 30,000 women maintain their current diet. The diet change group limited their fat intake to only 20 percent of their total calories and had to eat 5 or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables in addition to 6 or more servings of grains. (Read more about Low Fat Diet Linked to Reduced Risk of Ovarian Cancer)
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All Types of Alcohol Linked to Breast Cancer Risk
A recent study by Kaiser Permanente Researchers has found that the effects of alcohol on breast cancer are the same, regardless of whether a woman drinks wine, beer, or liquor. The ethyl alcohol found in those drinks and the quantity consumed are the factors that weigh heavily on breast cancer risk. Researchers believe the increased risk from three or more drinks a day is similar to the increased breast cancer risk from smoking a pack of cigarettes a day or more. They claim that "Population studies have consistently linked drinking alcohol to an increased risk of female breast cancer, but until now there has been little data, most of it conflicting, about an independant role played by the choice of beverage type." (Read more about All Types of Alcohol Linked to Breast Cancer Risk)
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Reducing Stress Lowers Risk of Cardiovascular Problems
A Review in The Lancet reveals the importance of healthy lifestyle choices to reduce stressors related to cardiovascular risk factors. Researchers from John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore examined records between 1990 to 2006. They observed how stress affects the sympathetic nervous system, impacts physiology, and the effect it has on the cardiovascular system. Lead author, Daniel Brotman, claims "Acute physical stressors such as sugery, trauma, and intense physical exertion are well known triggers of cardiovascular events. Emotional stressors are increasingly recognized as precipitants of such events." (Read more about Reducing Stress Lowers Risk of Cardiovascular Problems)
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Seafood Benefits Outweigh Risks
A recent survey conducted by the University of Maryland found that consumers listed tuna, shrimp, and salmon as the fish with the highest levels of mercury. However, when asked which fish had the lowest levels of mercury, the answers were identical.
University researcher Maureen Storey claims that, "We want pregnant women to eat fish, as there are plenty of benefits to the fetus in terms of cognitive development and other factors... There may be some risk in consumption of fish, but there's a bigger risk in not consuming fish at all." The fish with the highest levels of mercury content are large predatory fish, of which most commonly consumed are shark, swordfish, and tilefish. (Read more about Seafood Benefits Outweigh Risks)
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