Women’s Health

According to a recent study by researchers at the UMass Medical School, the risk of diabetes is higher in postmenopausal women who take statins. Statins are among the most widely prescribed medications for reducing cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and preventing cardiovascular events like heart attacks. Although the statin therapy itself ...click here to read more

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among American women, but fortunately, there are many preventative measures one can take in order to reduce the risk. The FDA cardiologist Dr. Shari Targum said in a news release, “The risk of heart disease increases for everyone as they age. For women, the risk goes up ...click here to read more

Fibromyalgia symptoms are characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, but can menopause make them worse? Fibromyalgia is more common in women than men, so it’s important to understand the connection between menopause and fibromyalgia. Most women diagnosed with fibromyalgia are aged 40 to 55, which also coincides with menopause. Research has shown that fibromyalgia symptoms worsen ...click here to read more

Kidney stone risk in postmenopausal women may be reduced with light exercise. The findings of the study revealed that light exercise – up to three hours a week – can lower the risk of kidney stones in postmenopausal women by 31 percent. The researchers looked at data from over 84,000 postmenopausal women and found that ...click here to read more

According to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, female obesity rates in the U.S. are on the rise. Obesity rates for men have remained steady. Cynthia Ogden, an epidemiologist at the U.S. CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, said, “Obesity remains a public health concern. Our study didn’t look at ...click here to read more

Rheumatoid arthritis risk in women may be reduced through breastfeeding, according to research. The study, which included over 7,000 older Chinese women, found that breastfeeding was associated with a reduced risk of rheumatoid arthritis. The risk was cut by half, compared to women who never breastfed. It has been long known that breastfeeding offers numerous benefits ...click here to read more

Certain weeks of a woman’s menstrual cycle may offer better chances of success in smoking cessation, according to new findings. The likelihood of success was found to be lower when smoking cessation fell on a woman’s follicular phase – the first half of the cycle. Lead author Reagan Wetherill said, “Understanding how menstrual cycle phase ...click here to read more

Rheumatoid arthritis is triggered by estrogen and progesterone hormone imbalance in women. In the study published in Nature Review, the researchers point out that sexual dimorphism has been a factor in rheumatoid arthritis for many years and can manifest itself differently in men and women. Researchers Grant Hughes and Divaker Choubey explained the differences are ...click here to read more

Excess folic acid during pregnancy may raise child’s risk of autism spectrum disorder, diabetes, and obesity. Pregnant women are generally advised to boost their folic acid intake as it contributes to healthy brain development and protects the baby against birth defects. The new study observed that excessive intake of folate and vitamin B12 may increase ...click here to read more

Late menopause is linked to a lower risk of depression in later life, according to new findings. The research included 14 studies in a meta-analysis, representing nearly 68,000 women. The findings suggest that menopause in women over 40 compared to premature menopause women was associated with a lower risk of depression. This is because these ...click here to read more

Kidney stones in women raise the risk of stroke and coronary heart disease (CHD). Lead researcher Yanqiong Liu said, “People should be concerned about kidney stones. Evidence suggests an association between kidney stones and incident cardiovascular disease, even after adjusting for other cardiovascular risk factors.” The meta-analysis study reviewed over 3.5 million patients of which ...click here to read more

Today is World Lupus Day, and the latest research on lupus uncovered that lupus-related pregnancy risks in women can be identified by monitoring biomarkers in maternal blood. Pregnant women with lupus are at a higher risk of developing pregnancy complications including preeclampsia, placental insufficiency, fetal death, miscarriage, and other complications. The researchers looked at specific ...click here to read more

With Mother’s Day behind us, there are many women who celebrated this holiday for the very first time this year. Being a new mom is pretty exciting, but it also can be quite scary at times, too. For this reason, the FDA has set out some tips and guidelines for new moms to help them ...click here to read more

Fibromyalgia patients show increased risk of hyperparathyroidism in women, according to a new study. Hyperparathyroidism is a disease caused by an overactive parathyroid. Both fibromyalgia and hyperparathyroidism share similar symptoms. The researchers uncovered their findings by examining 100 women with fibromyalgia and 57 women without the condition. They measured the levels of parathyroid hormone, calcium, ...click here to read more