Women's Health
Calcium May Prevent Parathyroid Tumors
Your parathyroids are only the size of grains of rice, but they can cause bone loss, cancer, and depression...
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November 02, 2012
HPV Vaccine Brings Safety, Not Promiscuity
Good news for parents: Protecting pre-teen girls with the HPV vaccine does not lead to a rise in sexual behavior...
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October 31, 2012
Hormone Replacement Recommended — Again?
A new study finds HRT has protective benefits. But another study found it to be risky. Who can keep up?
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October 24, 2012
Celebrity Health
When Robin Roberts, Padma Lakshmi or Kylie Minogue talk about their health, they raise awareness. But there's a downside...
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October 8, 2012
Breaking Down the Black Box Barrier
What happens when patients have full access to their medical records? The OpenNotes study finds it's mostly all good...
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October 2, 2012
Ladies, A Happiness Gene
A gene previously dubbed the “warrior gene” because of its links to aggression may also influence happiness – at least in women...
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August 12, 2012
Cranberries To Stave Off UTIs
A long-time folk remedy for urinary tract infections, cranberries may prevent UTIs in people who are susceptible...
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August 06, 2012
Vitamin C Helps Babies of Mothers Who Smoke
Babies of mothers who smoke have poor lung function. When smoking moms take vitamin C prenatally, something great happens...
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July 26, 2012
Short-Term Contraception Woes
Women taking the pill or patch or ring were far more likely to have an unplanned pregnancy than those using IUDs or implants...
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July 20, 2012
Women and Fatigue
Low iron is often under-diagnosed in pre-menopausal women. Iron supplements may help. Check with your doctor first...
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July 10, 2012
Why Babies Don't Come with a Manual
A survey of child-rearing books over the past 50 years finds many contradictions, but offers perhaps the best advice of all...
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May 15, 2012
Botox Eases Urinary Incontinence
It's not just for wrinkles. And the benefits far outweigh the side effects...
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May 12, 2012
The Stress of the Millennium
The Millennial generation is more stressed than generations before. They are also less able to cope with stress well...
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May 07, 2012
Body Weight vs. Body Image
Sometimes losing weight does not solve a young woman's body image issues...
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May 03, 2012
Biological Clock Ticking? Time to Pay Attention
Once female fertility declines, it may be gone for good, even with treatment...
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April 30, 2012
Endometriosis Doubles Cancer Risk
Most women with endometriosis will not go on the develop ovarian cancer, but screening might be wise...
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April 14, 2012
How to Stay Married
Even the happiest newlyweds can go on to divorce. But early warning signs might predict who does and who doesn’t...
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April 13, 2012
A Simple Switch Boosts Weight Loss
It's official: replacing your can of soda with water or a diet drink is one of the best diet strategies around...
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April 10, 2012
Chicken Found to Be a Major Source of UTIs
The CDC says that the
E. coli from chicken is behind many urinary tract infections. Some precautions...
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March 11, 2012
Women on Testosterone Are a Lot Like Men
When women were given testosterone and asked to solve a problem, cooperation went way down — and worse...
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March 10, 2012
Bone Mineral Density Screening: Who and When?
Do post-menopausal women and older men need BMD screening every year or two? Newly proposed guidelines say only some do...
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March 01, 2012
Step Aside, Mom and Dad?
Parents have long been key players in helping their kids lose weight. But for teens, peers may be more important...
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February 27, 2012
Infection Risk in Formula Preparation
Cronobacter infection can be deadly for infants. The CDC suggests ways to protect infant formula from the microbe...
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February 16, 2012
The Perils of Shift Work
Shift workers are at risk for type 2 diabetes. And the longer you work rotating shifts, the worse it gets. Some tips for coping...
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January 14, 2012
Make Way for DHEA
The hormone DHEA sounds like a miracle: it may ease menopause symptoms and boost sexual interest...
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January 07, 2012
Men Less Preoccupied with Sex
Men don't think about sex every seven seconds. It's more like 19 times a day. And many women aren't so far behind...
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December 29, 2011
Making Headway on BRCA
Researchers discover exactly what makes BRCA mutations so dangerous for breast cancer risk. Now, for new treatments...
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December 20, 2011
Snacking May Sabotage Weight Loss
Women who snacked before lunch lost less weight than those who didn't. But calories may not be the real reason...
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December 15, 2011
Tongue-Tied Babies
This condition makes it hard for newborns to latch on to breastfeed. It's easily diagnosed and treated...
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December 13, 2011
Toxic Soup?
BPA is not only in plastics; it's in the lining of cans. Eating canned soup puts more of this toxin in your body...
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December 10, 2011
PID Still Threatens Fertility
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease increases the risk of female infertility and chronic pain: Get checked now...
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December 02, 2011
BPA in Utero Affects Girls' Brains
BPA exposure in the womb was linked to behavioral and emotional problems in girls. Why not boys?
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November 09, 2011
Saving Breasts After Cancer
A procedure that preserves the nipple during breast cancer surgery helps with reconstruction — and better yet, it's safe...
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November 05, 2011
HPV and Heart Disease
The sexually-transmitted human papillomavirus raises women's risk of heart disease. Will the HPV vaccine help?
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November 02, 2011
Miscarriage or Misdiagnosis?
Ultrasounds to diagnose miscarriage can be inaccurate, and healthy pregnancies could be terminated unnecessarily...
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October 18, 2011
Contraception and HIV Transmission
A large African study has found that hormonal contraception doubles the risk of HIV infection
and transmission...
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October 05, 2011
Breastfeeding and Kids' Brains
Kids who were breastfed scored higher on reasoning and language tests at age 5. The effects on preemies were even greater...
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September 22, 2011
Children Behaving Badly
Kids' nagging can wear down moms' resistance. But a study found some winning strategies (for moms, that is...)
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August 29, 2011
Postmenopausal Weight Loss
Older women – men too – who see a lower number on their scales are likely to be delighted. But it could be a bad sign...
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August 27, 2011
Ovarian Cancer Gene Discovered
Having a faulty RAD51D gene means a 1 in 11 chance of ovarian cancer. Knowing your status can help with serious decisions...
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August 20, 2011
Keeping Weight Off
The strategies that help you lose weight won't help you keep it off. A new game plan is what's needed...
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July 25, 2011
Earlier Menopause for Celiac Women
Women with undiagnosed celiac disease go through menopause earlier than celiac women who are diagnosed. Why?
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June 30, 2011
Easing Stress Can Boost IVF Success
Women taking a stress relief program while undergoing IVF got pregnant significantly more often than those who didn’t...
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May 17, 2011
Breast Cancer Survivors' Risk of Recurrence Linked to BP Med
A popular blood pressure medication appears to increase the risk of recurrence among survivors. Other drugs don't seem to...
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May 09, 2011
The Calcium Controversy
Recent research suggests that taking calcium raises heart risk. But what about osteoporosis? Two experts comment...
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May 05, 2011
Squelcing PMS
Fatty acid supplements may help women beat the symptoms of PMS. How do they work?
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April 09, 2011
Breast Cancer Risk to Digoxin Users
The heart drug digitalis raises the risk of breast cancer. Estrogen receptor-positive cancer rates were especially affected...
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April 06, 2011
Is Obese the New Normal?
People who are seriously overweight tend not to see themselves – or their kids – as being as heavy as they really are...
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April 05, 2011
Lowering Unwanted Pregnancies
A study found that all that it takes may be to allow women to have a full year's supply of birth control pills at a time...
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March 31, 2011
CDC Warning on Painkillers and Pregnancy
Taking some painkillers while pregnant can double the risk of birth defects. Even herbal drugs can be a risk...
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March 24, 2011
Skip That Colonoscopy?
You may be able to avoid this dreaded test with fecal occult blood tests or flexible sigmoidoscopy...
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March 21, 2011
US Unhealthier Than UK
Americans’ health is worse than their British counterparts’ in everything from asthma to angina. Is our healthcare system to blame?
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March 19, 2011
Surgical Breast Biopsies
Doctors are ordering surgical breast biopsies when needle biopsies would suffice. What’s the cost, emotionally, financially?
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March 02, 2011
Live Longer
An Australian study has found that elderly people on this osteoporosis drug are living longer than other people.
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March 01, 2011
Solid Foods Up Baby's Obesity Risk
Introducing solid foods too early raises the risk of obesity. But breastfed and formula-fed babies are different...
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February 25, 2011
New Osteoporosis Guidelines
The guidelines for osteoporosis screening have been expanded — do they include you?
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February 23, 2011
Waiting for HRT
Waiting longer to begin hormones after menopause may reduce your risk of breast cancer. How long should you wait?
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February 16, 2011
Hot Flashes Are Good?
Hot flashes and other menopause symptoms may actually have a protective effect when it comes to certain cancers...
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February 05, 2011
Make Breastfeeding User-Friendly
The Surgeon General addresses the reasons women don't engage in this free, healthy practice with a plan to reduce barriers...
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February 02, 2011
Best Breast Cancer Treatments
The success rate in treatment is closely linked to the surgical skill and radiation strategy of your oncologist. What works...
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January 31, 2011
Breast Cancer: More than Genes
Even women without a family history are at risk for breast cancer. Do their doctors pay enough attention to this?
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January 26, 2011
Chubby Kids, Cute But...
Childhood obesity is on the rise, and new research suggests that the seeds of it can be sown – and avoided – in infancy...
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January 19, 2011
Foods to Rescue You
Research finds that eating certain foods now can seriously reduce the risk of heart attack later...
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January 17, 2011
Mindfulness vs. Fibromyalgia
Can mindfulness therapy reduce the pain experienced by people with this baffling condition?
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January 16, 2011
(Some) Childbirth Deaths Drop
The number of women who die from general anesthesia during childbirth has dropped, but epidurals are another matter...
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January 10, 2011
More Bad News About BPA
Women having trouble conceiving may want to consider their exposure to BPA and learn how to limit it...
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December 29, 2010
Cytomegalovirus Harms Babies
Many of us haven't heard cytomegalovirus, but babies can develop disabilities because of this congenital disease...
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December 28, 2010
Can Your Kids Be Too Clean?
A chemical in antibacterial soap is linked to allergies and hay fever in children...
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December 12, 2010
Women, Work and Heart Disease
No surprise: women facing job stress have a greatly increased risk of heart disease. But what to do?
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December 11, 2010
More Evidence for Early Mammograms
Just in: Another new study finds that early mammograms may bring big benefits to women under 50...
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November 30, 2010
Boot Up to Trim Down
Want to lose weight? Let your computer or cell phone help you. Online feedback can improve results, a study has found...
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November 17, 2010
Smells Good, But It's Toxic
Many of those scented products you love actually give off toxic chemicals. Some are even "green."...
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November 11, 2010
New Moms, Bigger Brains
The thrill and pleasure of a new baby appear to stimulate brain growth, particularly in areas devoted to emotion and reward...
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November 8, 2010
Turn Down The Volume
Teens’ hearing has gotten worse over the past two decades, and it may be from having the iPod cranked up too loud...
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November 6, 2010
Friends Light Up the Brain
Close friends activate "social" areas of your brain more than strangers do, even if you have more in common with the strangers...
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November 5, 2010
When Moms Read, Kids Flourish
For young children in poor communities, having a mom who reads is a huge boost to school success...
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November 4, 2010
New Pediatric Guidelines
New guidelines: All babies should have their iron levels tested at 1 year; breastfed babies need iron starting at 4 months...
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October 30, 2010
Hormones Raise Cancer Risk
A landmark study finds that HRT raises a woman's odds of developing invasive breast cancer, and of dying from it...
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October 28, 2010
Morning Sickness, Good?
Women who experience morning sickness are less likely to miscarry than women who do not — but don’t worry, it’s not written in stone...
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October 25, 2010
Kids' Psychology
When your child spends more than two hours per day in front of the TV the risk of behavioral and social problems increases...
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October 21, 2010
Improving BP Control
Taking blood pressure medications before bed boosts their effectiveness by working with your body's natural rhythms...
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October 19, 2010
Moms -To-Be: Care for Your Gums!
Believe it or not, treating gum disease while you’re pregnant may reduce the odds of having a premature baby...
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October 15, 2010
Mammograms for 40-Somethings?
Two new studies add to the debate about whether mammograms should be standard for women in their 40s...
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October 13, 2010
Helping Families Get Healthier
A study at IBM shows that modest company-sponsored incentive programs can increase the health of workers and their families...
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October 12, 2010
Danger: Infant Sleep Positioners
The FDA warns parents of suffocation risk associated with infant sleep positioners, and offers tips for crib safety...
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October 08, 2010
A Little Exercise Benefits Bones
Women, listen up: Exercising just 20 minutes a day may mean the difference between fractures and healthy bones...
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October 06, 2010
New Moms Need Sleep!
Even though they may total enough hours at night, interrupted sleep is what hurts new moms...
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September 17, 2010
Challenging Mammograms
Hormone Replacement Therapy may affect how doctors interpret the tests, leading to diagnoses of breast cancer where none is present...
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September 15, 2010
Cut the Meat
Women who eat more fish, nuts, and low-fat dairy seriously decrease their risk of heart disease, compared to red meat eaters...
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August 30, 2010
Early Puberty On the Rise
More and more girls are beginning puberty between ages seven and eight...
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August 28, 2010
The Vagina Dialogues
If you've had a C-section, can you still give birth vaginally? New guidelines are out for doctors and mothers-to-be...
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August 25, 2010
Brain It Out
Researchers find that Irritable Bowel Syndrome is linked to changes in the brain as well as the gut. But which come first is a question...
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August 16, 2010
An Alternative to Hysterectomy
For some women, a procedure that stops blood flow to uterine fibroids may be a good alternative to hysterectomy...
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August 15, 2010
Taking In Sync to a New Level
The better we understand another, the more closely our brain patterns resemble theirs, a phenomenon dubbed neural coupling...
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August 09, 2010
Friends, For a Long and Healthy Life
Having a strong social support system rivals quitting smoking in terms of the years it can add to our lives...
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August 04, 2010
Breastfeeding Cuts Infections
Babies who were breastfed exclusively for four months had a greatly reduced risk of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections...
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July 08, 2010
Hot (Heart) Flash
Women who go through early menopause - before the age of 46 - may be at double the risk for having a heart attack or stroke...
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July 03, 2010
Bigger Isn't Always Better
Obese individuals report reduced sex life, not to mention more STDs, sexual dysfunction, and unwanted pregnancies...
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July 01, 2010
Baby Blues
No wonder new mothers are at risk for postpartum depression: MAO-A, an enzyme that can deactivate mood, is skyrocketing...
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June 27, 2010
Sunshine and Multiple Sclerosis
Babies born to mothers who had less sun exposure in the first trimester were more likely to develop MS. Why?...
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June 5, 2010
Does the Pill Reduce Sex Drive?
Women on the pill may suffer from lower libido than women on other forms of birth control...
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May 18, 2010
"Eat Your Broccoli"
A new study finds that a compound in broccoli called sulforaphane may stop the growth of breast cancer stem cells....
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May 17, 2010
Weight Gain Ups Breast Cancer Risk
When women gain a good deal of weight in middle age, raising their BMI, their risk of breast cancer goes up, too...
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April 29, 2010
Babies Deficient in Vitamin D
Most babies do not meet the crucially important MDR for Vitamin D (400 I.U.), a new study has found...
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April 27, 2010
How Much Exercise?
A Harvard School of Public Health study suggests some guidelines for exercise that can help keep weight off without dieting...
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April 15, 2010
Fatty Diet and Alcohol Raise Breast Cancer Risk
This analysis of findings on over 400,000 women found alcohol consumption and diet were related to the risk of breast cancer...
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April 13, 2010
Diet Can Reduce Asthma Risk in Children
What a woman eats when pregnant and breastfeeding can reduce her baby's risk of eczema and asthma...
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April 08, 2010
Know Herbs' Risks
Herbal remedies may be helpful, but they are not without risks, especially during pregnancy...
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March 30, 2010
Deep Conversation Brings Happiness
Small talk may be a social lubricant, but greater happiness comes from meaningful conversations, a new study has found...
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March 29, 2010
Chickenpox Vaccine Helps After Exposure
The varicella vaccine helps reduce, and may prevent, symptoms even when it is given after exposure to the virus...
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March 18, 2010
SIDS and Serotonin
Babies who died from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) had lower levels of serotonin and fewer receptors for it...
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March 12, 2010
Psychiatric Drugs and Pregnancy
Timing makes a difference when it comes to taking antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs while pregnant...
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March 9, 2010
The Pill and Osteoporosis
A recent study has found that when young women take oral contraceptives, their bone density suffers. A number of factors need to be weighed, however...
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March 3, 2010
Heart Rate Predictions
If your resting heart rate is over 100 beats per minute, your risk of death from heart−related problems is high. However, there is one major exception...
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March 2, 2010
Acupuncture and Breast Cancer
Giving breast cancer patients acupuncture can help ease the side effects of hormone therapy and improves sex drive in some...
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February 18, 2010
Fetal Sex Revealed by Blood Test
A simple blood test may replace amniocentesis as the best means for determining a baby's sex early
in utero...
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February 15, 2010
The Ghrelin Made Me Eat It
Call it the chemistry of overeating. This hunger hormone may be behind that obsession you have with brownies...
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February 10, 2010
Green Tea An Antidepressant?
The more green tea elderly subjects drank in a day, the less likely they were to be depressed. Theanine may be behind it...
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January 28, 2010
Eat Soy to Prevent Some Cancers
Because they mimic estrogen's effects, soy foods seem to lower the risk of ovarian and endometrial cancers...
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January 15, 2010
Breastfeeding: New Guidelines
Breast milk is the best milk for most infants. Three organizations offer their recommendations....
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January 6, 2010
Diabetes In Pregnancy
Preventing or controlling high blood sugar during pregnancy makes a big difference in the health of mother and baby...
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December 14, 2009
Preterm Birth And Autism
Are premature babies at a greater risk for autism? Complications affecting brain development are the biggest risk factors...
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December 08, 2009
Tenderness, HRT, and Cancer
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) often causes breast tenderness. A study has found that this tenderness is associated with a far higher risk of breast cancer down the road...
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November 13, 2009
A Vicious Triangle
For women, alcohol, depression and obesity often go together and form a self−perpetuating cycle. Obsessively replaying negative events in one's mind seems to be what links these activities...
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October 29, 2009
How Risky Is HRT?
For women approaching or coping with menopause, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can offer relief, but at what risk? New research shows that the breast cancer risk appears related to a number of factors...
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October 6, 2009
HPV Vaccine & Breast Cancer
The HPV vaccine appears to also offer protection from certain types of breast cancer, making the vaccine a Win−Win decision for women (and perhaps men)...
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September 25, 2009
Come On and Get Happy!
Postmenopausal women who had a positive, as opposed to pessimistic, outlook lived 16% longer. This new finding expands on work done with men. Attitude adjustment is possible...
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August 31, 2009
Fertility and Ovarian Cancer
Women with Stage 1 ovarian cancer may be able to remain fertile and avoid the early menopause brought on by removal of their ovaries. A new study has found there is no...
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August 27, 2009
Seafood Fights Depression?
Pregnant women who ate seafood during pregnancy were half as likely to suffer from depression. While one must be careful of mercury levels, depression puts mothers and babies at risk...
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August 13, 2009
Glycemic Load & Breast Cancer
Women who ate the highest glycemic load were at an 81% increased risk of developing estrogen receptor (ER)–positive/progesterone receptor (PR)–negative breast cancer...
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July 30, 2009
Chlamydia, A Hidden Danger
Chlamydia is a sneaky, all-too-common sexually transmitted disease. People who have it often have no symptoms until it is very far progressed. That's why screening is so important...
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July 28, 2009
Obese Moms' Babies At Risk
Obese women pass on insulin resistance −− abnormally high insulin and blood sugar levels −− to their infants
in utero. These babies often have high levels of fat...
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July 10, 2009
Memory and Menopause
Women in menopause often report "senior moments", and a new study supports that these memory deficits are real. The good news is that they are temporary...
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June 24, 2009
Women's Smoking More Dangerous
Women who smoke are more likely than men to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD, even when they are lighter smokers. And they do so at a younger age...
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June 4, 2009
Under The Pre-Natal Sun
Pregnant women who get a reasonable amount of sun and so have good vitamin D levels during the third trimester have children with stronger, bones than those with lower levels. The benefits may last into adulthood...
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May 22, 2009
Better Put That Donut Down
Women who ate a low−glycemic breakfast − eating high fiber foods which take longer to break down and result in a slower rise in blood sugar − felt fuller and burned fat more quickly than...
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May 15, 2009
The Pill and Muscle Mass
Women who use birth control pills have a more difficult time building muscle mass than those who do not, according to a new study. Progestin's blocking effect on testosterone appears to be the reason..
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May 7, 2009
One Drink May
Be Too Many
Do teetotalers live longer? A new study of over a million women seems to suggest that they do.
Bad news for wine lovers..
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March 26, 2009
Coffee Reduces Stroke Risk
A study of women found that coffee, as long as it's not consumed with a cigarette, can help you lower your risk of a stroke. Of course anxiety is another matter..
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March 10, 2009