New silicone gel-filled breast implant approved
Posted by on February 23, 2013 - 12:49pm

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this month approved the Natrelle 410 Highly Cohesive Anatomically Shaped Silicone-Gel Filled Breast Implant to increase breast size (augmentation) in women at least 22 years old and to rebuild breast tissue (reconstruction) in women of any age. Natrelle 410 implants are manufactured by Allergan, Inc.

The silicone gel in the Natrelle 410 implant contains more cross-linking compared to the silicone gel used in Allergan’s previously approved Natrelle implant. This increased cross-linking results in a silicone gel that’s firmer. Cross-linking refers to the bonds that link one silicone chain to another. The clinical significance of this type of silicone gel is not known.

If you are considering breast implants, it's important to learn all the facts and options. Over the years there has been a lot of controversy over silicone implants but this has also led to better products than were available 20 years ago.   To learn more, visit HERE.

New study suggests diet soda may raise diabetes risk
Posted by on February 21, 2013 - 11:07am

A new study from France suggests that women who drink large amounts of diet soda are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes. The findings also support the previously documented association between high intake of regular sugar-sweetened beverages and the condition, report Guy Fagherazzi, from the Center for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health, Villejuif, France, and colleagues in a study published online January 30 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Prior research into the relationship between diet soda (artificially sweetened beverages) and type 2 diabetes has produced conflicting results, and while the current study does not necessarily imply causation, there are some biologically plausible mechanisms, the researchers suggest.

And given that diet sodas are "considered — and marketed — as healthier than sugar-sweetened beverages," the findings require further investigation, they say. In the meantime, the authors advise that "a precautionary principle could be applied to the promotion of [artificially sweetened beverages]."

"Our results — in accordance with a recent joint scientific statement of the AHA and ADA — strongly suggest the need to conduct randomized trials that evaluate metabolic consequences of [artificially sweetened beverage] components, such as artificial sweeteners, to prove a causal link between [artificially sweetened beverage] consumption and type 2 diabetes," the study authors conclude.

Am J Clin Nutr . Published online January 30, 2013. Abstract

Medscape Medical News © 2013  WebMD, LLC.  From an Article by Miriam Tucker

 

 

New insight into why more women than men have arthritis
Posted by on February 18, 2013 - 11:55am

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) strikes three times more women than men and researchers in Europe may have found a clue.   Scientists at the Arthritis Research UK Epidemiology Unit at the U of Manchester have discovered 14 new genes that can lead to RA, adding to the 32 other genes that have already been identified.  The researchers latest study published in Nature Genetics, has reported genes that are specific to the female X-chromosome.  According to Professor Alan Silman, medical director at the Research Unit, "This is the first time that a genetic association has been established between RA and the X chromosome."

 

Don't let cancer trump diabetes!
Posted by on February 16, 2013 - 11:49am

When people with Type 2 diabetes are diagnosed with cancer – a disease for which they are at higher risk – they ignore their diabetes care to focus on cancer treatment, according to new Northwestern Medicine® research. But uncontrolled high blood sugar is more likely to kill them and impair their immune system’s ability to fight cancer.

However, people with Type 2 diabetes who received diabetes education after a cancer diagnosis were more likely to take care of their blood sugar. As a result, they had fewer visits to the emergency room, fewer hospital admissions, lower health care costs, and they tested their blood sugar levels more often than people who didn’t have the education. They also had more hemoglobin a-1c level tests at their doctor’s offices. The latter is a critical marker of how well someone has managed their diabetes and blood sugar over the last three months.

“People with diabetes hear cancer and they think that it is a death sentence, so who cares about diabetes at this point?” said June McKoy, MD, director of geriatric oncology at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. “But if they’re not careful, it’s the diabetes that will take them out of this world, not the cancer. That’s why this education is so critical when cancer comes on board. Patients must take care of both illnesses.”

McKoy is the senior author of the study recently published in the journal Population Health Management. Lauren Irizarry, a fourth-year medical student at Feinberg, is the lead author.

Uncontrolled high blood sugar can result in kidney damage and failure as well as blindness and amputation of the feet as blood vessels are damaged by excess sugar. In addition, Type 2 diabetes dampens the immune system and hampers the body’s ability to fight cancer.    People with diabetes have a higher incidence of liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer, and endometrial cancer.

Source:   Northwestern NewCenter

 

Understanding Reproductive Coercion
Posted by on February 14, 2013 - 4:18pm

In January 2013, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), which is the nation’s leading group in the field of obstetrics and gynecology, released an opinion on a lesser known form of abuse called reproductive coercion. Reproductive coercion occurs whenever a woman’s partner tries to stop her from making her own decisions regarding pregnancy. This includes pressuring a woman to have an abortion she doesn’t want, using threats to stop a woman from having an abortion she does want, and attempting to impregnate a woman against her will. This can include a man hiding his partner’s birth control pills, removing a condom in the middle of sex, or even removing a woman’s intrauterine device (IUD) or other internal contraceptive.

Rebekah Gee, an obstetrician and gynecologist who has studied this issue, believes that for men, reproductive coercion is often, “about taking away choices, taking away freedom, control and self-esteem.” She also points out that a man may attempt to get his partner pregnant to tie her to him, and prevent her from leaving him.

Researchers believe that this form of abuse, also called “birth control sabotage,” is more common among women who are abused by their partners in other ways. One study indicates that 25% of teenage girls and 15% of women with abusive partners reported experiencing reproductive coercion. Although researchers involved in the ACOG report are unsure exactly how prevalent this form of abuse is, they believe it is common enough that physicians and other healthcare providers should screen women and check for signs of reproductive coercion during routine visits.

If physicians do not ask questions, women who undergo abuse may not realize that something can be done to improve or resolve the situation they are in. Doctors can take direct steps to help these women by providing difficult to detect birth control, such as IUDs with shortened strings, or emergency contraceptives in unmarked packaging. Additionally, they can direct women to assistance hotlines or agencies, such as the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Simply providing information can also make a difference. In one small study, women in clinics were given small cards with information and a questionnaire about reproductive coercion. Reports of coercion dropped 71% among women who received this information.

While increasing awareness about reproductive coercion and providing immediate help to women experiencing this type of abuse is critical, implementing education and prevention programs will be an important step in stopping reproductive coercion in the future.

Source: Painter, Kim. “Abusive Partners can Sabotage Contraception.” USA Today. 23 January 2013.

To "sun" or not to "sun"--is there a logical balance?
Posted by on February 12, 2013 - 2:50pm

More intense sunlight exposure was linked with a decreased incidence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) among women in the original Nurses' Health Study (NHS), although the more common use of sunscreen likely weakened the association in a later cohort, researchers found.   Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is a form of inflammatory arthritis and an autoimmune disease. For reasons no one fully understands, in rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system – which is designed to protect our health by attacking foreign cells such as viruses and bacteria – instead attacks the body’s own tissues, specifically the synovium, a thin membrane that lines the joints. As a result of the attack, fluid builds up in the joints, causing pain in the joints and inflammation that’s systemic – meaning it can occur throughout the body.

In the original Nurses' Health Study, which began in 1976, women (ages 30 to 55) living in states with the highest ultraviolet B (UVB) intensity had a 21% lower risk for RA compared with those living in states with low UVB levels according to Elizabeth Arkema, PhD, and colleagues from Harvard University.

But in NHSII, initiated in 1989 in women ages 25 to 42, no significantly lower risk was seen, the researchers reported online in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

"The later birth cohort of NHSII participants (born between 1946 and 1964) were more likely aware of the dangers of sun exposure and, perhaps, had more sun-protective behavior, making residential UVB not as good a proxy for actual sun exposure in NHSII," they suggested.

Epidemiologic studies have found a correlation between an increased incidence of RA and other autoimmune diseases with higher latitude (more northern) areas  of residence.  In addition, experimental studies have demonstrated that UVB may suppress the immune system (which overacts in RA).  Exposure to UVB also increases vitamin D synthesis in the skin, which, in turn, has altering effects on the immune system properties.

UVB flux is a measure that reflects exposure intensity based on altitude, latitude, and typical cloud cover patterns, and is expressed in Robertson-Berger units. This measure shows considerable variability in the U.S., ranging from 196 R-B units in sunny states such as Arizona and Hawaii to only 93 units in Oregon and Alaska.

Information on residence, health, diet, and lifestyle was acquired every 2 years from participants in both cohorts.

Similar findings of decreased risk for high exposure in NHS though not in NHSII were seen both for exposure levels at birth and at age 15.  It thus remains unclear if the important window for UVB exposure is in childhood or adulthood. Further analyses found no significant heterogeneity according to skin type, vitamin D intake, or physical activity and body mass index.

These findings add to the increasing evidence that more intense sun exposure lowers the risk of RA, the researchers stated.  "The mechanisms are not yet understood, but could be mediated by cutaneous production of vitamin D and attenuated by use of sunscreen or sun avoidant behavior," Arkema and colleagues wrote.  They called for additional research to explore UVB dose intensity and timing of exposure.

EDITOR's NOTE:   While the link to skin cancer and UVB exposure is well known, the increased use of sunscreen raises other health concerns that may require new approaches to find a "balance" so the benefits of  a little sunshine are not totally lost.
Source reference:
Arkema E, et al "Exposure to ultraviolent-B and risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis among women in the Nurses' Health Study" Ann Rheum Dis 2013; DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2012-202302.

 

FDA allows vending machine with emergency contraception on campus
Posted by on February 9, 2013 - 12:44pm

FDA regulators announced they will not take action regarding a vending machine that dispenses emergency contraception on Shippensburg University's campus in Pennsylvania, MSN News reports.

The machine is located in the school's health center, which can only be accessed by students and employees, and offers Plan B One-Step for $25. Under federal law, individuals ages 17 and older may purchase EC without a prescription.

The machine has been in place for about three years but it wasn’t widely known until it drew national media attention last year, prompting critics to claim it would encourage students to have sex. In response to the scrutiny, the Student Senate and the University Forum both passed resolutions in support of keeping the machine.

Erica Jefferson, an FDA spokesperson, in a statement said the agency "looked at publicly available information about Shippensburg's vending program and spoke with university and campus health officials and decided not to take any regulatory actions."

Peter Gigliotti, executive director for university communications and marketing, in a statement said an additional card reader has been installed on the machine, which students must use before accessing the drugs (Eng, MSN News, 1/29).

Heart Information specifically for Women
Posted by on February 7, 2013 - 12:38pm

During National Heart Month, we are reminded that heart disease is the number one killer of women.  Educate yourself and women in your community by ordering a Free Heart Health Kit. Check out other FDA resources including tips on using cholesterol and high blood pressure medicine safely, eating for a healthy heart and more.  The Women's Health Research Institute has also focused their February e-newsletter on new information on atrial fibrillation in women. To view click HERE.

Taking medicine during pregnancy may be risky
Posted by on February 7, 2013 - 10:30am

More than 90 percent of women use at least one medicine during pregnancy, after all, you can still get a cold while pregnant or you may have a chronic disease that requires medication. Unfortunately, many drug  studies have not included pregnant women and thus we may not have all the data we need to know if they are safe to take during pregnancy.   About half of women ages 18 to 44 years old use the internet to determine if they can take their medicines during pregnancy.  A new study shows that many internet sites list medicines that they say are safe to take during pregnancy despite a lack of evidenced-based safety data.  Remember, if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant:

  • Talk to your doctor about any medications you are taking or thinking about taking. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, as well as dietary or herbal supplements.
  • Don’t stop or start taking any type of medicine that you need without first talking with a health care provider.
  • Check with your health care provider about the information that you find online. A conversation with your health care provider can help ensure that you are taking only what is necessary.

Learn more about medication use during pregnancy, and visit the CDC’s Medications and Pregnancy webpage.

Vitamin D, prenatal health, and obesity
Posted by on February 5, 2013 - 10:52am

Women who are obese at the start of their pregnancy may be passing on insufficient levels of vitamin D to their babies, according to a new Northwestern Medicine® study.   The study found that babies born to lean mothers had a third higher amount of vitamin D compared to babies born to obese moms.

Vitamin D is fat-soluble, and previous studies have found that people who are obese tend to have lower levels of the vitamin in their blood. In this study, both obese and lean mothers had very similar levels of vitamin D at the end of their pregnancies, yet obese women transferred less vitamin D to their offspring compared to lean women.

“Nearly all of mothers in this study reported taking prenatal vitamins, which may be the reason why their own vitamin D levels were sufficient, but the babies born to the obese mothers had reduced levels of vitamin D,” said Jami L. Josefson, MD, first author of the study. “It’s possible that vitamin D may get sequestered in excess fat and not transferred sufficiently from an obese pregnant woman to her baby.” Josefson is an assistant professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and an attending physician at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.

It is unknown what health risks babies born with vitamin D insufficiency may face. Recent studies have linked low vitamin D in adults to an increase in autoimmune diseases, inflammation, and obesity.

The study, published Jan. 4 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, was designed as part of a longer-term project to investigate whether body fat at birth is a predictor of body fat in later childhood and adulthood. Because vitamin D deficiency is associated with a host of health conditions, including obesity, the researchers included the analysis of the mothers’ and babies’ vitamin D levels.

Vitamin D levels were measured from blood collected from 61 mothers at 36 to 38 weeks gestation and umbilical cord blood was collected from their babies immediately following birth. Body fat, weight, and volume of the babies were also measured/“The range of body fat of the babies in this study was similar to other studies reporting neonatal body fat,” Josefson said. “What was novel about this study was that we found babies born with higher vitamin D levels had more body fat. That's in contrast to studies in children and adults who have an inverse relationship between levels of vitamin D and body fat, where the higher their vitamin D, the lower their fat.”

Josefson said more research needs to be done on the role vitamin D may play in the health of babies, and she plans to continue studying this sample again to follow up on the babies’ health outcomes.“Obese women may need larger amounts of vitamin D supplementation to provide their babies with sufficient levels of vitamin D while they are in the womb,” Josefson said.This study underscores the importance of understanding the evolving relationships between maternal obesity, vitamin D nutritional status and body fat in the neonatal period, childhood, and adulthood, Josefson said.

Source:  Northwestern News

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