Concerns about mesh used for pelvic organ prolapse
Posted by on October 17, 2012 - 9:22am

Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) affects approximately 30- 50 percent of all women between the ages of 49 and 80. It's a condition that usually occurs in women as they approach and move through menopause. Women who have given birth are more likely to be diagnosed with POP, as are Caucasian women, smokers, women who are overweight, and women who have suffered severe pelvic injuries.

Surgical treatment is not always necessary, and one surgical procedure could put the patient at risk for serious complications. When doctors use transvaginal mesh to provide the support for tissues compromised by POP, they may be compromising the health of their patient.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse occurs when weakened muscles and connective tissues in the pelvis allow the uterus, bladder or bowels to drop into the vaginal canal. Sometimes this weakening is so minor that women don't feel any symptoms. In these cases, treatment is usually unnecessary, or doctors may prescribe Kegel exercises or lifestyle changes, which can reverse symptoms and prevent further weakening.

Some women experience more moderate to severe symptoms. In these cases, surgical procedures may be performed in order to correct POP. Prior to the use of transvaginal mesh, doctors used a patient's own tissues to support the weakened muscles. However, once transvaginal mesh was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it became the medical device of choice for many surgical procedures to correct POP.

Transvaginal mesh  used for POP was approved in 2002 under the FDAs 510(k) Clearance Process, which is a "fast-track approval" program for new devices that share similarities with similar pre-approved devices on the market. Unfortunately, vaginal mesh products do not perform as successfully as their similar mesh product counterpart, which is used to treat hernias.

Vaginal mesh erosion is the main culprit of the thousands of transvaginal mesh complications reported to the FDA since the early 2000s.

Complications associated with vaginal mesh can include:

  • Erosion of mesh material into the vaginal tissues and/or other organs
  • Protrusion of the mesh into the vagina
  • Pain in the vaginal canal and/or pelvic region
  • Pain or discomfort during sexual intercourse
  • Incontinence
  • Difficulty with bowel movements
  • Unusual discharge or bleeding

It can often require more than one revision surgery in order to reverse any damages related to transvaginal mesh and there could be permanent health issues.   Women with POP should understand their risk with regards to Pelvic Organ Prolapse and its treatment. Non-invasive surgeries should be used whenever possible, and if surgical intervention is necessary, women should be aware of the risks of vaginal mesh.

Guest blogger:  Elizabeth Carrollton writes for Drugwatch.com.

Sources:

http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/AlertsandNotices/ucm262435.htm

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/746285

 

 

Study Cites Exercise as an Aid in Lowering Breast Cancer Risk
Posted by on October 16, 2012 - 10:18am

Moderate to intense exercise and maintaining a healthy weight has been linked to a lower risk of breast cancer found a study conducted by the University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Global Public Health and published in the journal Cancer.  The results still held up if women did not actively exercise in their younger years, but started a regimen later in life.

The Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project looked at the relationship between breast cancer and the environment.  Researchers studied more than 3,000 women between the ages of 20 to 98, half with and half without breast cancer.  Women who exercised 10-19 hours a week were 30% less likely to have breast cancer versus those who did not exercise.  Women who exercised during their reproductive years had the greatest benefit: a 33% reduction of breast cancer risk compared to those who did not exercise during their reproductive years.  Postmenopausal women who exercised experienced a 30% reduction in breast cancer risk compared to postmenopausal women who did not exercise.

More exercise even further reduces the risk of breast cancer.

Researchers have not definitively concluded how the link works, but they point to the decreased weight that occurs with regular exercise.  Being overweight is linked to higher rates of cancer potentially because hormone levels and inflammation is increased in overweight people.

Conversely, gaining weight increases the risk of breast cancer.  Non-active women who gained more than 6.5 pounds during their adult years raised their risk of breast cancer by 28% versus non-active women that did not gain weight.  Women who did exercise, but still gained weight had an increased risk of breast cancer compared to non-active, normal weight women meaning that gaining too much weight negates the benefits of exercise.

The results held up even when factors that may affect a participant’s breast cancer risk were accounted for.  These include the use of oral contraceptives, smoking, number of pregnancies and a family history of breast cancer.

“If you’re postmenopausal, and you have not been active, it’s not too late to get started,” lead researcher Lauren McCullough says.

You can still reduce your risk of breast cancer.  Exercise can benefit any age even if weight loss does not occur.

Researchers conclude that physical activity 10-19 hours per week during reproductive and postmenopausal years may have the greatest benefit in decreasing the risk of breast cancer.

Sources:

MSNBC: http://todayhealth.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/25/12401665-exercise-linked-to-lower-breast-cancer-risk?lite

Cancer: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.27433/abstract

Diabetes on the rise during pregnancy
Posted by on October 14, 2012 - 10:18am

 

The rising rates of diabetes during pregnancy was explored in a new study reported at a recent Obesity Society meeting.   Kelly Hunt, PhD, Medical University of South Carolina reported that the estimated rate of diabetes during pregnancy (combining gestational a pre-pregnancy diabetes)  increased from 5% to 8.7% among white women and from 5.7% to 9.7% among black women.

She said diabetes rates overall increased because of the obesity epidemic and the rising age at which women are giving birth.

"One thing that's good is that the awareness of diabetes during pregnancy has increased a lot in the past 20 years, which is important because you want either pre-pregnancy diabetes or gestational diabetes to be treated during pregnancy so that the impact on the infant is minimized," Hunt said.

Exposure to diabetes during pregnancy has been associated with birth defects, higher birth weight, and greater risks of childhood and adult obesity in the offspring.

"More interventions are needed, both to reduce the prevalence of diabetes prior to pregnancy and to prevent women who have gestational diabetes from subsequently developing type 2 diabetes," she added. "So I would say the take-home message is that we have a lot more work to do and with the obesity and diabetes epidemics, we really need to be thinking about how they're impacting the next generation."

Primary source: The Obesity Society
Source reference:
Hunt K, et al "Prevalence estimates of diabetes during pregnancy in United States women, 1980 to 2008" Obesity Society 2012; Abstract 744-P.

 

Women can help others break the glass ceiling
Posted by on October 12, 2012 - 8:27am

For women, it has been a long struggle to reach the executive suite. Research by Assistant Professor David Matsa shows that once women make it to the top, they pave the way for those who come later.

“Women who sit at the boardroom table are in a unique position to propel female colleagues to the highest levels of management,” Matsa says. “This then, in turn, paves the way for other women to gain access to higher positions in the company.”

Matsa and his co-author, Amalia R. Miller, found that a woman’s presence on the board of directors increased the likelihood that women would gain top executive positions, including CEO. Likewise, women’s salaries increased under these circumstances, suggesting that female board members may be responsible for some of the convergence in the gender pay gap for top executives.

“Once (women) have that power, when interested they can help others achieve high positions as well,” Matsa said.

Matsa’s research, “Chipping Away at the Glass Ceiling: Gender Spillovers in Corporate Leadership,” is one of several papers on gender and leadership featured in this month’s special issue of Kellogg INSIGHT. The issue highlights research by a host of Kellogg professors on a series of provocative questions, including:

Also featured in the issue is research by Nicole Stephens, who explores whether small tweaks in the language college administrators send to welcome incoming students has an impact on the later academic performance of first-generation college students.

“We can change the way we communicate with students and how students are asked to interact with others in the classroom so that interdependence can be incorporated,” Stephens concludes.

Read this month’s issue of Kellogg INSIGHT

Source:  Northwestern News

The Importance of Skin Color on Women's Health
Posted by on October 10, 2012 - 12:56pm

On Monday, The Scientist printed a valuable article linking to a TED video and a new book entitled Living Color by Nina Jablonski. The video and book delve into the importance of skin color and types for health and social well-being.

To me, there are three points of greatest value: 1) that as humans, our personal melanin and intake of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) are vitally important to our individual health, 2) that as migration and evolution has occurred our pigmentation gene is exceptionally labile, and 3) that skin pigmentation and our individual variations are not discussed nearly enough in our society.

Although I am an advocate for more open, honest dialogue about the significant role race has in this country, this argument for better quality health is different. We need to begin also addressing what pigmentation means for the individual and how women have varying skin needs.  This message is not about Black, White, Asian, Latino, or any other socially constructed label for race or ethnicity, this is about individual health concerns.

As the author correctly explains, the MC1R gene, which is the gene predominantly responsible for pigmentation, has little variation in African people. Those with darker (or more melanin-rich) skin have a “built-in defense” against harmful ultraviolet radiation, is often ideal for health and normal cell reproduction. However, as humans migrated and evolved there was a depigmentation of skin, leading to lightly pigmented (or melanin-poor) peoples. This mismatch of genetic predisposition and solar regimes can mean very different things for a woman’s health.

For example, Nina Jablonski asserts that, “People of Northern European ancestry, for instance, living in Florida or Australia confront intense UVR conditions with pale, melanin-poor skin and suffer from sunburns, high rates of skin cancer, and accelerated skin aging. People of central African or southern Indian ancestry living in Wisconsin or Wales face low and highly seasonal UVR conditions with exquisitely sun-protected skin and suffer from vitamin D deficiencies as a result.”

Ladies, knowing your body also means knowing the health risks and benefits associated with your skin.  Remember, your skin is the largest organ in your body, talk to your health care providers and keep yourself safe!

Mental Concerns for LGBQ Women
Posted by on October 3, 2012 - 11:47am

The following is written verbatim from the the Lesbian Community Cancer Project:   Within the last decade, the relationship between mental health and sexual orientation has been researched more comprehensively. Studies have found that women who engage in same-sex sexual behavior and/or identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer (LGBQ), are at greater risk for mental health concerns than women who do not engage in same-sex sexual behavior. Specifically, women who identify as LGBQ often experience feelings of depression, anxiety and stress based on living in a stigmatized and homophobic culture, and may engage in risky behaviors (e.g., alcohol, drug, or tobacco use) to relieve these emotions. These risky behaviors are ultimately associated with negative psychological, health and job-related outcomes.

LGBQ women are also at increased risk of interpersonal victimization (i.e., verbal, physical and sexual abuse) compared to their heterosexual counterparts. As a result, LGBQ women may experience internalized homophobia (i.e., negative feelings or attitudes towards oneself for identifying as LGBQ, based on living within a homophobic society), which is also linked to depression, anxiety, stress and greater alcohol/drug use. For individuals who identify as trans-masculine or trans-feminine, the risks of mental and behavioral health concerns increase significantly.

It is important to know that, while these mental health concerns may be overwhelming or discouraging, these feelings and stressors are not your fault. Remember that places like Howard Brown Health Center (HBHC) are here for you, and provide health and wellness services that are specialized for the LGBTQ community.

Reference:  The Impact of Minority Stress on Mental Health and Substance Use Among Sexual Minority Women by Keren Lahavot and Jane M. Simoni.

'This Is Personal' Campaign for Women's Reproductive Rights
Posted by on September 27, 2012 - 9:55am

The 2012 election cycle has seen unprecedented coverage (and often misinformation) on women’s reproductive health care due to the Affordable Care Act’s immediate impact and nonstop campaign gaffes related to women’s health.

Last Thursday, the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) launched a new campaign to improve access to women’s health information called This Is Personal. The mission of the campaign is to target, engage and inform younger women about reproductive rights and help disseminate information related to women’s health topics ranging from contraception, maternity care, and what Congress is presently voting on.

It is therefore vitally important that women get involved in the decision-making process to ensure that the women impacted by these deeply personal issues have real world input.  “Decisions about women’s reproductive health are personal. Period.” said NWLC Co-President Marcia Greenberger. “These decisions should be a woman’s to make with the important people in her life. The personal beliefs of lawmakers should not trump a woman’s ability to take care of her health.” Despite the private nature of decisions impacting reproductive health care, they are often made at the federal, state or local levels instead of the individual level.

The This Is Personal campaign hopes that through social media, celebrity involvement in videos and satire, young women (and men) will become increasingly active and interactive about reproductive rights. For example, through the new website’s interactive action tabs women can gather more information about state and federal health care decisions, sign petitions and contact legislators.

Decisions about women’s reproductive health care are greatly personal and deserve intimate involvement from women themselves. This Is Personal has a Facebook, Twitter and website with data and satirical videos which should be used as an educational tool and a place for women to educate themselves for the upcoming election. It is also a place where women can actively use their beliefs and knowledge to have their voices heard by decision makers.  Sharing of ideas and knowledge is the only way to put decision making into the hands of the women who will be affected by the policies of the 113th Congress.

Female whales have long menopause to protect male offspring
Posted by on September 26, 2012 - 7:58am

Did you know that female whales have the longest menopause of any non-human species?  It appears that it may be a way to protect male killer whales who need Mom's protection to survive.

In a study published in the journal Science, researchers found that for a male whale over 30, the death of his mother means an almost 14-fold increase in the risk he will also die within the following year.  Males whose mothers live well beyond their reproductive years are more likely also to live to older age.

"Male killer whales appear to be 'mummy's boys' and  struggle to survive without their mother's help," said Dan Franks of the University of York, who worked on the study. Very few species have a prolonged period of their lifespan when they no longer reproduce, as humans do.   But women can look to female killer whales as kindred spirits. They stop reproducing in their 30s and 40s, but can survive into their 90s, like human females.

"Killer whales are extraordinary animals and their social groups are really unusual in that mothers and their sons are lifelong companions," said Emma Foster, a PhD student at Britain's University of Exeter who led the study.   Foster's team, found that the presence of a mother killer whale who was not reproducing significantly increased her offspring's survival.

For males over the age of 30, a mother's death meant a 14-fold increase in the likelihood of their death within a year. But for daughters of the same age, the difference was just under three-fold. For female killer whales under the age of 30, their mothers death had no effect on survival rates.  Ah, the mystery of nature!

Learn More About NIH Initiatives For Women’s Health
Posted by on September 25, 2012 - 9:31am

Have you ever wanted to know more about where your tax dollars are going when they are allocated to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or what particular women’s health research is being carried out by the federal agency? Enter, the new NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORT). This “one stop shop” allows users to access data, analyses and reports on NIH activities, including the agencies expenditures and research results.

Perhaps a woman wanted to know more about the amount of funding that was put towards a particular research field or disease. The  NIH RePORT website (using the Categorical Spending tab) now links directly to an easy to understand table showing how much money was spent in each fiscal year, with and without the Recovery Act monies. More impressive, is that the funding level for each item can further be broken down by specific initiative if the user clicks on each category’s fiscal year total. The table reports historical data for fiscal years 2008-2011, and estimates for 2012-2013 based on Research, Condition and Disease Category actual data.

This particular tool was a recent US Health and Human Services Innovates Program winner and is a creative and important way to interact with the NIH and learn more about current and future directions in women’s health initiatives.

Older Women and the Medicare Program
Posted by on September 19, 2012 - 3:38pm

In the US, older women rely on the Medicare program disproportionality and significantly more than men. Not only do women make up more than half of the Medicare beneficiaries, we comprise about 70 percent of the oldest (over 85 years old) beneficiaries and are more likely to have multiple chronic conditions.

Because women have a greater likelihood of living longer than men, more health care conditions will accumulate and more health care costs accrue. This means that as women age increased cost sharing and out-of-pocket expenses directly impact them more. Therefore, given the importance of Medicare’s cost sharing with seniors, and it’s quickly dwindling resources, it is important to revisit how vital the program is to older women and some of the options for securing it.

Facts about older women on Medicare:

  • In 2010, the average American woman over the age of 65 had an income of less than $22,000
  • In 2011, older women paid an average of $115 for the Medicare Part B premium, plus deductibles that range from $162 to $1132 before benefits kicked in
  • Despite cost sharing measures, Medicare does not cover many common and costly health care needs such as eyeglasses, hearing aids and long-term care
  • In 2007, the average American women spent an estimated 18.7 percent of her income on out-of-pocket health care costs

Current approaches to prolonging the Medicare program include:

  • Raising the age of Medicare eligibility over the next few years from 65 to 67, or even higher, as people are living and working longer
  • Capping payments or reducing Medicare reimbursement rates for health care providers
  • Replace Medicare as it currently is with a Voucher system, also known as a Premium Support Model. This is the plan that is being proposed by the Ryan-Wyden Medicare Plan in 2012

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