Women's Health

Unnecessary testing may expose young women to “preventable harms,” including anxiety, false-positives, and treatment that isn’t needed, according to findings in JAMA Internal Medicine.

In a recently published study in The Journal of Headache and Pain, Italian researchers compiled data on 548 patients suffering from chronic and episodic migraines enrolled in a tertiary level headache center to determine overall costs incurred.

A blood test showcased potential efficacy for screening and detection of breast cancer, according to an abstract to be presented at the 2019 NCRI Cancer Conference.

The cost and care implications of osteoporosis are expected to grow substantially as the baby boomers age. A study published this year found the total annual cost of providing care for osteoporotic fractures among Medicare beneficiaries, including direct medical costs as well as indirect societal costs related to productivity losses and informal caregiving, would rise from $57 billion in 2018 to $95 billion in 2040 unless strategies are implemented to prevent fractures.

States move to encourage work for Medicaid; the Trump administration imposes restrictions on immigrants using reciept of government benefits when applying for citizenship; FDA advises against cannabis use for pregnant women.

An August study reveals that a school-based human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization program attributed to a dramatic reduction of cervical precancer rates among women living in British Columbia, Canada.

The trial, led by a team from the University of Edinburgh, used the troponin blood test to detect heart attacks, but with separate thresholds for men and women.

Extended estrogen exposure and longer-term hormone therapy was shown to benefit cognitive function among postmenopausal women, according to a new study.

Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb called for the ban of THC-based vaping products; machine learning tested to prevent drug shortages; study finds link between air pollution and miscarriages in China.

Researchers developed a web-based calculator that assists postmenopausal women in determining risk toward conditions like heart attack, stroke, and varying cancers, according to a September study.

Women who enter menopause before age 50 are substantially more likely to have a nonfatal cardiovascular event before they turn 60, and the risk grows the younger the women are when menstruation ends, according to a recent analysis.

The issue of obesity-related cancers is the focus of this month’s issue of Evidence-Based Oncology™, a sister publication of The American Journal of Managed Care®, and during this week’s podcast, we sat down with Debra Patt, MD, MPH, MBA, vice president of Texas Oncology, about the issue, how the health system is addressing it, and how obesity affects different populations, such as postmenopausal women, differently.

Presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress, the findings suggest that polycystic ovary syndrome could be responsible for lower lung capacity in some women, which heightens the risk for cardiovascular disease and higher mortality rates, even in the absence of chronic respiratory conditions.

The study was largely funded the National Institutes of Health, and results appeared in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

According to the findings, adding poly (ADP ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor olaparib to bevacizumab extended progression-free survival (PFS) in women with advanced stage ovarian cancer, with or without a BRCA mutation.

Oregon’s Medicaid accountable care organizations led to reductions in preventable hospital admissions, especially unscheduled admissions, among female beneficiaries aged 15 to 44 years.

Research on the effect of sleep duration in relation to menopausal night sweats and cognitive dysfunction for breast cancer surviving women will be shared at the 30th Annual Meeting of NAMS 2019 in Chicago, Illinois.

New research coming from Doximity is adding to the literature on the physician shortage's impact on maternity care, identifying which metropolitan areas are most likely to suffer from a shortage of obstetricians and gynecologists (OB/GYNs) in coming years.

The study researchers, who examined 1600 premenopausal women who underwent bilateral oophorectomy between 1988 and 2007, found that psychiatric symptoms may lead a woman to undergo an oophorectomy, even after receiving a nonmalignant diagnosis.

When assessing risk for coronary artery disease, excess stomach fat represents the greatest indicator, not overall body mass index, according to a new study.

The recommendation is similar to the task force’s 2013 recommendation, except for the addition of aromatase inhibitors to its recommended medications.

Postmenopausal women who undergo 5 years of menopausal hormone therapy, starting at age 50, showed a significant increase in breast cancer incidence, and can remain at risk for more than a decade.

Among more than 10,000 women breast cancer survivors aged 65 years or older who started adjuvant endocrine therapy, those who had a mental health comorbidity were 33% more likely to use opioids.

Women who reach menopause at an early age had a 31% increased risk of all-cause mortality if they had ever used hormone replacement therapy.

A Conversation With Barbara S. Levy, MD, Vice President, Health Policy, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists