Health aNd Fitness Guide » Women’s Health

Pregnancy, Stress & Asthma

Aziz — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:31:49 +0000

Babies born to women who were stressed out during pregnancy have a greater risk of developing asthma and all allergies later in life. Harvard Medical School researchers measured the levels of Immunoglobulin E (IgE, an antibody involved in allergic and asthmatic reactions) in the umbilical cord blood of 387 babies and found that women who had high levels of stress during pregnancy gave birth to babies with higher levels of IgE.

Caffeine Raises Abortion Risk

Aziz — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:31:52 +0000

Women who consume 200 milligrams or more of caffeine (equivalent to 2 or more cups of coffee) a day may double their risk of miscarriage. Even women who consume less than 200 milligrams may have a 40 per cent chance of miscarriage, says a new study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. (more…)

Mammograms To Spot Stroke

Aziz — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:31:16 +0000

Mammograms, which help detect breast cancer, may also help identify women who are at risk for strokes. Benign arterial calcifications found in blood vessels of the breasts were more commonly found on the mammograms of women who had suffered a stroke. Researchers at the University of Missouri looked at 793 mammograms of women aged 40 to 90 and found that 86 of them, about 10 per cent, had the calcifications. And 115 of the 204 women in the group who had had stroke had the calcifications. Previous studies showed a link between benign calcifications and the risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Pills That Protect

Aziz — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:31:13 +0000

Birth control pills provide long-term protection against ovarian cancer, and the benefits continue even 30 years after the pill is discontinued. The study published in Lancet says that so far the pill has prevented 200,000 women from developing the disease and 100,000 ovarian cancer deaths worldwide. The researchers, led by Valerie Beral from the University of Oxford, evaluated 45 studies on ovarian cancer in 21 countries. It found that the longer the women took the pill, the lower their risk of developing ovarian cancer. Women who were on the pill for 15 years reduced their risk by half. The study shows that the benefits of the pill outweigh risks, which are minimal and last only while the women are on the pill; since its introduction in the 1960s, contraceptive pills have courted controversies with studies clashing on its benefits and risks. There is no preventive screening for ovarian cancer, which is often diagnosed very late.

Husbands: Bane Or Boon?

Aziz — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:31:50 +0000

Husbands create seven extra hours of housework per week for women. Wives save their men an hour of chores each week, according to researchers at the University of Michigan. The study, based on time diaries kept by participants and questionnaires, found that on average household chores for women dropped about 35 per cent, from 26 hours a week in 1967 to 17 hours in 2005. (more…)

Pump Iron To Feel Younger

Aziz — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:31:20 +0000

If you don’t lift weights, you’re missing out on one of the most powerful ways to look and feel younger. A study found that women who strength-train three times a week have more of a type of growth hormone that counteracts age-related muscle loss and protects bone density. Producing growth hormone gets harder with age, and pumping iron is the best way to slow the decline.

Add more weights, like the ones you can lift only three to five times, once every two weeks for strong bones and muscles.

A study hints that exercise helps protect your heart from the physical damage that mental strain can cause.

2-in-1 Pill For Women

Aziz — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:31:27 +0000

Here’s the first no-period contraceptive pill. Unlike other oral contraceptive pills that work on a 21-days-on and seven-days-off cycle, the new pill, ethinyl estradiol/ levonorgestrel (Lybrel E), is for continuous use and comes in a 28-day pack. There may still be some spotting and bleeding, which decreases over time with continuous usage of the drug. However, in the absence of regular periods, it will be difficult for women to know when they are pregnant. Primary studies show that when the pill, approved by the US FDA, is discontinued, menstruation returns to normal.

Healthy Behaviour

Aziz — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:31:53 +0000

A healthy diet, which includes vegetables, fruits and legumes, can help women beat heart attack, says a study by Karolinska Institute, Sweden. The diet is characterized by a high consumption of whole grains, fish, vegetables and fruits. Smoking is a strict no, and some physical activity a must. This combination of healthy behaviors can prevent 77 per cent of heart attacks.

Women, Fried Food and Cancer

Aziz — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:31:42 +0000

Consumption of fried, grilled or roasted food may double the chance of women getting cancer, a study by Dutch researchers has found. Women who ate more acrylamide — a chemical produced when the food is fried, grilled or roasted — appeared to be more at risk. The experts said that other factors could also be to blame, but advised people to avoid overcooking when baking, frying or toasting carbohydrate-rich foods. Those who ate 40 micrograms of acrylamide a day — equivalent to half a pack of biscuits, a portion of chips, or a single packet of crisps — were found to be twice as likely to fall prey to cancer as compared with those who ate much less acrylamide.

Hip fracture in women can be predicted

Aziz — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:31:47 +0000

Scientists have listed 11 factors that will help doctors predict if a post-menopausal woman is going to suffer hip fractures over a period of five years. A broken hip is a common injury among the elderly, and can lead to more serious problems, even death. (more…)