WOMEN’S SEX HORMONES
Published April 13, 2024 | 
WOMEN’S SEX HORMONES (1999)
According to a survey presented at the October 1998 meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, 64 percent of women couldn’t name the hormones that play a key role in reproduction. Of those surveyed, 44 percent said they didn’t know much about estrogen, and 65 percent didn’t know about progesterone.
For women approaching menopause, lack of knowledge about female hormones could make it difficult to decide about hormone replacement therapy (HRT). To help, here’s a refresher course in female hormones and what they do.
Sex hormones 101
Hormones are substances that carry chemical messages from one organ to another organ or to other tissues. Sex hormones work together in an intricate pattern to make the reproductive cycle function properly. Continue reading
Genital warts
Published April 13, 2024 | Genital warts
(1997)
By themselves, genital warts — sometimes called venereal warts or condyloma — are mainly a nuisance because they have a tendency to recur. However, genital warts are caused by types of sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV). If you have genital warts, it’s a good idea to be checked for other infections. The presence of genital warts should increase your suspicion that you may have been exposed to other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including those that may increase your risk for certain cancers.
Some non-wart-causing strains of HPV cause cervical cancer. In fact, in 95 percent of women with cervical cancer, HPV is present and believed to be the underlying cause. Some types of HPV have been linked to anal cancers.
o Cervical cancer - Preventable and treatable Continue reading
OVARIAN CANCER
Published April 13, 2024 | OVARIAN CANCER
(1999)
• The ovaries - A vulnerable lifesource
• An elusive enemy
• Stages of ovarian cancer
• Ovarian cancer treatment
• Genetic risk factors
• Environmental and lifestyle factors
BREAST CANCER GENE TESTING
Published April 13, 2024 | BREAST CANCER GENE TESTING
(1999)
• Should you be tested?
• Preventive options for BRCA-positive women
• Understanding negative test results
• Unanswered questions
The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that about 175,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer are diagnosed each year among women in the United States, and there are more than 43,000 deaths yearly from the disease. This Continue reading
ESTROGEN TO TREAT ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Published April 13, 2024 | ESTROGEN TO TREAT ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
(1998 )
The female hormone estrogen has been making headlines for years as an effective therapy in reducing women’s risk of osteoporosis during and after menopause, as well as for easing symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes. Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) also has shown significant benefit in reducing the risk of heart disease and substantially lowering the risk of heart attack. Now there’s evidence that estrogen may have a protective effect against the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Hopeful news
When scientists reported in 1995 that women past menopause who took estrogen were 40 percent less likely to die of Continue reading
EPIDEMIOLOGY OF ALZHEIMER’S Markers on the path
Published April 13, 2024 | EPIDEMIOLOGY OF ALZHEIMER’S
Markers on the path (1999)
Only about one person in 1,000 has Alzheimer’s disease at age 65, but that risk increases to about three in 100 by age 80. By age 90, about 18 in 100 have some symptoms.
The source of these data, as well as other important facts about Alzheimer’s risk, is the branch of health science known as epidemiology. Using past and current medical data, epidemiologists investigate the occurrence of diseases such as Alzheimer’s in specific populations. Their findings relate to such things as percentages, prevalence (frequency), incidence (new cases) and risk factors. All are crucial to understanding the evolution of a disease, as well as guiding the focus of research and evolving treatments. Continue reading
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Published April 13, 2024 | ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE ( 1999 )
• Pinpointing changes
• Types of incontinence
• Identifying the cause of incontinence
• Seeking treatment
http://mayohealth.org
Incontinence — it’s one of the most embarrassing aspects of Alzheimer’s disease. As many as 5 percent to 15 percent of people with Alzheimer’s are unable to maintain control of urine, stool, or both. As many as 50 percent of people with Alzheimer’s in long-term care facilities have this problem. Incontinence leads to further loss of independence, self-esteem and personal dignity. Continue reading
LATEX ALLERGY
Published April 13, 2024 |
Latex is a milky fluid produced by the rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis, that’s found in Africa and Southeast Asia. Latex is used in a wide variety of consumer products, including balloons, rubber bands, condoms, tires, elastic bands and rubber toys. Latex also is used in numerous supplies for the health care industry, including rubber gloves, intravenous and airway tubing, catheters, syringes, stethoscopes, dressings and bandages.
With the implementation of precautions to prevent the spread of HIV and hepatitis B, there has been a dramatic increase in rubber glove use and a corresponding increase in allergic reactions to latex products. The Food and Administration (FDA) estimates that from 1991 to 1996, rubber glove usage in the United States rose 247 percent to more than 18 billion pairs annually.
• Latex allergies rising
We’ve heard about the concern over latex allergy. Is there a test for it, and when do you recommend that a person get tested? Continue reading