Thursday, June 27, 2013

Women With Diabetes Taking Vitamin D Benefit From Reduced Blood Pressure And Relief Of Depression

Women With Diabetes Taking Vitamin D Benefit From Reduced Blood Pressure And Relief Of Depression

In women who have type 2 diabetes and show signs of depression, vitamin D supplements significantly lowered blood pressure and improved their moods, according to a pilot study at Loyola University Chicago Niehoff School of Nursing.

Vitamin D even helped the women lose a few pounds.

The study was presented at the American Diabetes Association 73rd Scientific Sessions in Chicago.

"Vitamin D supplementation potentially is an easy and cost-effective therapy, with minimal side effects," said Sue M. Penckofer, PhD, RN, lead author of the study and a professor in the Niehoff School of Nursing. "Larger, randomized controlled trials are needed to determine the impact of vitamin D supplementation on depression and major cardiovascular risk factors among women with Type 2 diabetes."

Penckofer recently received a four-year, $1.49 million grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research at the National Institutes of Health to do such a study. Penckofer and her Loyola co-investigators plan to enroll 180 women who have type 2 diabetes, symptoms of depression and insufficient levels of vitamin D. Women will be randomly assigned to receive either a weekly vitamin D supplementation (50,000 International Units) or a matching weekly placebo for six months. The study is titled "Can the Sunshine Vitamin Improve Mood and Self Management in Women with Diabetes?

About 1 in 10 people in the United States has diabetes, and the incidence is projected to increase to 1 in 4 persons by 2050. Women with type 2 diabetes have worse outcomes than men. The reason may be due to depression, which affects more than 25 percent of women with diabetes. Depression impairs a patient's ability to manage her disease by eating right, exercising, taking medications, etc.

Many Americans do not get enough vitamin D, and people with diabetes are at especially high risk for vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency. Reasons include limited intake of foods high in vitamin D, obesity, lack of sun exposure and genetic variations.

The pilot study included 46 women who were an average age of 55 years, had diabetes an average of 8 years and insufficient blood levels of vitamin D (18 ng/ml). They took a weekly dose (50,000 International Units) of vitamin D. (By comparison, the recommended dietary allowance for women 51 to 70 years is 600 IU per day.)

After six months, their vitamin D blood levels reached sufficient levels (average 38 ng/ml) and their moods improved significantly. For example, in a 20-question depression symptom survey, scores decreased from 26.8 at the beginning of the study (indicating moderate depression) to 12.2 at six months (indicating no depression. (The depression scale ranges from 0 to 60, with higher numbers indicating more symptoms of depression.)

Blood pressure also improved, with the upper number decreasing from 140.4 mm Hg to 132.5 mm Hg. And their weight dropped from an average of 226.1 pounds to 223.6 pounds.

Project To Improve Molecular Diagnosis Of Lynch Syndrome

Project To Improve Molecular Diagnosis Of Lynch Syndrome

The Fundacion Mutua Madrilena, in its 10th Call for Aids to Research, has selected a project to improve the diagnosis of Lynch syndrome led by researcher Marta Pineda, from the Hereditary Cancer research group of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) and the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO). The aid is provided with 33,000 euros and has a duration of two years.

Hereditary predisposition to cancer

Lynch syndrome is a hereditary predisposition to cancer caused by germline mutations in DNA repair genes. Families with Lynch syndrome have a higher risk of developing several types of cancer, especially of colon and endometrium.

Mutational analysis of repair genes often identifies genetic variants of unknown significance, of which we cannot predict its biological significance and clinical consequences. Identification of a variant of unknown significance is an important limitation for proper risk assessment of cancer predisposition. Such variants represent a 30% of the alterations detected in mutational analysis repair genes.

The aim of the project funded by the Fundacin Mutua Madrilea is to study the pathogenicity of the variants identified in repair genes MSH2 and MSH6.

The funding of this project will imply the incorporation of the functional study of these variants in the routine of the Molecular Diagnostic Unit of ICO and a significant improvement in molecular diagnostics of Lynch syndrome.

The determination of the pathogenicity of a variant is essential to help Genetic Counselling Units in doing family counselling and allows predictive studies of risk and prevention measures and an adequate monitoring.

Improvements in diagnosis

On the other hand, together with the announcement of this aid, the researchers of the hereditary cancer group at IDIBELL and ICO, under the direction of Gabriel Capell have published in the Journal of Medical Genetics a study identifying the first PMS2 mutations in Spain. The study also involved the Institute of Medicine and Molecular Oncology of Asturias (IMOMA) and the University of Frankfurt.

Mutational analysis of PMS2 is particularly complex since there are multiple pseudogenes (sequences similar to that of our genes but with no protein expression capacity) that hinder it. The IMOMA uses a special methodology that avoids pseudogenes and identifies mutations in PMS2 in a more reliable way. Subsequently, the functional study of variants of unknown significance made by ICO and the University of Frankfurt has allowed classifying the variants identified in the PMS2 gene.

This exhaustive strategy of molecular study in the genetic analysis of PMS2 gene has allowed the identification of mutations responsible for the syndrome in 69% of the analyzed patients.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Predictors Of Hookup Behaviors Identified Among First-Year College Women

Predictors Of Hookup Behaviors Identified Among First-Year College Women

Casual, no-strings sexual encounters are increasingly common on college campuses, but are some students more likely than others to "hook up"? A new study by researchers with The Miriam Hospital's Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, published online by the Archives of Sexual Behavior, suggests there are certain factors and behaviors associated with sexual hookups, particularly among first-year college women.

"Given the potential for negative emotional and physical health outcomes as a result of sexual hookups, including unplanned pregnancy and depression, it is important to identify the factors that influence hookup behavior," said lead author Robyn L. Fielder, M.S., a research intern at The Miriam Hospital's Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine.

Fielder and her team surveyed 483 incoming first-year female college students about their risk behaviors, personality traits and social environment. Specific questions covered the students' sexual behavior, hookup attitudes and intentions, self-esteem, religious beliefs, parents' relationship status, alcohol and marijuana use, smoking, impulsivity and sensation-seeking behavior. Researchers followed up with the women monthly for eight months.

"Our findings suggest hooking up during the first year of college is influenced by pre-college hookups, personality, behavioral intentions, the social and situational context, family background and substance use patterns - particularly marijuana use," said Fielder.

According to Fielder, this is believed to be the first study to explore marijuana use as a predictor of hooking up, even though previous research has linked marijuana use to risky sexual behavior and marijuana has been shown to impair judgment and reduce inhibitions.

But overall, pre-college hookups emerged as the strongest predictor of hooking up during freshmen year, suggesting early hookup experiences may provide a personal model for future behavior.

"These findings suggest that women's hookup behavior during the first year of college may influence their hookup behavior later in college," said Fielder. "That's why the transition to college is an important time for health care professionals to provide sexual health information and resources to help women make informed choices."

But at the same time, she said it's also important to consider the array of individual, social and contextual factors when studying hookup behavior. "Focusing on any one area of influence fails to capture the complicated matrix of forces that influence young adults' relationship decisions," Fielder added.

Preventing Death Of Eggs During Chemotherapy

Preventing Death Of Eggs During Chemotherapy

Young women who have cancer treatment often lose their fertility because chemotherapy and radiation can damage or kill their immature ovarian eggs, called oocytes. Now, Northwestern Medicine® scientists have found the molecular pathway that can prevent the death of immature ovarian eggs due to chemotherapy, potentially preserving fertility and endocrine function.

Scientists achieved this in female mice by adding a currently approved chemotherapy drug, imatinib mesylate, to another chemotherapy drug cisplatin.

The results were presented at The Endocrine Society's 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

"This research advances the efforts to find a medical treatment to protect the fertility and hormone health of girls and young women during cancer treatment, " said So-Youn Kim, the lead investigator and a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Teresa Woodruff, chief of fertility preservation at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Adding imatinib mesylate to the drug cisplatin blocks the action of a protein that triggers a cascade of events resulting in death of the immature eggs. Kim discovered the protein that triggers the oocyte's ultimate death is Tap63.

Previous research suggested that imatinib is a fertility-protecting drug against cisplatin, but reports of the drug's effectiveness have been contradictory, Kim said. Her research confirms its effectiveness in an animal model.

She is currently testing imatinib with other chemotherapy agents to see if it also protects fertility in combination with them.

To demonstrate that imatinib protects oocytes against cisplatin, Kim and colleagues cultured ovaries (containing the immature eggs) from five-day-old mice with imatinib and cisplatin for 96 hours. The ovaries were then placed in a kidney capsule in the host mice to keep the ovaries alive. Two weeks later, the immature eggs were still alive. The imatinib did not block cisplatin-induced DNA damage, but Kim believes the eggs may recover and repair the damage over time.

"Previous reports have shown that chemotherapy and radiation-treated oocytes are able to recover from DNA damage," Kim said.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Preventing Death Of Eggs During Chemotherapy

Preventing Death Of Eggs During Chemotherapy

Young women who have cancer treatment often lose their fertility because chemotherapy and radiation can damage or kill their immature ovarian eggs, called oocytes. Now, Northwestern Medicine® scientists have found the molecular pathway that can prevent the death of immature ovarian eggs due to chemotherapy, potentially preserving fertility and endocrine function.

Scientists achieved this in female mice by adding a currently approved chemotherapy drug, imatinib mesylate, to another chemotherapy drug cisplatin.

The results were presented at The Endocrine Society's 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

"This research advances the efforts to find a medical treatment to protect the fertility and hormone health of girls and young women during cancer treatment, " said So-Youn Kim, the lead investigator and a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Teresa Woodruff, chief of fertility preservation at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Adding imatinib mesylate to the drug cisplatin blocks the action of a protein that triggers a cascade of events resulting in death of the immature eggs. Kim discovered the protein that triggers the oocyte's ultimate death is Tap63.

Previous research suggested that imatinib is a fertility-protecting drug against cisplatin, but reports of the drug's effectiveness have been contradictory, Kim said. Her research confirms its effectiveness in an animal model.

She is currently testing imatinib with other chemotherapy agents to see if it also protects fertility in combination with them.

To demonstrate that imatinib protects oocytes against cisplatin, Kim and colleagues cultured ovaries (containing the immature eggs) from five-day-old mice with imatinib and cisplatin for 96 hours. The ovaries were then placed in a kidney capsule in the host mice to keep the ovaries alive. Two weeks later, the immature eggs were still alive. The imatinib did not block cisplatin-induced DNA damage, but Kim believes the eggs may recover and repair the damage over time.

"Previous reports have shown that chemotherapy and radiation-treated oocytes are able to recover from DNA damage," Kim said.

Overweight Women Who Lose Weight Experience Improved Memory

Overweight Women Who Lose Weight Experience Improved Memory

Memory improves in older, overweight women after they lose weight by dieting, and their brain activity actually changes in the regions of the brain that are important for memory tasks, a new study finds. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society's 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

"Our findings suggest that obesity-associated impairments in memory function are reversible, adding incentive for weight loss," said lead author Andreas Pettersson, MD, a PhD student at Umea University, Umea, Sweden.

Previous research has shown that obese people have impaired episodic memory, the memory of events that happen throughout one's life.

Pettersson and co-workers performed their study to determine whether weight loss would improve memory and whether improved memory correlated with changes in relevant brain activity. A special type of brain imaging called functional magnetic resonance imaging (functional MRI) allowed them to see brain activity while the subjects performed a memory test.

The researchers randomly assigned 20 overweight, postmenopausal women (average age, 61) to one of two healthy weight loss diets for six months. Nine women used the Paleolithic diet, also called the Caveman diet, which was composed of 30 percent protein; 30 percent carbohydrates, or "carbs"; and 40 percent unsaturated fats. The other 11 women followed the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations of a diet containing 15 percent protein, 55 percent carbs and 30 percent fats.

Before and after the diet, the investigators measured the women's body mass index (BMI, a measure of weight and height) and body fat composition. They also tested the subjects' episodic memory by instructing them to memorize unknown pairs of faces and names presented on a screen during functional MRI. The name for this process of creating new memory is "encoding." Later, the women again saw the facial images along with three letters. Their memory retrieval task, during functional MRI, was to indicate the correct letter that corresponded to the first letter of the name linked to the face.

Because the two dietary groups did not differ in body measurements and functional MRI data, their data were combined and analyzed as one group. The group's average BMI decreased from 32.1 before the diet to 29.2 (below the cutoff for obesity) after six months of dieting, and their average weight dropped from 188.9 pounds (85 kilograms) to 171.3 pounds (77.1 kilograms), the authors reported. This study was part of a larger, diet-focused study funded by the Swedish Research Council and the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation.

Memory performance improved after weight loss, and Pettersson said the brain-activity pattern during memory testing reflected this improvement. After weight loss, brain activity reportedly increased during memory encoding in the brain regions that are important for identification and matching of faces. In addition, brain activity decreased after weight loss in the regions that are associated with retrieval of episodic memories, which Pettersson said indicates more efficient retrieval.

"The altered brain activity after weight loss suggests that the brain becomes more active while storing new memories and therefore needs fewer brain resources to recollect stored information," he said.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Precocious Puberty In Girls May Be Delayed By Vitamin D Supplementation

Precocious Puberty In Girls May Be Delayed By Vitamin D Supplementation

Vitamin D supplementation may help delay early onset of puberty in girls, a new clinical study finds. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society's 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

Among girls, puberty generally begins between the ages of 10 and 14. Boys undergo these changes later, usually between 12 to 16 years of age. Precocious puberty is diagnosed in girls when sexual development begins before the age of 8; in boys, it is diagnosed when these changes occur before age 9.

Recently, medical research has linked vitamin D deficiency to a number of diseases, including cancer, obesity and autoimmune disease. Low vitamin D levels have been found in girls with precocious puberty, as well, although the exact relationship between vitamin D deficiency and early development remains unclear.

To determine how low vitamin D deficiency is related to precocious puberty, investigators in the current study compared blood levels of the vitamin between girls with early and normal development.

They found that girls with precocious puberty were significantly more likely than those with age-appropriate development to have a severe vitamin D deficiency. Among the precocious puberty group, 44 percent had a severe deficiency in vitamin D, compared to 21 percent of the group with age-appropriate physical development.

Additionally, investigators examined the activity of neurons responsible for stimulating the release of a hormone that triggers the ovulation process. Specifically, investigators used the neuron-stimulating compound called N-methyl-D-aspartate, or NMDA, to activate the neurons responsible for releasing gondadotropin-releasing hormone, or GnRH. They found that vitamin D was associated with a suppression of the NMDA-mediated neuronal activities on GnRH neurons.

"If we understand more about the action mechanism of vitamin D on GnRH neuronal activities, we can find a clue to control of precocious puberty using vitamin D or related molecules," said study lead author Min Sun Kim, MD, PhD, assistant professor at Chonbuk National University Medical School in Jeonju, South Korea. "Our results suggest that vitamin D may inhibit early pubertal onset and/or the rapid progression of puberty, at least in part, through the suppression of NMDA-mediated GnRH neuronal excitation in humans."

Study participants included 110 girls between the ages of 7 to 10 years. Seventy-five girls exhibited normal patterns of development, while 35 were classified as having precocious puberty. Investigators used the Tanner scale, which assesses human physical development, to differentiate normal versus precocious pubertal development.

According to Kim, more research, including studies in animal models, is necessary to confirm this project's findings.

Girls With Anorexia Nervosa Suffer Reduced Anxiety With Estrogen Replacement Therapy

Girls With Anorexia Nervosa Suffer Reduced Anxiety With Estrogen Replacement Therapy

Estrogen replacement therapy is associated with a significant decrease in anxiety symptoms among girls with anorexia nervosa, a new clinical trial finds. The results were presented today at The Endocrine Society's Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

"This is the first study to show that estrogen replacement ameliorates the tendency for anxiety in anorexia nervosa and may prevent increasing body dissatisfaction with weight gain," said the study's lead author Madhusmita Misra, MD, MPH, pediatric endocrinologist and associate professor of pediatrics at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. "This is very important given that anorexia nervosa can be difficult to treat, and underlying anxiety, eating attitudes and concerns of body shape with increasing weight during treatment may reduce the success of treatment programs."

Anorexia nervosa is a severe eating disorder that primarily affects teenage girls, although boys, as well as older and younger people, can also develop it. Approximately 0.2-1 percent of teenage girls suffer from the disorder.

The disorder is characterized by a distorted body image, which causes patients to view themselves as heavy, or fat, even when their body-mass index is well below the normal range. As the disease progresses, patients become increasingly preoccupied with weight loss through restricting food and/or increasing activity with intense, frequent exercising. Some resort to purging behaviors to rid themselves of any food that they consume.

Complications include depression, increased risk of suicide and weakened bones, which increase the risk of fractures and osteoporosis. Among girls, menstrual periods stop occurring as body weight and estrogen production drop. If left untreated, the disorder can cause death. Unfortunately, anorexia can be quite difficult to treat, and relapse is common.

In this study, investigators found that anxiety scores on a standardized questionnaire decreased as estrogen levels increased. This relationship was unaffected by weight gain. Additionally, if weight gain did occur, estrogen replacement appeared to prevent a worsening of attitudes toward body image and food, as assessed using the Eating Disorders Inventory-II questionnaire.

"Identification of therapies that reduce the tendency to experience anxiety and reduce body dissatisfaction with weight gain may have a major impact in reducing relapse," Misra said. "These findings have the potential to impact therapy in anorexia nervosa with early implementation of estrogen replacement in girls who are estrogen deficient."

Participants included 72 teenage girls diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. At the start of the study, all were between 13 and 18 years old, and had a measured bone age of at least 15 years.

Investigators randomly assigned participants to receive estrogen or placebo for 18 months. Of the 72 initial participants, 38 received estrogen and 34 received placebo. At the study's start and end, participants completed questionnaires designed to assess anxiety, and attitudes toward eating and body image. Thirty-seven participants completed the study, with 20 receiving estrogen and 17 receiving placebo.

Weight Loss Promoted By Drug Combination In Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Weight Loss Promoted By Drug Combination In Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, lost significantly more weight when they took two drugs that are traditionally used to treat diabetes, rather than either drug alone, a study from Slovenia demonstrates. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society's 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

PCOS is the leading cause of infertility among women. In the United States, the disorder affects approximately 5 million women, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Women's Health. This translates to 1 in 10 to 20 women, overall, who are affected. The disease probably is genetic, although the exact causes are still unknown.

In PCOS, the ovaries produce excessive amounts of male sex hormones, or androgens. The name of the disease derives from small cysts that form on the ovaries, which do not produce enough of the hormone that triggers ovulation. When this occurs, the ovarian follicles, which have filled with fluid in preparation for ovulation, remain as cysts when ovulation fails to take place. In addition to infertility, symptoms include excessive hair growth in areas that usually are relatively hairless; obesity; menstrual irregularity; thinning or balding hair on the scalp; prediabetes or diabetes; and anxiety or depression. Weight loss in these women leads to higher chances of conception, improved pregnancy outcomes and improved metabolic profile.

Treatment varies depending upon the severity of the disease, and includes lifestyle modifications and drug therapy. Some of the same medications that are used to treat diabetes also improve PCOS symptoms. One of these medications, metformin, works by regulating the hormone insulin and by suppressing androgen activity, which, in turn, helps control blood-sugar levels and has beneficial effects on ovarian function. The problem with metformin, however, is that it does not always aid with weight loss.

Because of this, investigators examined different drug combinations to see which ones caused the most weight loss. In addition to metformin, they administered another diabetes medication called liraglutide, both alone and in combination with metformin, to determine which approach led to the greatest amount of weight loss.

They found that patients who took the combined drugs lost 6.5 kilograms (kg), or about 14 pounds, on average, compared to about 4 kg, or almost 9 pounds, on liraglutide alone, and 1 kg, or about 2 pounds, on metformin alone. Furthermore, 22 percent of participants on the combined treatment lost a significant amount of weight, defined as 5 percent or more of their body weight, compared to 16 percent of those on liraglutide. No one in the metformin group achieved this amount of weight loss. In terms of body-mass index and waist circumference, the combined-treatment group saw greater improvements than either of the single-medication groups. For both of these measurements, liraglutide alone outperformed metformin alone.

"The effect of metformin on weight reduction in polycystic ovary syndrome is often unsatisfactory," said study author Mojca Jensterle Sever, MD, PhD, who served as lead author with Andrej Janez, MD, PhD, a fellow consultant at the University Medical Center in Ljubljana, Slovenia. "Short-term combined treatment with liraglutide and metformin appears better than either metformin or liraglutide alone on weight loss and decrease in waist circumference in obese women with PCOS who had been previously poor responders regarding weight reduction on metformin alone."

The main side effect was nausea, which occurred more often with liraglutide than with metformin. The nausea did improve with time, however, and was not associated with weight loss.

Study participants comprised 36 women with PCOS who had lost less than 5 percent of their body weight on a six-month course of metformin preceding the study. Their average age was 31 years. Investigators randomly assigned them to one of three treatment groups for the 12-week study, including metformin alone, liraglutide alone, and both medications.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Early Development Of Offspring Affected When Nursing Rats Ate A Chemical In Antibacterial Soap

Early Development Of Offspring Affected When Nursing Rats Ate A Chemical In Antibacterial Soap

A mother's exposure to triclocarban, a common antibacterial chemical, while nursing her babies shortens the life of her female offspring, a new study in rats finds. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society's 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

Commonly used in antibacterial soap and other personal care products, triclocarban has the potential for a large portion of the public to be exposed to it, said the study's lead author, Rebekah Kennedy, a graduate student in the Department of Public Health at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

"Our study provides supporting evidence for the potential adverse effects of triclocarban exposure during early life, specifically during the lactation period," Kennedy said. "The results indicate that a mother's long-term use of this compound might affect the early development of her offspring, at least according to our animal model."

Past studies by the senior investigator, Jiangang Chen, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee, showed that triclocarban enhances the growth of sex organs in the adult male rat. In this study, the researchers sought to learn if exposure to the same compound, either in the womb or during lactation, would affect rat pups.

Beginning on pregnancy day 5 and continuing until 21 days after giving birth, maternal rats continuously had free access to regular rat chow (the control rats) or chow supplemented with either 0.2 or 0.5 percent triclocarban. The doses found in the blood of maternal rats exposed to triclocarban correspond to blood levels of triclocarban in humans after a 15-minute whole-body shower using a bar soap containing 0.6 percent triclocarban, Chen said.

After birth, some littermates were moved to other groups so that each rat mother nursed two of her own pups and two pups from each of the other two groups. The offspring were weighed daily.

Body weight did not differ at birth among rat pups from the three groups, but by day 3, pups nursed by control rats were heavier than either triclocarban-exposed group, Kennedy reported. Pups nursed by rats that received 0.2 percent triclocarban were about half as heavy at weaning on day 21 as pups nursed by controls, and only 4 of 30 pups survived.

The investigators found that all pups nursed by the control rats survived until weaning, including those born to triclocarban-fed maternal rats but nursed by control rats. No pups nursed by rats that received the larger triclocarban dose, 0.5 percent, survived until day 6. Among pups nursed by rats that received the 0.2 percent dose of triclocarban, 57 percent reportedly lived to nine days after birth, and only 13% survived after weaning.

"Our data suggest that the critical exposure window affecting rat pup survival is related to lactation, as all pups raised by control rats survived regardless of triclocarban exposure status during gestation," Kennedy said.

Although the researchers did not measure triclocarban levels in the offspring, they speculate that the chemical entered the gastrointestinal tract through the mother's milk and affected the pups' growth and development.

After Uterus And Ovary Removal, Testosterone Therapy Improves Sexual Function

After Uterus And Ovary Removal, Testosterone Therapy Improves Sexual Function

High doses of testosterone significantly improve sexual function among women who have had their uterus and ovaries surgically removed, a clinical study demonstrates. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society's 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

Surgical removal of the uterus, or hysterectomy, and the ovaries, which is called oophorectomy, is performed to treat various diseases, including cancer. Hysterectomy is also performed as an elective sterilization, usually among older women, and may be combined with oophorectomy if ovarian disease is present. In cases of a family history of ovarian cancer, an oophorectomy of healthy ovaries may be performed in conjunction with hysterectomy to prevent future disease.

Since the ovaries produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which help regulate the menstrual cycle, their removal causes a drop in these hormones. A side effect of this sudden hormonal drop is a decreased interest in sexual activity, which can disrupt intimate relationships and affect quality of life.

There has been emerging interest in supplemental hormonal treatment with the primary male sex hormone, testosterone for disrupted sexual functioning in postmenopausal women.

To determine whether testosterone therapy increases sexual functioning among patients who have had hysterectomy and oophorectomy, study investigators recruited 71 women who had undergone these procedures. For the first 12 weeks of the study, participants received estrogen replacement. Investigators then randomly assigned them to one of five groups for weekly injections of placebo, or 3, 6.25, 12.5, or 25 milligrams (mg) of an intramuscular testosterone medication, called testosterone enanthate, for 24 weeks.

They found that sexual functioning significantly improved among the group of women who received 25 mg of testosterone compared to placebo. In addition, the weekly number of sexual encounters among this group increased by 2.7 encounters. These improvements were related to greater blood concentrations of free testosterone, which means that the hormone is more active because it is not bound to proteins in the blood. The groups receiving lower doses of the hormone, however, did not have improvement in sexual functioning.

"This study provides novel information about the range of testosterone doses associated with potential beneficial effects on sexual function in women," said the study's lead author Grace Huang, M.D., endocrinology fellow at Boston University Medical Center. "However, long-term studies are needed to determine whether these improvements in sexual function can be achieved safely without increasing risk for heart disease."

A primary concern with testosterone replacement therapy is that it can cause symptoms of masculinization among women. These symptoms include unwanted hair growth, lower voice tone, and increased muscle mass. Few of these side effects were reported in this study.

Investigators used hormonal tests to measure blood concentrations of both total and free testosterone. To assess sexual function, they used a standard questionnaire for women. Participants also completed weekly logs to document sexual activity.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Bones Affected By Excessive Salt Consumption

Bones Affected By Excessive Salt Consumption

A high-salt diet raises a woman's risk of breaking a bone after menopause, no matter what her bone density is, according to a new study that was presented at The Endocrine Society's 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

The Japanese study found that older women who consumed the highest amount of sodium had more than four times the risk of a nonvertebral fracture, or fracture at any site other than the spine. That finding held true even after the researchers made adjustments for many other characteristics that could affect fracture risk, said the study's lead author, Kiyoko Nawata, PhD.

"Excessive sodium intake appears to be a risk factor for bone fragility. It is therefore important to consider excessive sodium intake in dietary therapy for osteoporosis," said Nawata, a professor of health and nutrition at the University of Shimane in Matsue, Japan.

A nonvertebral fracture, particularly of the hip, can cause substantial disability and even death, many studies have found.

Past research shows a connection between excess sodium intake and increased bone breakdown and decreased bone mineral density. Nawata and her colleagues conducted the study to learn whether too much sodium also is related to fracture risk. The researchers studied 213 postmenopausal women, with an average age of 63, who had undergone osteoporosis screening.

The screening included bone density scanning, a food questionnaire and bloodwork to test markers of bone metabolism and rule out medical conditions that can raise fracture risk. In addition, a physician determined the presence or absence of an existing nonvertebral fracture. The women also had motor function tests of their balance, to determine their fall risk, and a test of handgrip strength. Low grip strength is a risk factor for osteoporosis-related fracture.

For all women, the average daily sodium intake was 5,211 milligrams (mg), the authors reported. The group with the highest sodium intake consumed an average of 7,561 mg per day, the sodium equivalent of more than seven McDonald's double cheeseburgers, according to Nawata. That group was 4.1 times likelier to have an existing nonvertebral fracture, compared with the groups who had lower sodium intakes. The increased risk was independent of the other risk factors assessed, including the woman's age, bone mineral density, body mass index, calcium and vitamin D intake, and blood level of vitamin D, as well as balance and muscle strength.

The groups with less sodium intake did not have an increased risk of fracture, Nawata said.

Japanese consume more sodium on average than Americans - 3,972 mg versus about 3,400 mg per day - said study co-investigator Mika Yamauchi, MD, associate professor of internal medicine at Shimane University Faculty of Medicine in Izumo.

Americans, however, consume far more sodium than the daily recommended intake of 2,300 mg, which equals less than 1 teaspoon of table salt. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans further recommend that people 51 and older consume no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day. However, the Institute of Medicine released a report in May stating that "evidence on direct health outcomes does not support recommendations to lower sodium intake ... to, or even below, 1,500 mg per day."

Depression And Incontinence In Younger Women Often Go Hand-In-Hand

Depression And Incontinence In Younger Women Often Go Hand-In-Hand

Research from the University of Adelaide shows middle-aged women are more likely to suffer depression from a common medical problem that they find too embarrassing to talk about: urinary incontinence.

However, help is available for women if they seek medical advice, researchers say.

In a study of the experiences of women with urinary incontinence, researcher Jodie Avery found that middle-aged women with incontinence (aged 43-65) were more likely to be depressed than older women (aged 65-89).

Speaking in the lead up to World Continence Week (24-30 June), Ms Avery says the younger women's self esteem is often hit hard by urinary incontinence, while older women tend to be more resilient and accepting of their condition.

"Women with both incontinence and depression scored lower in all areas of quality of life because of the impact of incontinence on their physical wellbeing," says Ms Avery, a PhD student and Senior Research Associate with the University's School of Population Health and School of Medicine.

"Key issues for younger women affected by incontinence are family, sexual relationships and sport and leisure activities.

"The most common difficulties women express about their incontinence are things like: 'I can't play netball', 'I can't go to the gym', 'I can't go for walks', or 'I can't go dancing', and these are real issues for women who are still in the prime of their lives."

Urinary incontinence affects approximately 35% of the female population. The main cause in women is pregnancy, with the number of children they have increasing their chances of becoming incontinent.

"Our studies show that 20% of the incontinent population has depression, and this is something that we need both sufferers and GPs to better understand," Ms Avery says.

"Sufferers of incontinence are often reluctant to get help, but attitudes are slowly changing. It is very important for them to seek advice about their condition. In some cases, urinary incontinence can be curable with an operation, and this is quite literally a life-changing operation for many women.

"GPs need to be aware that if their patient is suffering from incontinence, this condition is often linked with depression which needs to be treated to increase their quality of life.

"Ultimately, we hope that our research helps to raise awareness in the community about both the mental and physical issues associated with incontinence. We know it's embarrassing, but if you discuss it with your GP, your life really can change."

Monday, June 17, 2013

Genes Contribute To Problem Drinking To A Greater Extent In African-American Than European American Women

Genes Contribute To Problem Drinking To A Greater Extent In African-American Than European American Women

An early age at first drink (AFD) is associated with a greater risk for subsequent alcohol use disorders (AUDs). While African Americans (AAs) generally report an older AFD and fewer alcohol-related problems than European Americans (EAs), few studies have explored the association between AFD and problem drinking across ethnicity. A new study looks at the influences of genetics versus the environment on AFD and problem drinking among AA and EA women, finding that environmental factors shared by family members, such as parenting and school influences, play a larger role in the development of alcohol-related problems in EA than AA young women.

Results will be published in the November 2013 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.

"An early AFD is essentially a marker of risk for later alcohol-related problems," said Carolyn E. Sartor, assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine as well as corresponding author for the study. "This relationship is largely due to common sources of familial risk, including genetic influences."

Sartor added that this is one of the first studies to examine the influences of genetics versus the environment on AFD and problem drinking among women of AA and EA ethnicities. "There are so few twin studies that include a large number of African Americans, it has not been possible to do this type of analysis in other twin samples," she said. "There are a number of molecular genetic studies - that is, studies in which specific genes are examined - investigating potential differences between AAs and EAs in genetic influences on alcohol dependence, but not AFD or the less-severe, problem-drinking outcome we examined."

Sartor and her colleagues examined data from a larger longitudinal study of female twins in Missouri. This sample was comprised of 3,532 twins (3,052 EA, 480 AA; 18-29 years of age) who reported consumption of at least one alcoholic drink over the lifetime. Twin modeling was used to estimate the relative contributions of additive genetic, shared environmental, and unique environmental factors to AFD and alcohol-related problems, rather than measure specific environmental influences or genes.

"Common or shared environmental factors, such as parenting and school influences, play a larger role in the development of alcohol-related problems in EA than AA young women," said Sartor. "Whereas about one-third of the risk for problem drinking in EAs was explained by a common environment, we found no evidence for a common environmental contribution to problem drinking in AA young women."

"Among AAs, genetics accounted for less variability in the age of drinking onset than on EAs," added Denise Herd, associate professor of public health at the University of California at Berkeley. "In the AA sample, nearly half of the variation in AFD was due to unique environmental effects - the remaining variance was about equally divided between genetic effects and shared environmental features. Among EA women, these patterns were different with 45 percent of the variation in AFD attributed to genetic effects, and the rest split almost equally between shared and unique environmental factors. In contrast, for problem drinking, the variation attributed to genetic factors for AAs was about twice that observed for EA women. In addition shared environmental features contributed to a third of the variance in problem drinking among EA women, but nothing to the variance for AA women."

"In other words," said Sartor, "the higher heritability estimate for AAs versus EAs indicates that genes contribute to problem drinking to a greater extent in AA than EA women."

Sartor added that there may be aspects of environments in which AA girls and young women are being raised that protect them against problem drinking, and which are not in place to the same degree for EA girls and young women.

"Examples of the types of shared environmental factors that may act as protective factors include a high degree of religiosity and negative attitudes toward alcohol use among AAs," she said. "In an environment that discourages heavy alcohol use, genetics - and individual-specific environmental influences - then drive the risk for problem drinking. Identifying and encouraging greater involvement in the aspects of the community that protect against risk for problem drinking are essential components of prevention and intervention."

"Given that the socio-cultural determinants of drinking behavior are very complex - involving individually inherited traits, familial and peer influence, neighborhood environments, alcohol availability and marketing - I think the interpretations of the study should be cautious with respect to clinical implications," said Herd. "That being said, this study could be viewed as a part of the literature showing that ethnic and racial variability in explanations for the onset of drinking and problem experiences are important. These findings add to research suggesting that 'one size doesn't fit all' in assumptions about the etiology of problem drinking in multicultural situations. In summary, I think this paper might help lay readers and practitioners understand that social and familial environments and different life trajectories for different groups of women can impact their drinking behavior."

Happy Birthday Breast Implants

I hate giving bad gifts. I can't stand being the guy who gives a present that doesn't have thought behind it. Gift cards aren't my thing. I rarely, if ever, choose something off of a registry. That being said, after four years of dating, I still hotly debated whether I wanted to give my girlfriend the gift I thought she would like most for her birthday. No, not an engagement ring. I didn't know if I actually had the guts to buy her breast implants.

She's not your average girlfriend. Jennie is almost six feet tall. She wears a size two on the days she is feeling fat. Her legs go all day. Wearing a bikini for her is insulting, she prefers clothing optional beaches and never partakes in the clothing option. Let's be honest, I have a good job but am no model. I'm just plain out of my league hanging with her.

In any event, as couples do, we share most everything. She knows most of my past, the areas that I am confident in, my future goals, and many of the things that make me uncomfortable. I know that she loves attention. She is the life of the party. She's also loyal and drop-dead gorgeous. She too has demons and a past, but who doesn't?

It certainly doesn't come up every day, but after we've showered together, or spent time in the hot tub, or gone on a romantic trip, occasionally she mentions her B-cups with disdain. Trust me, I am not complaining. However, she has talked about breast implants before and I know she's interested in them. Would they be a better present than a piece of jewelry?

Since I really didn't want to mess up a great relationship by buying an insulting gift, I consulted my two closest female friends Carrie and Lynn. We had lunch one day and I mentioned getting Jennie breast implants. I was shocked when they both thought it was a great idea. They listed all the stupid gifts boyfriends had bought them and how this was something that would enhance who they were aesthetically and from a confidence standpoint. Lynn told me she was a different person since she got her breast implants.

I did all the research and found a trusted doctor that had tons of good references. I arranged for a time and date that would work in Jennie's schedule. After her birthday dinner I told her of the gift. She was thrilled beyond belief. A few months after the surgery she is even more stunning than before. We're getting married next year. Sometimes you have to go for the gusto with gifts.

Reduced Incidence Of Rape For Kenyan Girls Who Received Self-Defense Training

Reduced Incidence Of Rape For Kenyan Girls Who Received Self-Defense Training

Rape is shockingly common in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, where as many as one in four adolescent girls are raped each year. But a short self-defense course can dramatically reduce the girls' vulnerability to sexual assault, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and an organization called No Means No Worldwide.

"Self-defense training taught these young girls to stand up and say 'no' with confidence, and empowered them to escalate their own defense to a higher level, if necessary," said Neville Golden, MD, senior author of the new study, which is now available online on the Journal of Adolescent Health website. "To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that a self-empowerment/self-defense course can reduce the incidence of rape in adolescent girls," added Golden, who is a professor of pediatrics at Stanford and the division chief of adolescent medicine at Packard Children's.

The study looked at 402 girls who participated in a self-defense program developed by a Kenya-based nongovernmental organization, No Means No Worldwide, that taught them verbal and physical self-defense techniques, and gave them information about how to get help if they were assaulted. Conducted in high schools, the program was designed to combat a culture in which discussing sexual assault is taboo.

In the 10 months after receiving self-defense training, more than half of these girls reported using what they had learned to fend off would-be attackers. The proportion of them who were raped fell from 24.6 percent in the year before training to 9.2 percent in the 10-month period after.

"There is a strict code of silence among rape victims in Kenya, especially with the stigma of HIV and AIDS," said Jake Sinclair, MD, the lead author of the new study and a pediatrician at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, Calif. "Typically, no one is going to admit that they were raped. Victim-blaming is the norm." Sinclair and his wife, Lee, co-founded No Means No Worldwide and have developed sexual-assault prevention curricula for several audiences in Kenya, including self-defense programs for girls and women, and educational programs to help boys recognize the harm inflicted by sexual assault.

The subjects of the study were 522 high school girls, ages 14 to 21, in two impoverished Nairobi slums: 402 received 12 hours of self-defense training over six weeks, as well as two-hour refresher courses at three-, six-, nine- and 10-month intervals; 120 in a comparison group received a one-hour life-skills class that is the current national standard in Kenya. Before and 10 months after the training, both groups answered anonymous questionnaires about their recent experiences of rape.

At the start of the study, nearly one in four girls reported that they had been forced them to have sex in the prior year; 90 percent of the victims knew their attackers. The study focused on rape and did not assess the entire range of behaviors classified as sexual assault under U.S. laws.

Among girls who received self-defense training, 56.4 percent used the skills they learned to fend off attackers in the subsequent 10 months. Of these girls, half used verbal skills alone, one-third started with verbal skills and added physical skills, and 17 percent used physical skills alone. Not only did total assaults drop sharply, but assaults by the two most common groups of perpetrators, boyfriends and relatives, decreased significantly. After receiving training, girls who were raped were more likely to seek help following an attack.

In contrast, among girls who had life-skills classes, the proportion who became victims of rape remained about the same.

"We were pretty stunned that the self-defense training was so effective," Sinclair said. "From the testimonials we collected, we saw that even a small girl could disable an attacker and get away, again and again."

The self-defense classes, which trained and employed local Kenyan women as instructors, were also cost-effective: providing the training cost $1.75 per student, whereas immediate after-care for rape in Kenya costs $86, a figure that does not account for long-term costs such as new HIV infections or unwanted pregnancies.

No Means No Worldwide is now testing the effectiveness of their curriculum for boys, which focuses on teaching boys not to perpetrate sexual assault. They are also working to disseminate the girls' self-defense curriculum more widely.

"Often, people focus on women as victims," said Cynthia Kapphahn, MD, a clinical associate professor of pediatrics at Stanford and an adolescent medicine specialist at Packard Children's who was also an author of the study. "This work shows that it's also important to focus on them as empowered beings; that approach can have an important role in a woman's ability to protect herself."

Friday, June 14, 2013

Monika Schnarre Got Pregnant Through a Naturopath

Two patients brought this Chatelaine article to my attention today. If you haven't read it, the gist of the article is that Monika Schnarre had a number of miscarriages, failed IUI's, failed IVF's and was dealing with age related fertility problems when she and her husband finally conceived and maintained a successful pregnancy with the help of a naturopath. The patients who showed me this article were, of course, wondering if perhaps their thyroid was a little off just like Monika Schnarre's was and should they be tested for this. I give all of my fertility patients a list of tests that would be helpful to request from their fertility clinic or that we can run. Unfortunately, OHIP will not cover the cost of the tests if I run them and although we only charge what the lab charges us for them, they can amount to hundreds of dollars worth of tests.

So, we are often dependent on the cooperation of the fertility clinics to have these vital tests done. You would be surprised how many fertility related tests are never run by a fertility clinic. Wouldn't they be the experts? Shouldn't they be the most thorough at testing? Sadly they are not, as demonstrated by Monika Schnarre's article. She struggled with fertility for years and was being treated at a fertility clinic and yet, hadn't had these fairly basic and routine tests done. T3 and T4 are on my list of "must have" tests for fertility patients, particularly if their TSH level is above 2.00. In my experience, fertility clinic testing is often very cursory. They'll test estrogen (estradiol), FSH, LH and progesterone and for many women I've seen, that's about it and that is nowhere near enough. What about testing for androgens or male hormones like testosterone, DHEAs, androstenedione since they present the most likely impediment to successful ovulation? What about testing the thyroid thoroughly with T3 and T4? What about checking the adrenal glands since they help produce building blocks or precursors to sex hormones and work in conjunction with the ovaries and thyroid?

What about looking at autoimmune issues like anti-cardiolipin antibodies, anti-phospholipid antibodies and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies? What about checking for MTHFR, a somewhat common genetic mutation that can mean a greater risk of infertility, miscarriage and birth defects? How about blood sugar and insulin issues by testing fasting blood sugar AND fasting insulin, HbA1c and maybe even a glucose tolerance test WITH insulin levels, since insulin has a significant impact on hormone balance and therefore healthy egg development. The glucose tolerance test with insulin levels is the only method of assessing insulin resistance. If a woman is insulin resistant, it means that every time her blood sugar level rises, she needs extra insulin to get that blood sugar back down. Extra or frequent insulin production alters hormone balance and increases male hormones or androgens. A developing egg bathed in androgens, will not develop normally and will make for a poor quality egg and poor response to fertility treatments. Why wouldn't a fertility clinic want to know this going into such an expense treatment as IVF?

Most of the women I have seen who are being treated at a fertility clinic, have never had any of this checked, but because these doctors are supposed to be the experts, they don't know to question how thoroughly their infertility has been investigated. They trust that these "experts" would test thoroughly, and they don't. In my 14 years of experience, I have never seen a woman who was tested for all of these things without us requesting that it be done, never, no matter what the reputation of the fertility clinic.

What I take away from Monika Schnarre's article is this, not necessarily that every fertility patient needs to have their T3 and T4 checked, but that they should all be thoroughly checked for any factor that might be affecting their fertility BEFORE initiating any kind of treatment, since the success or failure of that treatment hinges on the knowledge derived from all of the above testing. For a more thorough, all encompassing and holistic approach, it's probably best to have a naturopathic doctor who specializes in fertility on your team if you are trying to conceive and are having difficulty.

To read Monika Schnarre's article in Chatelaine, click here: http://www.chatelaine.com/health/wellness/how-i-got-pregnant-against-the-odds/

A Practical Guide To Treating And Preventing Yeast Infections

People have the wrong idea that yeast infections are always caused by women not taking good care of their personal hygiene. While that is one of the ways that yeast infections occur, there are many other ways. Keep reading to find out what the lesser known ways are to become the victim of a yeast infection.

If you suffer from recurrent thrush infections, try not to wear panty liners, which can irritate your skin and create yeast infections. Try to stick with cotton fiber underwear, as this can provide the most comfortable feeling possible and help to limit the amount of moisture that you have in your area.

Be careful of the products that come into contact with your vagina. Feminine sprays, bubble baths, and scented soaps can all irritate the area inside the vagina and increase the chance of a yeast infection. Anything that is scented or dyed should not come into contact with the vagina.

Acidophilis is great for yeast infections. It is a live culture found in a lot of yogurts can slow down or stop the infection. If you have to eat yogurt to get this culture, eat the sugar-free kind. Sugar can be counter-active to the culture's job performance because it feeds the infection.

When you are wearing something, you are sweating a lot in or getting a lot of water in, like gym clothes or a bathing suit, it is important to change your clothing immediately. Wearing these clothes just allows moisture to hang around your genital area, welcoming all kinds of infections to form.

Stay away from scented feminine hygiene products. The chemicals used to create those pleasing scents can alter your body's natural pH. This creates an environment that is perfect for a colony of yeast to develop. Bypass the scented pads and tampons and opt for all natural products, free from chemical scents and dyes.

When searching for a bit of a reprieve from the pain and itching, you may find apple cider vinegar to be incredibly effective. By pouring a cup of this vinegar into your bath water before taking a soak, you can achieve a surprising level of soothing relief.

If you have a history of thrush, fight them by adding probiotics to your diet. Acidophilus, the common bacteria in most yogurt, is a beneficial culture that helps to balance the bacteria within the body, staving off yeast infections. Probiotics are also available in the form of a pill or powder.

Stop taking your birth control pills until it passes. The birth control pills will weaken your immune system and actually prevent your body from fighting it off. So try using alternative forms of contraception like condoms.

Get out of your sweaty workout clothes as soon as possible. Sweaty workout clothes cause the body to be exposed to a damp environment. When such an environment is present in the vaginal area, the result can be a painful and uncomfortable infection. Bring a change of clothes to the gym, and change as soon as you are able to.

Before trying a home remedy, check with your doctor to be certain that what you have is actually a yeast infection. There are other conditions, such as trichomonas and bacterial vaginosis, that appear similar, yet require medication to cure.

Try using an over-the-counter antifungal cream. You can find these at your local grocery store or drug store. They are available under different names like Vagisil and Monistat. Apply the cream as directed to the affected area to help soothe and treat the symptoms.

Now that you have read about several ways that you can end up with a yeast infection, hopefully you are much more careful in the future. While it is fairly easy to treat, they are not something that you should have to deal with on a regular basis.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

In Mouse Model, Females Fend Off Gut Diseases

In Mouse Model, Females Fend Off Gut Diseases

At least among mice, females have innate protection from certain digestive conditions, according to a new Michigan State University study.

While it's tricky to draw conclusions for human health, the findings could eventually help scientists better understand and treat the 1.4 million Americans suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases, or IBD.

Crohn's disease and colitis, the two most common forms of IBD, involve abnormal functioning of the immune system that can damage the digestive tract, causing inflammation, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain and other symptoms.

For the study, researchers induced colitis by giving mice with weakened immune systems a dose of bacteria that can cause digestive trouble. After six weeks, the males had significantly more severe symptoms than the females and had more of the bacteria left in their guts. The males also showed more deterioration of their bones, which studies have linked to gut inflammation.*

"It seems females are protected from bad bacteria-induced bone loss, and it's because they have reduced gut inflammation," said co-author Laura McCabe, a professor in the MSU Departments of Physiology and Radiology. "When we looked at markers of inflammation in the male mice, they were really high, whereas the females didn't have that kind of bad response. They can somehow handle these nasty bacteria."

McCabe said while the new study is a step toward better understanding of IBD, it's not clear if women have the same kind of resistance to the condition as the female mice. Indeed, much is still unknown about IBD, including what causes it. The imbalance of good and bad gut bacteria that the experiment simulated is one possible cause.

"We want to know what it is about female mice allowing them to be protected," she said. "If we can understand that, we might have a potential therapeutic target for people with IBD."

The study was funded by the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America and appears in the journal Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

Malignant Cells Not Directly Targeted By Hormonal Treatment For Endometrial Cancer

Malignant Cells Not Directly Targeted By Hormonal Treatment For Endometrial Cancer

Progesterone, a female hormone that can be used as a therapy for endometrial cancer, eliminates tumor cells indirectly by binding to its receptor in stromal or connective tissue cells residing in the tumor microenvironment, according to a study from the G.O. Discovery Lab team and collaborators at UCLA.

Like tumors of the breast and prostate, endometrial cancer is regulated by hormones. Unlike therapies for breast and prostate cancer, where drugs are given to block hormone signaling, in therapy for endometrial cancer progesterone is given to stimulate its hormone receptor. Although it has been used for several decades, no one really knew the mechanisms and site of action for progesterone therapy.

Doctors know that a certain subsets of patients will benefit from treatment with progesterone. However, doctors prescribing the hormone therapy are shooting in the dark because they don't know in advance which patients will respond and which women may have resistant tumors, said study senior author Dr. Sanaz Memarzadeh, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology and director of the G.O. Discovery Lab at UCLA. Therefore, while progesterone can be effective as a therapy in endometrial cancer, its use is not widely embraced in clinical practice.

"When viewing tumors under the microscope clinicians often focus on the cancer cells and neglect the supporting stroma in the microenvironment. In this study we found that all of the progesterone anti-tumor effects are in fact mediated through the stroma even though it makes up a minor fraction of the tumor," said Memarzadeh, who also is a researcher at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research and UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. "I believe these exciting findings are going to surprise the clinical community and change the way people look at patterns of hormone receptor expression in endometrial tumors."

The results of the three-year study, done using a specially developed laboratory model created by Memarzadeh's team that closely mimics human endometrial cancer, appear in the early online edition of Cancer Research, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Memarzadeh and her team showed that if you delete the progesterone receptors in the stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment, progesterone therapy will not work. However, in a model of hormone resistant endometrial cancer, the tumor cells became sensitive to hormone therapy when the progesterone receptors are returned to the adjacent cells in the microenvironment.

"We were really surprised to find that when we added back the progesterone receptor to the microenvironment, tumors that before did not respond to the treatment simply melted away," said study first author Deanna Janzen, a senior research associate in the G.O. Discovery Lab. "Making one genetic change in the tumor microenvironment, deleting or adding back the progesterone receptor, completely changed the biology of the tumor. That was a striking finding."

Going forward, Memarzadeh and her team will translate this work into studies of human samples of endometrial cancer to see if their findings apply to patients. They hope to discover biomarkers that indicate response or resistance to hormone therapy. They also plan to find and test drugs that can reverse progesterone resistance, making cells sensitive to hormone therapy. This approach will provide a potential combination therapy that could prove effective for women with disseminated endometrial cancer.

Currently, the most common treatment for early stage endometrial cancer is hysterectomy, followed by radiation and or chemotherapy. Doctors may prescribe progesterone to endometrial cancer patients who are seeking to preserve their fertility not knowing whether it will be effective, so finding biomarkers that indicate response would provide clinicians with a valuable tool, Memarzadeh said.

Endometrial cancer, which starts in the endometrium or the inner lining of the uterus, is the most common gynecologic cancer in the United States. About 49,000 new cases of endometrial cancer will be diagnosed this year alone, and about 8,000 American women will die from their cancers. The chance of a woman being diagnosed with this cancer in her lifetime is about one in 38, according to the American Cancer Society.

"This finding may have critical clinical implications as it demonstrates that modulation of the tumor microenvironment can reverse hormone resistance in endometrial tumors," the study states. "In future work, we will test if stromal specific delivery of DNA methyltransferase inhibitors may be an effective way to re-sensitize hormone refractory endometrial cancers to progesterone therapy."

Ultimately, the G.O. Discovery Lab team hopes to develop a simple test so that, after biopsy and analysis of an endometrial tumor, physicians will be able to figure out whether or not their patient is a good candidate for hormonal therapy.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Yeast Infections - What Are They And How Do They Grow?

Yeast Infections in Women

The fungus yeast actually normally lives inside of vaginas. Normally, this fungus doesn't cause any problems. It's called a "yeast infection or fungal infection" when the yeast gets out of control in the vagina. It's quite common for women to get a yeast infections. It's very rarely an issue, and the treatment of this condition is usually simple and effective.

Factors That Cause Yeast Infections

There are many different types of yeast, but the kind that causes yeast infections the most often is known as Candida albicans. Vaginas that are healthy have a variety of different bacteria in them, including some kinds of bacteria, such as Lactobacillius acidophilius that keep the bad kind of yeast in check. Generally, bacteria like these are called "microflora" since they are microorganisms too small to see with the naked eye.

Yeast infections happen when there's a microfloral imbalance between the good bacteria and the bad bacteria like Yeast. The yeast gets out of control and grows so large that the good bacteria can't keep it in check anymore. This can be caused by a few different things. For example, if you get sick with a different disease that requires you to take antibiotics, sometimes these drugs can kill off good bacteria in the vagina that allows the yeast to grow unchecked and cause problems.

Additionally, anything that makes estrogen high in women can be a cause as well. Being pregnant or having therapy to replace hormones can make high estrogen happen. A high level of estrogen in your body can make yeast grow way more than it should, causing the imbalance that leads to infections.

Anything that affects your body's ability to fight against diseases can make yeast infections more likely as well. This includes conditions like diabetes or an HIV infection.

Keeping Your Body Healthy

It's important to do everything you can to avoid or cure yeast infections as soon as symptoms manifest themselves. Some of the symptoms include itching, or any kind of soreness in the vagina. It can be especially obvious you have the infection if it burns when you pee or engage in sexual intercourse.

It's not a required symptom, but a clumpy white discharge can show itself as well, and this is a sure sign that treatment is required.

If you don't treat this problem when it occurs, then sex will be much less pleasant. Life in general will be much less pleasant as well since it makes a burning sensation occur while peeing. Even beyond all of this, a healthy vagina is a critical component in having a healthy body, and yeast infections are the real barrier to that goal.

How to Treat

Fortunately, yeast infections are easy to treat with a good "intimate wash," as it's called. If you wash regularly with an effective intimate wash, it will keep the internal pH of the vagina at a healthy level of 3.8 - 4.5, which will guard against any sort of infection occurring. They will also help decrease the symptoms and the infection itself by creating an inhospitable environment for the infection.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Potential For Novel Treatments Of Uterine Fibroids

Potential For Novel Treatments Of Uterine Fibroids

Uterine leiomyomata, or fibroids, are benign tumours that nevertheless affect the health of millions of women. They may cause, for instance, pain, bleeding and infertility. Fibroids are also the most common reason for a hysterectomy; for example, some 8,000 hysterectomies are made in Finland each year.

Scientists at the Academy of Finland's Centre of Excellence in Cancer Genetics Research have identified the molecular mechanisms underlying the onset of common leiomyomata. The results of their research were published in the top medical journal New England Journal of Medicine in early June.

"These new findings are essential for the further development of pharmacological treatments for this type of tumour," says Academy Professor Lauri Aaltonen, who heads the Centre the Excellence based at the University of Helsinki.

Aaltonen's team has demonstrated how the genome of benign uterine leiomyomata differs from normal uterine tissue. Very little was known about the aetiology of leiomyomata before the team's research. The team has previously identified a gene defect that explains more than half of these tumours. The present whole-genome sequencing proved that most of the rest of the tumours develop as a result of chromosome fragmentation and rearrangements.

"Complex chromosomal rearrangements are a major cause of cellular changes that contribute to the onset of benign uterine leiomyomata," Aaltonen states.

Similar changes resulting from chromosomal rearrangements are normally identified in malignant tumours. The results of Aaltonen's team suggest that the same mechanisms may also underlie the onset of non-cancerous tumours.

"Our research also indicates what mechanisms may prevent benign tumours from becoming malignant," Aaltonen adds.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Infant Brains Benefit From Breastfeeding

Infant Brains Benefit From Breastfeeding

A new study by researchers from Brown University finds more evidence that breastfeeding is good for babies' brains.

The study made use of specialized, baby-friendly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look at the brain growth in a sample of children under the age of 4. The research found that by age 2, babies who had been breastfed exclusively for at least three months had enhanced development in key parts of the brain compared to children who were fed formula exclusively or who were fed a combination of formula and breastmilk. The extra growth was most pronounced in parts of the brain associated with language, emotional function, and cognition, the research showed.

This isn't the first study to suggest that breastfeeding aids babies' brain development. Behavioral studies have previously associated breastfeeding with better cognitive outcomes in older adolescents and adults. But this is the first imaging study that looked for differences associated with breastfeeding in the brains of very young and healthy children, said Sean Deoni, assistant professor of engineering at Brown and the study's lead author.

"We wanted to see how early these changes in brain development actually occur," Deoni said. "We show that they're there almost right off the bat."

The findings are in press in the journal NeuroImage and available now online.

Deoni leads Brown's Advanced Baby Imaging Lab. He and his colleagues use quiet MRI machines that image babies' brains as they sleep. The MRI technique Deoni has developed looks at the microstructure of the brain's white matter, the tissue that contains long nerve fibers and helps different parts of the brain communicate with each other. Specifically, the technique looks for amounts of myelin, the fatty material that insulates nerve fibers and speeds electrical signals as they zip around the brain.

Deoni and his team looked at 133 babies ranging in ages from 10 months to four years. All of the babies had normal gestation times, and all came from families with similar socioeconomic statuses. The researchers split the babies into three groups: those whose mothers reported they exclusively breastfed for at least three months, those fed a combination of breastmilk and formula, and those fed formula alone. The researchers compared the older kids to the younger kids to establish growth trajectories in white matter for each group.

The study showed that the exclusively breastfed group had the fastest growth in myelinated white matter of the three groups, with the increase in white matter volume becoming substantial by age 2. The group fed both breastmilk and formula had more growth than the exclusively formula-fed group, but less than the breastmilk-only group.

"We're finding the difference [in white matter growth] is on the order of 20 to 30 percent, comparing the breastfed and the non-breastfed kids," said Deoni. "I think it's astounding that you could have that much difference so early."

Deoni and his team then backed up their imaging data with a set of basic cognitive tests on the older children. Those tests found increased language performance, visual reception, and motor control performance in the breastfed group.

The study also looked at the effects of the duration of breastfeeding. The researchers compared babies who were breastfed for more than a year with those breastfed less than a year, and found significantly enhanced brain growth in the babies who were breastfed longer - especially in areas of the brain dealing with motor function.

Deoni says the findings add to a substantial body of research that finds positive associations between breastfeeding and children's brain health.

"I think I would argue that combined with all the other evidence, it seems like breastfeeding is absolutely beneficial," he said.

Immune Regulation Of Ovarian Development: Programming By Neonatal Immune Challenge

Immune Regulation Of Ovarian Development: Programming By Neonatal Immune Challenge

Bacterial infections during early life, such as Chlamydia which is present in 15% of newly born babies, may reduce reproductive success in adult women. For example, exposure to bacteria can lead to a change in the onset of puberty, as well as in ovarian morphology and sexual behavior.

Luba Sominsky and colleagues from the University of Newcastle, Australia, here show that when infant rats are injected with lipopolysaccharide molecules that are normally found on the exterior of bacteria, the expression of genes in their ovaries changes, especially for genes implicated in immune-mediated inflammatory disease.

Sominsky et al. propose that during early development, immune factors are major regulators of ovarian development, so that an immune imbalance during this period may interfere with the formation of ovarian follicles, compromising fertility later in life. This link between adult fertility and infections during critical periods of development may help explain the ongoing trend for declining fertility in young women worldwide.

Friday, June 7, 2013

A Newborn's Diet May Be Improved Through Genetic Analysis Of Breast Milk

A Newborn's Diet May Be Improved Through Genetic Analysis Of Breast Milk

The composition of breast milk varies from mother to mother, and genetic factors may affect the levels of protective components in breast milk that could influence a newborn's outcomes. The potential to perform genomic studies on breast milk samples is explored in a Review article in Breastfeeding Medicine, the Official Journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available on the Breastfeeding Medicine website.

Kelley Baumgartel and Yvette Conley, University of Pittsburgh, PA, reviewed the scientific literature to determine whether breast milk is an appropriate source for genetic material - DNA and RNA - to perform gene expression and epigenetic studies.

In the article "The Utility of Breast Milk for Genetic or Genomic Studies: A Systematic Review,"* the authors describe the potential value of the genetic information obtained from breast milk, which can be collected easily and noninvasively. It could lead to a better understanding of the variability in breast milk and to strategies for optimizing the neonatal diet through fortification of donor breast milk, supplementation of the mother's diet, or maternal lifestyle changes that would affect breast milk composition.

"The great majority of mothers produces milk that matches the needs of her infant amazingly well," says Associate Editor David S. Newburg, PhD, Professor, Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA. "But for those few infants with exceptional needs, such as premature infants, or for mothers with uncommon mutations whose milk lacks the full complement of beneficial components, genetic and genomic analysis would both identify the mismatch and provide the information to produce a personalized complementary fortifier or supplement."

Reduction In Child Mortality And Improvements In Maternal Health

Reduction In Child Mortality And Improvements In Maternal Health

Rapid expansion of programs to prevent HIV transmission to babies and vaccinate children show how results can be achieved in relatively little time

Some of the world's poorest countries have managed to cut maternal and young child mortality rates by half or more, according to a new report from Countdown to 2015.

The report, Accountability for Maternal, Newborn and Child Survival, highlights successes in improving maternal health and reducing child mortality in some countries, while pointing out where progress has been lagging in others.

There has been remarkable progress in expanding the reach of programs that prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV and vaccinate children against life-threatening illnesses like diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and tetanus. These successes highlight what can be accomplished through political commitment and increased investment in effective interventions for maternal, newborn and child health.

Greater effort is needed to improve coverage of other life-saving interventions like antibiotic treatment of pneumonia and post-natal care for women and newborns.

Rwanda, Botswana, and Cambodia have made notable progress in reducing mortality since 2000, each ranking in the top five among the 75 countries studied in this report in regard to rate of reduction of mortality. This success is particularly notable in light of much slower progress in the 1990s, where in some cases, mortality rates rose due to conflict and instability and/or high HIV prevalence rates.

More than half of these countries have reduced both maternal and child mortality at a faster rate since 2000 than they did during the decade from 1990 to 2000.

"We are very pleased to see that many countries are making a major leap forward and have managed to save so many lives in a relatively short period of time," says Mickey Chopra, MD, PhD, Chief of Health for UNICEF and Co-Chair of Countdown to 2015.

"Progress is especially happening in countries where governments are using evidence to guide investment and policy decisions, and where all stakeholders -- including the UN, donors, corporates and civil society -- are working together effectively to create real change for women and children."

An approaching deadline

The new Countdown report has been produced by a global collaboration of academics and health professionals from Johns Hopkins University, Aga Khan University, Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil, Harvard University, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, UNFPA, Family Care International, Save the Children, and other institutions from around the world. The secretariat of the Countdown to 2015 initiative is based at The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health.

Countdown to 2015 assesses progress in the 75 countries that together account for more than 95% of all maternal and child deaths. This evidence is intended to support greater progress towards achieving UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5 by 2015. These MDGs call for reducing maternal deaths by three-quarters and the deaths of children under 5 years of age by two-thirds compared to 1990 levels.

Accountability for Maternal, Newborn and Child Survival reports on the extent to which women and children have access to key life-saving services in these 75 countries, including family planning, antenatal care, skilled birth attendance, post-natal care, vaccinations, and treatment for diarrhea, pneumonia and other leading killers of young children.

Together with one-page profiles for each of the 75 countries, this report provides a snapshot of progress on the 11 core indicators selected by the Commission on Information and Accountability for Women's and Children's Health, established in 2011 to develop a framework to monitor and track commitments to the Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health, launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2010 to accelerate progress on the MDGs.

Findings reported by Countdown include:

The number of women who die each year from pregnancy- or childbirth-related complications dropped significantly from 543,000 in 1990 to 287,000 in 2010. Thirty of the 75 Countdown countries showed reductions of 50% or more in their maternal mortality ratios between 1990 and 2010. However, nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa where HIV infections rates among women are typically high reported increases in maternal mortality over this time period.

Deaths among children under five years of age dropped from nearly 12 million in 1990 to about 6.9 million in 2011. Thirty countries cut child mortality by half or more from 1990 to 2011, and two-thirds of the Countdown countries accelerated their progress since 2000 compared with the previous decade.

"Momentum is gathering," says Elizabeth Mason, M.D., Director for Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health for the World Health Organization. "But we still need to move faster. With less than 1,000 days until the 2015 MDG deadline, we need to maximize the power of time-tested basics like breastfeeding, soap and clean water alongside new medicines and technologies to keep even more mothers and children alive and healthy."

Key areas for more progress

The report also highlights areas where more progress is needed, including:

Newborn Deaths. Newborn deaths, i.e., deaths within the first month of life, now account for more than 40 percent of child deaths in 35 Countdown countries, and 50 percent or more in 12 countries. As deaths in children under the age of five have decreased, the proportion of these deaths that occur during the newborn period has increased. At the same time, the rate of progress in reducing newborn deaths has been far slower compared with the rate of progress in reducing the deaths of older children.

Infectious Diseases. Malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, sepsis, measles, AIDS, and other infectious diseases account for at least half of all young child deaths. Many of these deaths can be prevented with cost-effective interventions. These priorities are highlighted by several recent efforts to scale up action to reduce child mortality, including the Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea, launched last month by WHO and UNICEF; the Global Vaccine Action Plan, endorsed by the 194 member-states of the WHO in 2012; and Committing to Child Survival: A Promise Renewed, led by the governments of India, Ethiopia and the US, supported by UNICEF.

Breastfeeding. Although early and exclusive breastfeeding would improve nutrition and reduce susceptibility to disease, coverage levels of these interventions vary widely across the countries studied. In many countries, fewer than half of all babies are breastfeed immediately after birth or exclusively breastfed during their first six months of life.

Reaching the most vulnerable

The Countdown report shows that some countries are moving more quickly than others, reporting wide differences in coverage levels for key interventions and services across countries where data is available (2007-2012).

For instance:

The median coverage of skilled birth attendance is slightly more than 60% for the countries studied (54), but the coverage between these countries ranges from 10% to 100%:

The median for postnatal care of babies is 26%, ranging from 5% to 77% among the 11 countries studied;

The median for antibiotic treatment for pneumonia is 42%, but the range is 7%-88%.

The Countdown report also reveals vast inequalities in coverage within countries, as richer families are more likely to seek and receive essential care, such as skilled attendance at birth, compared with poorer families. In every country studied, women with secondary or higher education are more likely than uneducated women to give birth with a skilled attendant. Greater attention is needed to providing universal access to care by reaching the poorest, and to educating girls and women.

Focus on newborn survival

"Around the world, 43% of child deaths occur during the first month of life and this percentage is continuing to rise. Reducing newborn deaths is essential if countries are to achieve MDG 4 and ultimately eliminate preventable child deaths, as the world has promised to do," says Jennifer Requejo, Ph.D, lead author of the new Countdown report and manager of Countdown to 2015.

"By scaling up cost-effective interventions that can be delivered through antenatal, childbirth and postnatal care services - like antenatal corticosteroids, neonatal resuscitation, drying and thermal care for the newborn, cord care, kangaroo mother care and treatment for newborn sepsis - that terrible toll of newborn deaths can be reduced by three-quarters, without the need for intensive care," she says. "And, improving antenatal, childbirth and postnatal care services has the added benefit of saving women's lives and reducing stillbirths and preterm deliveries."

Tracking reproductive health funding

Family planning is another key concern of Countdown to 2015 because of its contribution to reducing unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions, as well as its contribution to enabling women to control their reproductive lives. More than half of the 75 countries studied in the report have a total fertility rate of four or more children per woman; 35 of these countries are in sub-Saharan Africa where contraceptive use is low.

A companion Countdown paper, Reproductive health priorities: Evidence from disbursements of official development aid, published in the May 19 issue of The Lancet medical journal, tracked the amount of official development assistance (ODA) for reproductive health over two years. This is the first time such a global analysis of ODA for reproductive health has been undertaken. Specific reproductive health activities tracked in this analysis includes prevention, care and treatment of HIV/AIDS for women of reproductive age (15-49); family planning; treatment of sexually transmitted infections; and sexual health.

The results show an increase from $5,579 million in 2009 to $5,637 million in 2010 -- a slight increase of about 1%. However, more than half of ODA for reproductive health was directed to HIV/AIDS services; the share of funding for treatment of other sexually transmitted infections actually decreased. Only 7% of this ODA went for family planning. For example, when ranked by amount of reproductive health funding received per capita, countries from southern Africa top the list, but when funding for HIV/AIDS is excluded, those countries move further down the list, despite the high unmet need for family planning for many countries in the region.

"Although the volume of aid for reproductive health is quite substantial, such funding is not balanced across activities - if international targets are going to be met for universal access to reproductive health, more balanced aid needs to go to essential reproductive health services such as family planning," says Justine Hsu, MSc, lead author of the paper and a researcher in health economics with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Ms. Hsu notes that many commitments have been made to family planning over the past year, due largely to the London Family Planning Summit held last July. "We need to continue to analyze trends and breakdowns of data to understand what aspects of reproductive health are being supported, and to ensure donors are keeping to their commitments," she says.

"While it is great news that funding for reproductive health overall has increased, this analysis highlights the importance of breaking down funding flows into their various components," notes Ann Starrs, President of Family Care International. "The fact that funding for family planning actually declined between the two years is a serious concern, given that more than 220 million women around the world lack access to contraceptive services."

Concern about inequities

Countdown to 2015 reports on inequities in care between richer and poorer populations, both within and across countries.

"Poor women and children are not getting the same access to life-saving interventions. Ethically and morally, these inequities are unacceptable," says Cesar Victora, M.D., PhD, of the Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil and Chair of Countdown's working group on equity.

In addition to addressing inequities in access to care, it is also important to improve the quality of care. Understanding the populations that need to be reached helps local health officials plan better services for underserved areas.

Some countries, notably Brazil and Peru, have managed to reduce the service gap between rich and poor. Bangladesh is also making progress toward that goal, while others, like Ethiopia and Malawi, are now training and deploying community health workers to reach rural populations in order to improve access

"The first step is to identify who is being left out," says Dr. Victora. "Then, community delivery - training health workers to treat common diseases and conditions in the community - is a key strategy for reaching them with needed care."

"Ten years ago, this data on equity just wasn't generally available and the issue wasn't getting enough attention," he reports. "Now, a lot is happening on many fronts. Equity is a major focus in the development of post-2015 development goals."

The work won't stop in 2015

Countdown is also moving toward 2015 with in-depth case studies to identify key factors contributing to national progress. The initiative is supporting "Country Countdowns," country-led efforts to increase the use of evidence in health planning and prioritization.

"It's great news so many countries are making faster progress and that more countries than anticipated are showing potential to fulfill MDGs 4 and 5 and integrating services," says Dr. Zulfiqar Bhutta, Professor at Aga Khan University in Pakistan and Co-Chair of Countdown to 2015. "The work must not stop, though, until we end preventable deaths for women and children."

"We're not closing shop in 2015," he adds. "We can pause and congratulate the countries that have done well, but there is a lot more to do to helping others reach these goals; we have to keep going."

Thursday, June 6, 2013

When Making Female Friends, Women Reject Sexually Promiscuous Peers

When Making Female Friends, Women Reject Sexually Promiscuous Peers

College-aged women judge promiscuous female peers - defined by bedding 20 sexual partners by their early 20s - more negatively than more chaste women and view them as unsuitable for friendship, finds a study by Cornell University developmental psychologists.

Notably, participants' preference for less sexually active women as friends remained even when they personally reported liberal attitudes about casual sex or a high number of lifetime lovers.

Men's views, on the other hand, were less uniform - favoring the sexually permissive potential friend, the non-permissive one or showing no preference for either when asked to rate them on 10 different friendship attributes. Men's perceptions were also more dependent on their own promiscuity: Promiscuous men favored less sexually experienced men in just one measure - when they viewed other promiscuous men as a potential threat to steal their own girlfriend.

The findings suggest that though cultural and societal attitudes about casual sex have loosened in recent decades, women still face a double standard that shames "slutty" women and celebrates "studly" men, said lead author Zhana Vrangalova, a Cornell graduate student in the field of human development. The study, titled "Birds of a Feather? Not When it Comes to Sexual Permissiveness" and published in the early online edition of the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, reports that such social isolation may place promiscuous women at greater risk for poor psychological and physical health outcomes.

"For sexually permissive women, they are ostracized for being 'easy,' whereas men with a high number of sexual partners are viewed with a sense of accomplishment," Vrangalova said. "What surprised us in this study is how unaccepting promiscuous women were of other promiscuous women when it came to friendships - these are the very people one would think they could turn to for support."

She added that prior research shows that men often view promiscuous women as unsuitable for long-term romantic relationships, leaving these women outside of many social circles.

"The effect is that these women are really isolated," Vrangalova said. She suggested future research to determine whom they could befriend - perhaps straight or gay men who would be accepting of their behaviors.

For the study, 751 college students provided information about their past sexual experience and their views on casual sex. They read a near-identical vignette about a male or female peer, with the only difference being the character's number of lifetime sexual partners (two or 20). Researchers asked them to rate the person on a range of friendship factors, including warmth, competence, morality, emotional stability and overall likability.

Across all female participants, women - regardless of their own promiscuity - viewed sexually permissive women more negatively on nine of ten friendship attributes, judging them more favorably only on their outgoingness. Permissive men only identified two measures, mate guarding and dislike of sexuality, where they favored less sexually active men as friends, showing no preference or favoring the more promiscuous men on the eight other variables; even more sexually modest men preferred the non-permissive potential friend in only half of all variables.

The authors posit that evolutionary concerns may be leading men and women to disapprove of their bed-hopping peers as friends. They may actually be seeking to guard their mates from a threat to their relationship, Vrangalova said.

In the case of promiscuous women rejecting other women with a high number of sexual partners, Vrangalova suggested that they may be seeking to distance themselves from any stigma that is attached to being friends with such women.

The authors report that the findings could aid parents, teachers, counselors, doctors and others who work with young people who may face social isolation due to their sexual activity.

Your Yeast Infection Culprit: Candida

I want to point out some facts as well as some common misconceptions about the major culprit of yeast infections: Candida.

First, yeast infections suck and, although we all can pretty much expect to get one at some point, there are easy methods to prevent and/or cure them.

Second, yeast infections are caused by Candida, a genus of yeasts that is normally harmless to the body, but when it winds up the wrong location and if your body is particularly weak from some other ailment, it can develop into Candida Albicans which creates the yeast infection.

Yeast infections are bad enough and are quite the annoyance, however, it was once believed that Candida could actually cause WORSE problems for those affected by it. Commonly cited conditions were memory loss, weight gain, fatigue, and headaches. Luckily, the connection between the two has mainly been debunked and there is not believed to be a substantial connection at this point in time.

Another common misconception and practice involves the process of ridding excess Candida from the body by cutting out or lowering the intake of foods and other items that are believed to increase the amount of yeast in the body. High sugar and fructose foods, birth control pills, and antibiotics all fit these criteria and for a long time, were not recommended for those suffering from recurring yeast infections. However, like the previous thoughts on the additional problems that Candida can cause, these theories have been debunked.

In contrast to the beliefs that a "Candida Cleanse" system or that a "Candida Diet" is for naught are numerous testimonials that these systems do in fact provide relief from yeast infections symptoms as the body fights against the condition. Obviously, if a placebo is making you feel better and is not doing any damage to your body, why not put use to it?

Candida has certain areas of the body where it prefers to hang out, mainly in gastrointestinal, respiratory, and female genital tracts, but can be found in other areas depending on certain conditions that may be introduced to the body. For example, certain substances within the bonding material of dentures has been known to cause the proliferation of Candida. Because of this, many older people who wear dentures have been known to develop oral candidiasis. While this condition doesn't have any major additional complications, it can be more difficult to diagnose as both men and women can be affected by it and because it occurs in a non-traditional section of the body.

Finally, Candida can strike children as well and actually has a rather odd effect on those usually under eight years of age. Excess Candida is believed to turn small children, essentially, into "brats" as it aggressive interactions, excessive cravings for things like yogurt, peanut butter, and macaroni, and can promote ADD. It goes without being said that you should avoid excess Candida buildup in your children.

As stated at the beginning, Candida, although oftentimes harmless, can be a real annoyance in the body in excess or when it occupies to wrong areas. Avoidance is key, and make sure to see your healthcare provider if you think that you are suffering negative effects of Candida.