Kidney stones in women

Kidney stones are painful health condition, often requiring multiple procedures at great discomfort to the patient. Growing evidence suggests that the incidence of kidney stones is increasing in women.

Using data from the Rochester Epidemiology Project, Mayo Clinic researchers investigated the rise in stone formers to determine if this is a new trend, or an improvement in the way kidney stones are detected.

Focusing on gender, age and stone formation, researchers examined first-time presenters of kidney stones from residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, between 1984 and 2012. Their findings demonstrated that symptomatic stone formers tended to be female versus male, with the highest increase between women ages 18 to 39.

Bladder stones were less frequent and tended to be more noticeable in men due to prostatic obstructions, while women had a higher frequency of infection stones as a result of recurrent urinary tract infections. Symptomatic kidney stones are becoming more common in men and women due to the increased use of CT scans to diagnose kidney stones.

Advances in imaging technology have allowed researchers to examine and classify stone formation in patients. Patients who struggle with painful kidney stones, dietary modifications are suggested to prevent future episodes. Such adjustments include drinking more water, lowering salt intake and cutting back on meat. White people have a greater tendency toward kidney stones, compared to other racial groups. Imaging techniques also have improved over the span in which the study was conducted.
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Using marijuana does not reduce chances of getting pregnant

Marijuana use by either men or women does not lower chances of getting pregnant, according to a new study led by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researchers. Marijuana is one of the most widely used recreational drugs among individuals of reproductive age. Previous studies have examined the effects of marijuana use on reproductive hormones and semen quality, with conflicting results.

In Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO), a web-based prospective cohort study of North American couples, the researchers surveyed 4,194 women aged 21 to 45 living in the United States or Canada. The study specifically targeted women in stable relationships who were not using contraception or fertility treatment.

 Female participants were given the option to invite their male partners to participate; 1,125 of their male partners enrolled. The researchers found that during the period from 2013 through 2017, approximately 12 percent of female participants and 14 percent of male participants reported marijuana use in the two months before completing the baseline survey.

 After 12 cycles of follow-up, conception probabilities were similar among couples that used marijuana and those that did not. The researchers stressed that questions about the effects of marijuana use remain. Classifying people correctly according to the amount of marijuana used, especially when relying on self-reported data is challenging.
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Breastfeeding reduces the risk of diabetes

Breastfeeding for six months or longer reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes nearly in half for women throughout their childbearing years, according to new Kaiser Permanente research in JAMA Internal Medicine. There is a very strong association between breastfeeding duration and lower risk of developing diabetes.

Women who breastfed for six months or more across all births had a 47 percent reduction in their risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who did not breastfeed at all. Women who breastfed for six months or less had a 25 percent reduction in diabetes risk. Researchers analyzed data during the 30 years of follow up from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.

The new findings add to a growing body of evidence that breastfeeding has protective effects for both mothers and their offspring, including lowering a mother's risk of breast and ovarian cancer. The long-term benefits of breastfeeding on lower diabetes risk were similar for black women and white women, and women with and without gestational diabetes.

Black women were three times as likely as white women to develop diabetes within the 30-year study, which is consistent with higher risk found by others. Black women enrolled in CARDIA were also less likely to breastfeed than white women.

The incidence of diabetes decreased in a graded manner as breastfeeding duration increased, regardless of race, gestational diabetes, lifestyle, body size, and other metabolic risk factors measured before pregnancy. Mothers who breastfeed for months after their delivery, may be reducing their risk of developing type 2 diabetes as they get older.
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Using paracetamol during pregnancy can reduce the fertility of offsprings

Taking paracetamol during pregnancy may impair the future fertility of female offspring, according to a review published in Endocrine Connections. The article reviews three separate rodent studies that all report altered development in the reproductive systems of female offspring from mothers given paracetamol during pregnancy, which may impair their fertility in adulthood. Paracetamol, or acetaminophen, is an over-the-counter treatment for pain relief that is commonly taken by pregnant women worldwide.

 Recent studies have linked paracetamol use during pregnancy with disruptions in the development of the male reproductive system but the effects on female offspring had not yet been investigated. In this article, Dr David Kristensen and colleagues from Copenhagen University Hospital, review the findings from three individual rodent studies that evaluated the effects of paracetamol taken during pregnancy on the development of the reproductive system in female offspring. It is well known that exposure to some chemicals during pregnancy can cause developmental effects that may not manifest until much later in life.

In rodents and humans, females are born with a finite number of eggs for reproduction in the future. In these reviewed studies, rodents given paracetamol during pregnancy, at doses equivalent to those that a pregnant woman may take for pain relief, produced female offspring with fewer eggs. This means that in adulthood, they have fewer eggs available for fertilisation, which may reduce their chances of successful reproduction, particularly as they get older.

This may not be a severe impairment to fertility, it is still of real concern since data from three different labs all independently found that paracetamol may disrupt female reproductive development in this way, which indicates further investigation is needed to establish how this affects human fertility. Although there are parallels between rodent and human reproductive development, these findings have yet to be firmly established in humans.

 However, establishing a link between paracetamol taken by mothers during pregnancy and fertility problems much later in the adult life of the child will be difficult. Combining epidemiological data from human studies with more experimental research on models, such as rodents, it may be possible to firmly establish this link and determine how it happens, so that pregnant women in pain can be successfully treated, without risk to their unborn children.
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Don't urinate before sex

New York City urologist David Kaufman explained the idea females should pee before intercourse is one of the biggest misconceptions he has to address with patients in his clinic. He stresses that urinating after sex is important, but warns going to the bathroom beforehand is not advisable. Urinating and consequently having enough urine stored up to create a strong stream, increases the odds of pushing bacteria out after sex.

Holding on will ensure full bladder to produce a stream strong enough to clear any bacteria in the urethra. Without any urine in the bladder, the bacteria can cause an infection. Not urinating after sex  can make cause bacterial to make its way into the bladder and develop into an infection. Women are far more susceptible to UTIs than men because of their anatomy. The female urethra is separated from the vagina and anus by just a small distance, making it easy for bacteria from either the vagina or bottom to reach it.

According to the NHS, using a diaphragm as contraception can increase your risk of getting a UTI, as the diaphragm may press on the bladder and prevent it emptying completely. You can do this to prevent UTI. Avoiding perfumed bubble bath, soap or talcum powder around your genitals-use plain, unperfumed varieties, and have a shower rather than a bath.

Going to the toilet as soon as you need to pee and always emptying your bladder fully. Staying hydrated,wiping your bottom from front to back when you go to the toilet, emptying your bladder as soon as possible after having sex,  not using a contraceptive diaphragm or condoms with spermicidal lubricant on them.Wearing underwear made from cotton, rather than synthetic material such as nylon, and avoiding tight jeans and trousers
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Women are more fit than men

Women can process oxygen more quickly than men during exercise. Quick oxygen uptake places less strain on the body's cells and is considered an important measure of aerobic fitness.

The study compared oxygen uptake and muscle oxygen extraction between young men and women of similar age and weight during treadmill exercise. Women consistently outperformed men with around 30 per cent faster oxygen handling throughout the body.

Researchers discovered that women's muscles extract oxygen from the blood faster, which, scientifically speaking, indicates a superior aerobic system.
By processing oxygen faster, women are less likely to accumulate molecules linked with muscle fatigue, effort perception and poor athletic performance.
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High levels of sodium in cerebrospinal fluid can cause migraine

Migraine sufferers have significantly higher sodium concentrations in their cerebrospinal fluid than people without the condition, according to the first study to use a technique called sodium MRI to look at migraine patients. Migraine is a a type of headache characterized by severe head pain, and sometimes nausea and vomiting, is one of the most common headache disorders. Some migraines are accompanied by vision changes or odd sensations in the body known as auras. Diagnosis is challenging as the characteristics of migraines and the types of attacks vary widely among
patients.

Consequently, many migraine patients are undiagnosed and untreated. Other patients, in contrast, are treated with medications for migraines even though they suffer from a different type of headache, such as the more common tension variety.  Researchers explored a magnetic resonance technique called cerebral sodium MRI as a possible means to help in the diagnosis and understanding of migraines. While MRI most often relies on protons to generate an image, sodium can be visualized as well. Research has shown that sodium plays an important role in brain chemistry.

The researchers recruited different women, mean age 34, who had been clinically evaluated for migraine. The women filled out a questionnaire regarding the length, intensity and frequency of their migraine attacks and accompanying auras. The researchers also brought in healthy women of similar ages to serve as a control group. Both groups underwent cerebral sodium MRI. Sodium concentrations of migraine patients and healthy controls were compared and statistically analyzed.

The researchers found no statistical differences between the two groups for sodium concentrations in the gray and white matter, brain stem and cerebellum. However, significant differences emerged when the researchers looked at sodium concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid, the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, providing a cushion for the brain while also helping to ensure chemical stability for proper brain function. Sodium concentrations were significantly higher in the brain's cerebrospinal fluid in migraine patients than in the healthy control group.
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Overweight women need frequent mammograms

Women with higher body mass index (BMI) face an increased risk of not detecting their breast tumor until it has become large, they need shorter intervals between mammography screening exams. BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight, with overweight defined as a BMI of 25 or more. High BMI is associated with a number of health risks, including diabetes and heart disease. However, BMI is not considered as part of breast cancer screening guidelines.

Researchers set out to identify risk factors associated with tumors not being detected until larger than 2 centimeters (cm), or about the size of a peanut, and to examine the implications for long-term prognosis. The 2-cm size is important because it is one of the parameters used to separate stage I and stage II cancers. In addition, tumor size is known to be strongly associated with prognosis.The researchers followed the patients until history and looked for how disease progression was related to BMI and breast density.

For cancers detected at screening, both BMI and breast density were associated with having a large tumor at diagnosis. However, for interval cancers, or cancers detected within two years of a normal mammogram, only BMI was linked with having a large tumor. Women with higher BMI had worse prognosis than women with lower BMI among interval cancers.

Breast density showed no significant association with disease progression. Besides the larger interval cancers, women with high BMI may have other factors that put them at risk for a worse prognosis, including the molecular composition of the tumors and hormone receptor expression levels that make them harder to treat.
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IVF increases the risk of premature birth

In vitro fertilization IVF increases the risk of women giving birth prematurely. Ten per cent of women who conceived through fertility treatment gave birth before 37 weeks, which is considered premature. However, those born before 37 weeks are still more likely than full-term babies to suffer from a range of long-term problems, including cerebral palsy, and developmental conditions such as ADHD. IVF may trigger changes in the placenta, which increases the risk of premature birth.

Experts believe that freezing the embryo first and then implanting it later, rather than doing everything in the same menstrual cycle, may offer protection against the risk. Women who had IVF were 63 per cent more likely to give birth before 37 weeks than those who had conceived naturally. Some studies indicate that ‘sub-fertile’ women who have trouble conceiving tend to be biologically predisposed to premature birth because implantation process is compromised slightly by IVF.

The removal of eggs during fertility treatment could damage the womb’s lining. If implantation could be delayed after egg collection – as enabled by freezing embryos, then the womb could be given time to heal, leading to a better chance of pregnancy. The potential benefits of freezing embryos are highly dependent on the skills of different IVF clinic's. If implantation could be delayed by a month or two after egg collection, premature birth could be prevented.
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Labour induction at 40 weeks reduces risk of perinatal death

Induction of labor at 40 weeks in nulliparous women aged 35 and older is associated with reduced risk of in-hospital perinatal death, induction at or near the due date may be safer than expectant management in this group. Guidelines recommend induction of labor between 41 and 42 weeks of gestation to prevent the risks associated with prolonged pregnancy.

Women having their first baby at age 35 years or over are at increased risk of pregnancy complications, including perinatal death. To better understand the risks and benefits of elective induction in this group, researchers analyzed a national database of mothers giving birth between 2009 and 2014.

They discovered that induction of labour at 40 weeks (compared with expectant management) was associated with a lower risk of in-hospital perinatal death (0.08% versus 0.26%; adjusted risk ratio [adjRR] 0.33; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.13-0.80, P = 0.015) and meconium aspiration syndrome (0.44% versus 0.86%; adjRR 0.52; 95% CI 0.35-0.78, P = 0.002).

Induction at 40 weeks was also associated with a slightly increased adjusted risk of instrumental vaginal delivery (adjRR 1.06; 95% CI 1.01-1.11, P = 0.020) and emergency caesarean section (adjRR 1.05; 95% CI 1.01-1.09, P = 0.019). The number needed to treat (NNT) analysis indicated that 562 (95% CI 366-1,210) inductions of labor at 40 weeks would be required to prevent 1 perinatal death. Bringing forward the routine offer of induction of labour from the current recommendation of 41-42 weeks to 40 weeks of gestation in this group of women may reduce overall rates of perinatal death.
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HPV vaccine is better than the Pap smear for cancer detection

Testing for cervical cancer using HPV testing in addition to the Pap smear is unlikely to detect cancer cases that wouldn't be found using HPV testing alone. The main goal of cervical screening programs is to detect and treat precancer before cancer develops. Cytology-based screening, known as the Pap test or Pap smear, is used to detect abnormal cells. The Pap test can also find noncancerous conditions, such as infections and inflammation.

Cervical cancer screening guidelines have changed dramatically over the last 15 years, following introduction of testing for the dozen high-risk human papillomavirus HPV types that cause virtually all cervical cancer and its precursors. Despite more research into HPV, and the introduction of preventive HPV vaccines, screening will remain important and comprise many millions of tests annually for decades to come. But improved screening methods have also introduced some confusion, even controversy.

HPV testing is more sensitive than the Pap test for detecting precancer. The HPV test captures the known cancer causing viruses, but there are gynecologists who believe that there may be unknown cancer causing viruses and so continue to do the Pap smear (plus HPV testing). However, reports of rare HPV-negative, Pap-test-positive cancers are motivating continued use of both tests (cotesting) despite increased testing costs.

An HPV test, in which doctors test a cervicovaginal specimen for the presence of the nucleic acids of carcinogenic types of HPV, is more sensitive than the Pap test (a microscopic examination of exfoliated cells) for detection of precancers. Thus, if a single screening method were chosen to complement HPV vaccination, primary HPV testing likely would gradually supplant the Pap test.

The accumulated evidence supports inclusion of HPV testing in screening; thus, the main choice moving forward is between cotesting and primary HPV testing alone. Researchers were searching for realistic performance data to quantify the additional benefit of the Pap test component of cotesting, as the costs of intensive screening of all women using two screening tests are substantial.

The analysis found that HPV testing identified more women subsequently diagnosed with cancer and precancer than the Pap test. HPV testing was statistically significantly more likely to be positive for cancer at any time point, except within 12 months. HPV-negative/ Pap test-positive results preceded only small fractions of cases of precancer (3.5%) and cancer (5.9%); these cancers were more likely to be regional or distant stage than other cases.

Given the rarity of cancers among screened women, the contribution of the Pap test to screening translated to earlier detection of at most five cases per million women per year. Two-thirds (67.9%) of women found to have cancer up to 10 years. The researchers conclude that the added sensitivity of cotesting versus HPV alone for detection of treatable cancer affected extremely few women.
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Alcohol causes different cancers

The more alcohol you drink, the higher your risk of developing at least seven different types of cancers. Drinking small or moderate amounts of alcohol was associated with increased risks for esophogeal, mouth, voice box, liver, stomach, pancreas and breast cancers, and is responsible for more than five percent of cancers and cancer deaths worldwide.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology ASCO has never addressed the link between alcohol and cancer, but is now underscoring the importance of controlling the risk of alcohol consumption to reducing the risk of cancer. While the ASCO does suggest strategies for cutting back on drinking, it also advocates for temperate use of alcohol, rather than recommending give up drinking.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention CDC recommends that women should not have more than one drink a day or eight drinks a week. Men drink two drinks a day, or 14 a week. There has been some debate over whether alcohol or other compositions of various alcoholic beverages are cancer-causing. There is an associations between alcohol drinking and cancer risk. Alcohol does not affect each part of the body in the same carcinogenic way.

For head and neck and esophageal cancers, alcohol's breakdown product- acetaldehyde, which is an established carcinogen touches the tissues directly as drinker swallows an alcoholic drink and causes cancer. Liver cancer is caused by cirrhosis, which is caused by drinking. When cirrhosis develops, healthy liver cells are replaced by damaged scar tissue cells, which can become cancer cells. It interferes with the absorption of folate, which leads to development of colon cancer.

When a woman’s estrogen levels become abnormally high, the hormone puts her at higher risk for breast cancer. Alcohol has been shown to increase estrogen levels, thus putting women at greater risk of breast cancer. In fact, ASCO reports that women who drank even one drink of beer or wine which have significantly lower alcohol contents than liquors were five percent more likely to develop premenopausal breast cancer, and nine percent more likely to develop the cancer after menopause.
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IUDs may prevent cervical cancer

IUDs are safe and highly effective contraception method, intrauterine devices (IUDs) may also be quietly offering protection against the third-most common cancer in women worldwide.

The number of women diagnosed with cervical cancer is steadily rising. According to the World Health Organization WHO, approximately 528,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide in 2012, and 266,000 women died from the disease. By 2035, the WHO projects that those numbers will climb to more than 756,000 and 416,000, respectively.

For women in developing countries, where cervical cancer prevention resources such as the human papillomavirus HPV vaccine or regular cervical screenings are scarce, and where populations are increasing rapidly, a contraceptive that offers protection against cervical cancer could have a profound effect.

IUDs could be a tool to combat cervical cancer. Some scientists speculate that the placement of an IUD stimulates an immune response in the cervix, giving the body an opportunity to fight an existing HPV infection that could lead to cervical cancer. Another possibility is that when an IUD is removed, some cervical cells that contain HPV infection or precancerous changes may be scraped off. The body mounts an immune response to having an IUD placed.
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Folic acid may reduce autism risk from pesticide

Taking folic acid during the window around conception reduced the risk associated with pesticides, researchers examined many children who had been diagnosed with ASD, the researchers interviewed their mothers about their household pesticide exposure during pregnancy, folic acid and B vitamin intake.

Children whose mothers took 800 or more micrograms of folic acid and other prenatal vitamins had a lower risk of developing autism spectrum disorder ASD even when their mothers were exposed to household or agricultural pesticides.

Mothers who took less than 800 micrograms and encountered household pesticides had higher risk of having a child who developed an ASD than their counterparts who took 800 micrograms of folic acid or more and were not exposed to pesticides.

The risk increased for women exposed several times, women with low folic acid intake who were exposed to agricultural pesticides during a window from three months before conception to three months afterward were at higher risk. Folic acid can reduce the risk of developing autism but it can not prevent it completely. Avoiding chronic pesticide before and during pregnancy can prevents ASD.

Folate plays a critical role in DNA methylation- a process by which genes are turned off or on, as well as in DNA repair and synthesis. These are important during periods of rapid growth when there are lots of cells dividing in developing fetus. Taking folic acid can improve genomic functions.
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Standing increases the risk of heart disease

Predominately standing jobs increases
the risk of heart disease than sitting,
Researchers discovered that people were likely to develop heart disease, back problems and spontaneous abortions if they are predominately standing all day.

Standing causes blood to pool down towards the legs by putting more stress on the heart to circulate it back up.
People engaging in standing jobs must sit at intervals in order to prevent the risk of developing heart disease.

Researchers examined different people on their work habits based on if they predominantly sat, stood or combination of both. Men were 39 percent less likely to develop heart disease while women were 80 percent more likely to develop heart disease than those that were sitting. This shows that standing was more damaging to health than sitting while at work.

Prolonged standing on the job has been linked to a variety of health problems including varicose veins known as spider veins, they are more common in the legs because of the heightened pressure on them from excessive standing. Prolonged standing can leads to pain, discomfort and cardiovascular problem.
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Hormonal IUDs have no effect on breastfeeding

Having a hormonal intrauterine device IUD implanted immediately after birth does not affect a woman's ability to lactate and breastfeed.

Early placement of a hormonal IUD is safe, it is along-term birth control method that doesn't negatively affect women who want to breastfeed their baby.

Women's milk did not come in later if they received a hormonal IUD immediately after giving birth compared to women who received the same type of IUD several weeks after delivery.

Researchers examined women that received IUD one hour after delivery and those that delayed for one month,
they discovered that early IUD placement is prone to dislodged.

Women who had IUDs placed immediately after birth had a higher rate of losing the birth control device compared to the women who received them later.

 There is no difference in breastfeeding for those that received it immediately and those that received later. IUD hormone prevents unintended pregnancy.
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Outdoor light increases the risk of breast cancer

Regular exposure to higher levels of outdoor light at night may increase the risk of developing breast cancer. The link was stronger among women who worked at night, exposed to light at night and night shift work contribute to breast cancer risk through circadian disruption.

Lighting during the night can disrupt circadian rhythms, reducing circulating melatonin levels and resetting of the circadian. Reduced melatonin may increase breast cancer risk, increased estrogen production and altered estrogen receptor function.

Melatonin is a hormone that plays a role in regulating the body's sleep cycle. Melatonin production is high at night and is lower during the day. When women work at night or if they're exposed to external light at night, their melatonin levels tend to stay low.

As levels of outdoor light at night increased, so did breast cancer rates.
The association between outdoor light at night and breast cancer was found among women who were premenopausal and those who were current or past smokers.
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Pioneering test can predict future of breast cancer

A pioneering test could be used to predict whether breast cancer will return. Patients with clustered immune cells, called hotspot were 25 per cent more likely to relapse within 10 years.

The probability of the cancer returning within five years was 23 per cent higher in women with the hotspot. The new method gives doctors the opportunity to provide better preventative drugs to prevent the cancer.

The automated computer tool made an assessment of the risk of relapse based on how cells are organised spatially.
People with dispersed immune cells have better chance of fending off the cancer.

Pioneering test also predict patients that will respond to immunotherapy.
The immune system has a key role to play in how breast cancer responds to hormone treatment.

Measuring the immune response to cancer could be important in the future to identify patients who could benefit from immunotherapy. The immune tool could be added to existing prognostic tests to identify women that are at high risk of their breast cancer coming back.
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Throats can serve as reservoirs for gonorrhoea

Drug-resistant gonorrhoea can spread from an infected person's throat during oral sex. Oral gonorrhoea has increased due to oral sex and irregular use of condom.

Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted infection STI that can infect the genitals, throat, eyes and rectum. It spreads through unprotected sex.

The infection can also pass from an infected mother to a child during child birth. But it cannot be spread by kissing an infected person.

Common symptoms of gonorrhoea are: greenish yellowish discharge from penis or vaginal, a burning sensation when urinating, a rash on the penis and increased discharge from vaginal.

Untreated oral gonorrhoea can spread to the genitals, causing pelvic inflammatory disease, testicular pain, ectopic pregnancies and infertility.

Oral gonorrhoea is responsible for STI's antibiotic resistance, the bacteria in the throat are exposed to antibiotics when using the drugs for treating the infection. These throat bacteria reduce the effectiveness of the drug.
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Effects of endometriosis on fertility

According to the latest research, women who suffer painful endometriosis are more likely to have lesions deep in their bodies and intestines.

Endometriosis occurs when cells in the uterus are located in another parts of the body and cause bleeding every month.

Common symptoms of endometriosis are painful and irregular menstruation, pain during or after sex, infertility, painful bowel movements and fatigue.

The cause of endometriosis is unknown and there is no cure. The painful symptoms can be reduced by surgery, hormone treatment or use of pain relief drugs.

Women with this condition may experience delay before conception, fertility treatment can increase the chance of becoming pregnant.
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