OBGYN.net Staff

With a number of clinical studies now completed, the launch of drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol (Yasmin®) in the United States and Europe is expected in the near future. An international panel of physicians involved with the development of drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol recently described the potential benefits of the new oral contraceptive (OC) to clinicians attending an industry-sponsored symposium held during the XVI FIGO World Congress of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

There has been an explosion of hormone replacement therapy research over the past few years. The task of wading through the data to determine what is best for a particular patient, however, can be daunting at best and confusing at worst, said Dr. Karen Carlson, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, to delegates at the Pri-Med East in Boston.

Isoflavones are gaining popularity as alternatives to hormone replacement therapy. However, few guidelines exist to inform the public as to an appropriate dose.

Osteoporosis is the gradual declining in bone mass with age, leading to increased bone fragility and fractures. Fractures in hip and spine are known to be the most important complication of the disease which leads in the annual mortality rate of 20% and serious morbidity rate of 50%.

To evaluate the impact of osteoporosis on the patients' quality of life, particularly in the absence of fractures.

The Effect on Behavior and Bone Mineral Density of Individualized Bone Mineral Density Feedback and Educational Interventions in Premenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial [NCT00273260]

Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Other Breast Cancer Risk Factors in Relation to the Risk of Different Histological Subtypes of Breast Cancer: A Case-control Study

In humans, serotonin has typically been investigated as a neurotransmitter. However, serotonin also functions as a hormone across animal phyla, including those lacking an organized central nervous system.

The age at which a woman reaches menopause is 85% genetically determined, according to new research published Thursday, in Europe's leading reproductive medicine journal, Human Reproduction*.

A report just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association confirmed previous studies which found that women who take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may develop denser breast tissue, which in turn may make it more difficult to detect breast cancer through mammography.

Natural Estrogens, Selective Estrogens, Fantasy Estrogens... What is the Perfect Estrogen?

This is adapted from an interview with Dr. Howard Glazer, who has developed a treatment for this condition using a form of biofeedback. This initial interview, covers the history of the disease, as well as Dr. Glazer's background.

Body Mass Index, Percent Body Fat, and Regional Body Fat Distribution in Relation to Leptin Concentrations in Healthy, Non-Smoking Postmenopausal Women in a Feeding Study

The post marketing safety surveillance program for a drug containing a new chemical entity should assess both, the safety outcomes that relate specifically to the targeted population, as well as those that could potentially be related to special pharmacological characteristics of the drug.

Human, animal, and in vitro research indicates a beneficial effect of appropriate amounts of omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on bone health.

Many risk factors for fractures have been documented, including low bone-mineral density (BMD) and a history of fractures.

Diagnostic discordance for osteoporosis is the observation that the T-score of an individual patient varies from one key measurement site to another, falling into two different diagnostic categories identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) classification system.

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a prevalent and costly condition which may be treated surgically or by physical therapy.

In an extensive, multi-center clinical treatment trial, Canadian researchers evaluated the outcomes of 538 cases of uterine artery embolization for fibroids. Between 20% and 50% of women develop uterine fibroids, benign tumors in the muscular tissue of the uterus that can seriously impact their health and well-being.

This study was designed to determine whether epidural anesthesia would improve external cephalic version success in a safe and effective manner.

The ability to quickly, cost-effectively and accurately predict fetal pulmonary maturity would be a helpful adjunct in the management of problem pregnancies when either delivery or administration of glucocorticoid are management options.

Virtually half of the articles about genetic testing in the lay press contain the words "simple blood test". In a high-tech medical world of complicated imaging, medications and surgeries, reporters seem intrigued that much genetic testing can be performed on a blood specimen.

There are an increasing number of genetic disorders that can be diagnosed by direct DNA analysis, such as cystic fibrosis.

A recent survey of ob/gyns (N = 308) reported that respondents who indicated they had prior training in office uterine evacuation and/or induced abortion also reported using office uterine evacuation more frequently as compared to those providers without any training. The operation room was used more often by those respondents who did not have any induced abortion training.

Plasma renin activity (PRA) was determined by radioimmunoassay in maternal and cord blood of 20 women with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and in 20 normal pregnant controls.

On December 6, 1999, under Public Law 106-129, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) was reauthorized and renamed the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Of the nearly 4 million women giving birth in the United States each year, between 1 and 5 percent suffer from chronic hypertension.

Formula feeding based on human milk composition

Although testosterone is generally considered to be a male hormone, it is produced in small amounts by the ovary. Other hormones with testosterone-like effects are also produced by both the ovary and the adrenal gland.

Incompetent cervix is a condition where recurrent mid-trimester pregnancy loss complicates a pregnancy. Incompetent cervix is diagnosed in I in 2000 pregnancies, and has been determined as the cause of approximately 15% of all recurrent pregnancy loss.