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It seems chronic stress has a fringe benefit: It protects women from breast cancer. A recent prospective cohort study of almost 7,000 women participating in the Copenhagen City heart study finds that women with self-perceived high levels of stress have a 40% lower risk of first-time primary breast cancer than less stressed counterparts.

Abiding by the old rules and waiting for a severely preeclamptic patient's diastolic blood pressure (BP) to reach or rise above 110 mm Hg before beginning to treat hypertension can invite a deadly stroke, warned a leading Jackson, Miss. maternal-fetal medicine researcher. Instead, consider treating as a hypertensive emergency a pregnant patient's sudden severe systolic BP reading of 155 to 160 mm Hg or more, regardless of the diastolic reading, said James N. Martin, Jr., MD, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Obstetrics at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine.

Users of the Ortho Evra birth control patch (Ortho McNeil Pharmaceuticals) are exposed to higher overall levels of estrogen than users of birth control pills and thus may be at higher risk for blood clots and other serious side effects, according to the FDA.

In women with uterine anomalies, such as bicornuate uterus, unicornuate uterus, septate uterus, and uterus didelphys, a cervical length of less than 25 mm on transvaginal ultrasonography makes preterm birth 13 times more likely, according to results from a prospective study of 64 women.

A cholesterol-lowering diet during pregnancy may do more than just modify maternal lipid levels; it may significantly reduce the rate of preterm birth among low-risk women, according to researchers from Norway.

It seems that "patient safety" initiatives are abuzz at every hospital and medical school I visit. Medical errors are much too common. It's time for that to change.

From the Internet to salacious headlines in the mainstream media, consumers have never been so inundated with health-care information and advice. To truly empower women to take control of their health, we have to provide them with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions. But we also need to make sure the information is credible.

We've been doing cerclage for roughly half a century—but where's the evidence that it prevents preterm birth? The authors make the case for limiting this surgery to select patients, cautioning that for multiple gestations, it might just make things worse.

As gynecologic surgeons have honed their laparoscopic skills, the tools used for minimally invasive gynecologic surgery have followed suit. Better specimen removal and vessel ligation devices, improved trocars, and automatic morcellators are among the reasons this approach has become easier—and safer.

It seems that making emergency contraception (EC) available over-the-counter (OTC) changes nothing except where such contraception is obtained.

It seems obese breast cancer patients are frequently underdosed when it comes to chemotherapy.

Gabapentin at a dosage of 900 mg/day, but not at 300 mg/day, provides effective relief of hot flashes in women with breast cancer.

While women who have had a prior cesarean section can safely attempt vaginal delivery beyond their estimated due date, they are 36% more likely to fail than women who attempt vaginal delivery prior to 40 weeks' gestation.

Spinal/epidural pain relief provided to women in active labor during afternoon hours lasts about 27% longer than when the same pain relief is provided at night, according to a study of about 70 nulliparous women.

Regardless of the specific screening option chosen, what is clear is that the inclusion of NT measurements optimizes Down syndrome screening.

This preliminary report suggests not, unless the fibroids are large and very close to the endometrial cavity.

IVF- and ICSI conceived singleton fetuses are at higher risk of birth defects, IUGR, PTD, and perinatal mortality.

Those were the words on the streets of Kingston, Jamaica during the week I visited in September. Along with 30 other health-care professionals, I was there on a medical mission for PRN Relief International, a group I co-founded.

Excessively large breasts can be so painful that even the rare risk of losing her nipples and areolae won't dissuade a woman from undergoing reduction surgery. This article—by two plastic surgeons—gives you information on the pros and cons of various surgical approaches so you can educate patients about all of their options.

Determining the cause of AUB is challenging. How you choose to manage it will partly depend on whether the bleeding is acute or chronic. In part 1 of this 2-part series, we'll discuss medical treatment. In part 2, we'll address surgical options.

HPV infection is on the rise in teens and typically transient—yet it still raises the risk of dysplasia. The authors offer evidence-based yet practical guidelines for this management challenge.

A new continuous OC that eliminates menstruation throughout the entire year has been shown to improve dysmenorrhea in a 1-year clinical trial presented at this year's ASRM meeting in Montreal.

This preliminary report suggests not, unless the fibroids are large and very close to the endometrial cavity.

When preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) was performed on 289 embryos generated from the donor oocytes of healthy women under age 30, chromosomal aneuploidy was found in 42%.

Adding hyperthermia to standard chemoradiotherapy for advanced cervical carcinoma seems to boost the positive effects of treatment without adding any negative effects, according to analysis of three phase 2 studies.