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No more periods?
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When I was younger I used to think it would be so great if someday women didn’t have to have periods anymore. I figured that surely science would come up with some way to do this. I mean, come on – who likes periods? Men certainly don’t – they could only benefit from women not having them. And for us they are just a pain (sometimes literally). I didn’t know if this would happen in my lifetime or not, or even when I was still young enough for it to matter to me.
Well, apparently there have been ways to avoid having a period for long lengths of time or even at all for some time now. Where have I been? Under a rock somewhere it seems!
The other day I read where many doctors and nurses have been avoiding their periods by just starting a new packet of their birth control pills right after finishing one, rather than to stop taking them for a week. I didn’t even realize that when you are taking birth control pills that the periods you have aren’t actually real periods. They are called ‘breakthrough’ bleeding.
Of course it isn’t a good idea to use a medication differently than how it is recommended to be used – but to at least know about these things in case something comes up where a period would be extremely inconvenient would have been nice. Remember in Sixteen Candles when the older sister is getting married and her period starts and the stuff she taking for cramps makes her totally out of it? That could have been completely avoided if she had known how to avoid or postpone a period! Nevermind that the movie would not have been quite so entertaining.
The drug company Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc. released SEASONALE in 2003. It is some sort of extended-cycle oral contraceptive. And now they have just gotten FDA approval for SEASONIQUE. With SEASONIQUE you take a pill with levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol for 84 days in a row. Then go for 7 days with taking a pill with only ethinyl estradiol. And you only have a period 4 times a year!
Let me repeat that:
You will only have a period 4 times a year!
SEASONIQUE will be available by July this year. Cool isn’t it? Ok, its not exactly a cure for cancer or aging, a space colony, a matter transmitter or a time machine – but at least science has now accomplished one of the things I have always dreamed of!
Now, one question remains: will our health insurance will pay for it or not?
(Technorati Tags: SEASONIQUE, SEASONALE, period, health, birth control)
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May 26, 2006
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Holiday blog round up!
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I’ve come across some interesting blog posts today and, being in a nerdy mood today, I thought I’d share them with you.
Biology News Net has a post about how Many cleaners, air fresheners may pose health risks when used indoors.
Tara C. Smith at Aetiology discusses Clostridium bacteria, one of which causes botulism in Emerging Disease and Zoonoses #15–Clostridium species.
Got Bones has a post about the jaw necrosis that sometimes occurs in people using certain osteoporosis drugs. I’ve wanted to blog about this for a while, but just hadn’t gotten around to it yet.
Hsien Hsien Lei talks about the DRD4 Gene and Sex Addiction
Twisty at I Blame The Patriarchy does a great job (as always) of blogging about how the rhythm method kills off more embryos than other forms of birth control: Rhythm Method: Now Just As Painful To Jesus As The Pill
And finally, Dr. Free-Ride at Adventures of Ethics and Science discusses whether or not there are less women in science because women are ‘repelled by nerd culture’ more than men: Let my people (let themselves) go
Have a great weekend!
(Technorati Tags: health, osteoporosis, nerds, science)
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May 25, 2006
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Link to original NIH report
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I almost forgot, here is a link to the original NIH report:
http://consensus.nih.gov/2006/2006MultivitaminMineralSOS028html.htm
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Are we taking too many vitamins and minerals?
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Last week – from May 15 to the 17 – the ‘NIH (National Institutes of Health) State-of-the-Science Conference on Multivitamin/Mineral Supplements and Chronic Disease Prevention’ took place in Bethesda, MD.
The conference focused on vitamin and mineral use and explored a number of questions regarding their usefulness and safety.
The six questions are below, along with their conclusions:
1)What are the current patterns and prevalence of the public’s use of MVM (multivitamin/mineral) supplements?
– Over half of Americans take a MVM because they believe that it will help them feel better and be healthier.
– Sales of supplements to Americans are now at around $23 billion, with MVM being most of these.
– Women, elderly, better educated, wealthier, healthier lifestyle, disease survivors, chronic disease sufferers and lower BMI people tend to take them the most.
– Smokers, African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans tend to use them less.
2)What is known about the dietary nutrient intake of MVM user versus nonusers?
– People who take MVM tend to eat healthier diets anyway.
3)What is the efficacy of single vitamin/mineral supplement use in chronic disease prevention?
The findings of the study include:
– Beta-carotene: an increase in lung cancer in smokers has been associated with use
– Vitamin B2 and niacin: decreased risk of nuclear cataracts
– Vitamin B6: no effects on cognitive decline
– Folic acid: effective when used by pregnant women in preventing neural tube defects
– Calcium and Vitamin D: used together these nutrients do help to reduce risks of fractures in postmenopausal women
4)What is the efficacy of MVM in chronic disease prevention in the general population of adults?
– Cancer: incidence of some cancers may be reduced by some vitamins or minerals, but nothing conclusive
– Cardiovascular disease: no benefits or harm were found
– Cataract: Mixed results
– Macular degeneration: one study showed benefit from vitamin C, E, beta-carotene and zinc
5)What is known about the safety of MVM for the generally health population?
Some vitamins or minerals may actually increase risks of some cancers. Consumption above the recommend UL (upper limit) may be harmful.
6)What are the major knowledge gaps and research opportunities regarding MVM use?
The panel recommends more studies to further the understanding of MVM including those related to interactions of MVM with medications and ethnic/age/gender specific studies.
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The panel consisted of 13 members with expertise in nutrition, statistics, toxicology, geriatric medicine, pediatrics, cancer prevention, consumer protection and more. The panel was chaired by J. Michael McGinnis.
In their conclusion they stated ‘Finally, the present evidence is insufficient to recommend either for or against the use of MVMs by the American public to prevent chronic disease.’
An interesting interview with Dr. Meir J. Stampfer, Maret Traber, Ph.D. , Dr. Irwin Rosenberg and Dr. Johanna M. Seddon can be found at NPR: Experts Make Their Recommendations on Vitamins.
I like the point made by Dr. Meir J. Stampfer: ‘We can’t lose sight of the idea that just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s necessarily safe. Tobacco and asbestos are natural, yet they are not safe.’. That’s a very good point that gets forgotten all too often.
The point seems very clear too that it is best to get your nutrients from the food you eat rather than from supplements. I do the best I can at this, but it is not easy all the time. I wonder how many people think that if they take a vitamin they don’t need to worry about how they eat?
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May 22, 2006
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Got twins?
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A new study by Dr. Gary Steinman shows that women who drink milk are 5 times more likely to have twins than women who don’t eat or drink any animal products.
The study compared the number of twins born to women who ate a regular diet, vegetarians (who do consume dairy products), and vegans (no animal products).
Gary Steinman believes that levels of IGF (insulin-like growth factor) may be involved. IGF is released from the liver in response to growth hormone. It results in ovaries being more sensitive to follicle stimulating hormone – which increases ovulation.
Since IGF enters milk, including cow’s milk, this may be why milk drinkers have a greater chance of having twins. Vegans have a 13% lower level of IGF in their blood.
Some women just naturally have higher levels of IGF. Black women have higher rates of twin births and they also have higher levels of IGF in their blood. Asian women tend to have much lower IGF levels and also the lowest rate of twin births. Caucasian women have levels some where in between.
Also, in cows, genes that influence the chance of having twins are near the gene for IGF.
Possible explanations for the number of twins has increased in the last 30 years include fertility treatments, women delaying pregnancy and hormones fed to cows.
Gary Steinman works at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York and this study appears in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine, in the May 2006 issue.
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- Women’s Health Weekly Review: May 4 – May 10
- Menopause – HRT, hot flashes and twins
- Pregnancy – diet, weight gain and diabetes
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