Tag: Women’s Health

Women’s preference for masculine faces not linked with hormones

Data from almost 600 participants show that women’s perceptions of male attractiveness do not vary according to their hormone levels, in contrast with some previous research. The study findings are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. “We found no evidence that changes in hormone levels influence the type of

The DES saga: Death risk high for young women exposed in utero

A letter from three University of Chicago researchers in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine updates a 47-year-old series of reports on the risks of exposure during pregnancy to a supplement, diethylstilbestrol (DES), that was once widely used but since 1971 has been linked to a rare cancer: clear-cell adenocarcinoma of the vagina and

Calcium-based MRI sensor enables more sensitive brain imaging: System detects direct signals of neural activity; could reveal patterns underlying behavior

MIT neuroscientists have developed a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sensor that allows them to monitor neural activity deep within the brain by tracking calcium ions. Because calcium ions are directly linked to neuronal firing — unlike the changes in blood flow detected by other types of MRI, which provide an indirect signal — this

Drug effectiveness in reducing glucocorticoid-induced bone loss: The drug denosumab was superior to a commonly used drug in a 12-month study enrolling 795 patients

About one in every 100 people in the world takes glucocorticoids long term to treat immune-mediated diseases. However, glucocorticoids, such as prednisone, have a side effect — they induce the bone loss called osteoporosis, causing an estimated yearly bone fracture rate of 5 percent. An alternative treatment option now appears promising, according to results of

Scientists calculate radiation dose in bone from victim of Hiroshima bombing: In an article published in PLOS ONE, Brazilian researchers describe the first retrospective dosimetric study by electron spin resonance spectroscopy using human tissue from nuclear attack victims

The bombing of the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States in 1945 was the first and only use of nuclear weapons against civilian targets. A series of studies began in its aftermath to measure the impact of the fallout, in terms of both the radiation dose to which the victims were exposed

Soaking in hot tub improves health markers in obese women: Heat therapy appears to reduce inflammation, improve insulin resistance and lessen effects of polycystic ovary syndrome

According to new research, obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may be able to improve their health outlook with a particularly enjoyable form of therapy: regular sessions in a hot tub. The research found that soaking in a hot tub several times per week for two months results in improved measures of cardiovascular health,

Genetic link to IBS identified in women

New research coordinated by Karolinska Institutet in Sweden links certain DNA variants to increased risk of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in women. The findings, published in the scientific journal Gastroenterology, might help explain why IBS is more common in women than in men. Irritable bowel syndrome is the most common gastrointestinal disorder. More than 10