The number of women suffering from lung disease such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cystic fibrosis (CF) is increasing and researchers speculate hormones may have something to do with this. A recent report found that women experience higher morbidity and mortality from these diseases but also linked the onset and progression of […]
Millions of women routinely receive hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat the myriad of symptoms associated with menopause. HRT formulations contain either estrogen (synthetic estrogen-like compounds) alone or a combination of estrogens and progestins (synthetic progesterone like compounds). The use of combination HRT (estrogen + progestin) has been linked to the rapid onset of a […]
Perimenopausal Hormone Changes and MigraineHeadaches in general and migraines in particular are very common, especially in women. Migraines have a lifetime prevalence rate of 26% for women compared to 15% for men. With the onset of perimenopause, fluctuations in estradiol levels can lead to more frequent or severe headaches or migraines in some women. This […]
As women age, thyroid disorders become more common. Hypothyroidism is twice as frequent in elderly women as in younger women and 10 times more frequent in women than men. According to the American Thyroid Association, as many as 1 in 4 nursing home residents may have undiagnosed and untreated hypothyroidism. In many cases, the symptoms […]
Michio Kaku, a well known theoretical and astrophysicist wrote several popular books about physics. In one of his recent books, “Physics of the future”, he discusses not only technical aspects of the future, but also many issues related to biology and medicine. He writes about stem cells, gene cloning, gene therapy, and possible ways to […]
Hypothyroidism is a state in which the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone. Many suspect hypothyroidism is related to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), ovarian enlargement and cyst formation. A recent study investigated this hypothesis. It included 26 patients with untreated hypothyroidism who had polycystic (n=10) or normal-appearing (n=16) ovaries and 20 euthyroid controls. All subjects were given a […]
Research suggests that women consuming diets rich in saturated fat are more likely than men to have fat deposited in their bodies. A recent study offers possible explanations for these differences in fat metabolism and why fat deposits are more abundant after menopause. Although, the study was done on mice, some conclusions can be extrapolated […]
Most women are aware of that estradiol levels change throughout her lifetime, specifically because of her menstrual cycle. From the initial increase of estradiol that ushers in menarche (when a woman starts her menstruating) to the decrease at menopause, fluctuating estradiol levels are core to being a woman. What many don’t know is that androgens, […]