Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in OBGYN & Women's Health for May 2011. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Effect Estimates May Be Inflated in Biomarker Studies
TUESDAY, May 31 (HealthDay News) -- Biomarker effects are often overestimated in highly cited studies compared to the effects reported in subsequent meta-analyses of the same associations, according to a review published in the June 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Length of Maternity Leave Tied to Breast-Feeding Behavior
TUESDAY, May 31 (HealthDay News) -- The duration of breast-feeding among U.S. mothers may be longer if they delay their time of return to work, according to a study published online May 29 in Pediatrics.
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Country-Specific Tool Predicts Adverse Perinatal Outcomes
MONDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- A new generic reference tool is better at predicting low fetal weight and adverse perinatal outcomes among global populations, according to a study published in the May 28 issue of The Lancet.
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Mortality Higher in Early-Term Infants Than Full-Term Infants
THURSDAY, May 26 (HealthDay News) -- Early-term infants are at a higher mortality risk than those born at full term, and there are racial and ethnic disparities in infant mortality rates for early-term and full-term births, according to a study published in the June issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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U.S. National Rate of Home Births Increases
THURSDAY, May 26 (HealthDay News) -- The percentage of home births in the United States increased between 2004 and 2008, according to a study published online May 20 in Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care.
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Optimum Number of Eggs for IVF Success is 15
THURSDAY, May 26 (HealthDay News) -- The chances of success after in vitro fertilization (IVF) are maximized when 15 eggs are retrieved during ovarian stimulation, according to a study published online May 10 in Human Reproduction.
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Co-Pay Tied to Noncompliance for Breast Cancer Therapy
THURSDAY, May 26 (HealthDay News) -- Higher prescription co-payments are associated with noncompliance with hormonal therapy for breast cancer, according to a study published online May 23 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Contact With Drug Industry Linked to Positive Attitudes
WEDNESDAY, May 25 (HealthDay News) -- The extent of contact that medical students have with the pharmaceutical industry is associated with positive attitudes about marketing, according to a review published online May 24 in PLoS Medicine.
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Excessive Calcium Intake Does Not Lower Fracture Risk
WEDNESDAY, May 25 (HealthDay News) -- Increasing calcium intake above a satisfactory level is not associated with a further reduction of osteoporotic fracture rates in women, according to a study published online May 24 in BMJ.
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Fish Cooking Method Affects Heart Failure Risk in Women
WEDNESDAY, May 25 (HealthDay News) -- Increased consumption of baked or broiled fish and decreased intake of fried fish may reduce incident heart failure risk in postmenopausal women, according to a study published online May 24 in Circulation: Heart Failure.
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Patient Outcomes Tied to Primary Care Workforce
TUESDAY, May 24 (HealthDay News) --A higher level of primary care physician workforce is associated with favorable patient outcomes, according to a study published in the May 25 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation Tied to Increased Mortality
TUESDAY, May 24 (HealthDay News) -- Women with new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) may have an increased risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and noncardiovascular mortality, according to a study published May 25 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Selective Abortion of Girls Increasing in India
TUESDAY, May 24 (HealthDay News) -- It is becoming increasingly common in families in India to abort female fetuses if the firstborn was a girl, particularly in wealthier, better-educated households, according to research published online May 24 in The Lancet.
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L-Arginine Linked to Decreased Pre-Eclampsia Risk
FRIDAY, May 20 (HealthDay News) -- The risk of pre-eclampsia may be reduced by dietary supplementation with both L-arginine and antioxidant vitamins in high-risk women, according to a study published online May 19 in BMJ.
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Many Medical Students Lack Confidence in Medical Law
FRIDAY, May 20 (HealthDay News) -- The majority of medical students lack confidence in their knowledge and skills across many areas of medical law, according to a study published online May 16 in the Journal of Medical Ethics.
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Radiation for Hodgkin's Linked to Increased Mortality
THURSDAY, May 19 (HealthDay News) -- Although breast cancer may be diagnosed earlier, women with a history of radiation therapy (RT) for Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) are more likely to have bilateral breast cancer, and die due to other causes, according to a study published online May 16 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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New Test Detects Recent Infection With Toxoplasmosis
THURSDAY, May 19 (HealthDay News) -- A new test to detect whether a toxoplasmosis infection has been acquired within the past four months has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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Initial Fecal Occult Blood Test Predicts Cancer Risk
THURSDAY, May 19 (HealthDay News) -- Patients screened for colorectal cancer via immunochemical fecal occult blood test (iFOBT) can be stratified for cancer risk by degree of baseline fecal hemoglobin concentration, according to research published online May 17 in The Lancet Oncology.
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Elective C-Sections More Common Among Affluent Moms
THURSDAY, May 19 (HealthDay News) -- Socioeconomic status is associated with cesarean section rates in Scottish mothers, according to a study published online May 18 in BMC Public Health.
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Family Cancer Histories Are Not Highly Accurate
WEDNESDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- General population reports on family history for major adult cancers are not very accurate, according to a study published online May 11 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Prenatal Vitamin A May Not Reduce Mortality
WEDNESDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- Weekly supplementation with vitamin A or beta carotene during pregnancy is not associated with a reduction in pregnancy-related or infant mortality in Bangladesh, according to a study published in the May 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Major Birth Defects Not Linked to Newer Antiepileptic Drugs
TUESDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to newer-generation antiepileptic drugs in the first trimester of pregnancy is not correlated with an increase in major birth defects in a Danish cohort of live-born infants, according to a study published in the May 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Prenatal Partner Violence Tied to Postpartum Depression
MONDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Prenatal exposure to recent intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with the development of postpartum depression (PPD) in Latinas, and may offer better prediction than prenatal depression, according to a study published in the April issue of the Archives of Women's Mental Health.
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MRKAd5 Vaccine Found Ineffective Against HIV-1
MONDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- A vaccine tested in a cohort of men and women in South Africa failed to prevent acquisition of HIV-1 or a decrease in viral load in those who acquired the virus, according to research published online May 12 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
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Early HIV Therapy Reduces Partner's Infection Risk
FRIDAY, May 13 (HealthDay News) -- People with HIV may be able to reduce the risk of transmitting the infection to sexual partners by starting an antiretroviral regimen early, while their immune systems are healthy, according the results of the HPTN 052 trial, sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The trial was slated to end in 2015, but the findings are being released early after a scheduled interim data review by an independent data and safety monitoring board.
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Laser Saves at Least One Twin in Twin-Twin Transfusion
FRIDAY, May 13 (HealthDay News) -- Use of selective laser photocoagulation of communicating vessels (SLPCV) for patients with twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) show improved perinatal survival of at least one twin independent of the Quintero stage, according to a study published in the May issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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GnRH Antagonists Effective Option in IVF
FRIDAY, May 13 (HealthDay News) -- The treatment of women with in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonists results in a similar live-birth rate, and is associated with a lower incidence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) compared to standard treatment with GnRH agonists, according to a meta-analysis published online May 11 in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
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Carotid Stenting Riskier Than Surgery in Women
THURSDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- Women who undergo carotid artery stenting may be at higher risk for stroke than those who undergo endarterectomy, but little difference is seen between men who undergo one of the two blockage clearing procedures, according to research published online May 6 in The Lancet Neurology.
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Marital Instability May Predict Sleep Problems in Children
THURSDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- Marital instability prospectively predicts early childhood sleep patterns, even after controlling for factors such as sleep problems, and eliminating shared genetic influences, according to a study published online May 11 in Child Development.
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Aromatase Inhibitors Improve Breast Conservation Rates
THURSDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with clinical stage II to III estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer who undergo preoperative treatment with the aromatase inhibitors (AIs) exemestane, letrozole, or anastrozole have improved surgical outcomes, according to a study published online May 9 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Breast-Feeding May Lower Odds of Behavioral Problems
THURSDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- Breast-feeding for at least four months is associated with reduced odds of behavioral problems at age 5 years in term children, but the correlation is less clear for preterm children, according to a study published online May 9 in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
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Poor Cardiovascular Outcomes for U.S. Women
THURSDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- In the United States, women have worse cardiovascular treatment and outcomes than men, according to the Women's Health in American Hospitals report released on May 3 by HealthGrades.
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Transvaginal Mesh May Be Best for Pelvic Organ Prolapse
WEDNESDAY, May 11 (HealthDay News) -- Use of mesh to repair anterior vaginal wall prolapse appears to result in better outcomes than traditional colporrhaphy at one year, but mesh is associated with more complications and postoperative adverse events, according to research published in the May 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Coffee May Lower Breast Cancer Risk in Older Women
WEDNESDAY, May 11 (HealthDay News) -- A high daily intake of coffee is associated with a significant decrease in the risk of estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer in postmenopausal women, according to a study published online May 11 in Breast Cancer Research.
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Use of Breast Intensity-Modulated Radiation on Rise
WEDNESDAY, May 11 (HealthDay News) -- The use of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) rose steeply from 2001 to 2005, substantially increasing the cost of breast cancer radiation, according to research published online April 27 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Exogenous Estrogen Use Linked to Cerebral Aneurysms
WEDNESDAY, May 11 (HealthDay News) -- Women who use oral contraceptive pills or hormone replacement therapy may be less likely to have a cerebral aneurysm, according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery.
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Medical Education Participants Recognize Funding Bias
WEDNESDAY, May 11 (HealthDay News) -- Although most medical professionals believe that commercial funding of continuing medical education (CME) introduces bias, most are not willing to pay higher fees to offset or eliminate such funding sources, according to a study published in the May 9 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Novel Genomic Predictor Indicates Breast CA Survival
TUESDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- A genomic predictor combining estrogen receptor (ER) status with chemoresistance, chemosensitivity, and endocrine sensitivity may identify patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer with a high chance of survival following taxane and anthracycline chemotherapy, according to a study published in the May 11 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Cognitive Impairment Common in Oldest Old Women
TUESDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- A substantial number of oldest old women, an increasing demographic, have some degree of cognitive impairment, according to research published in the May issue of the Archives of Neurology.
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Gay Men May Have Increased Cancer Prevalence
MONDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- Sexual orientation may affect cancer prevalence and self-health perception, with poor self-reported health perception more likely in lesbian and bisexual female cancer survivors, and increased cancer prevalence in gay men, according to a study published online May 9 in Cancer.
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True Interval Breast Cancers May Have Aggressive Features
MONDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- True and missed interval cancers are more likely to have a higher grade and stage compared with screen-detected breast cancers, and true interval cancers have additional adverse prognostic features, according to a study published online May 3 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Breast Augmentation Blurs Mammography Results
FRIDAY, May 6 (HealthDay News) -- Mammographic findings fail to differentiate between benign and malignant carcinoma microcalcifications after autologous fat injection for breast augmentation, according to a study published in the April issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
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Calcium Supplementation Inadequate in Elderly
FRIDAY, May 6 (HealthDay News) -- Dietary calcium intake is lower in the elderly and, despite increased frequency of supplemental calcium use, this cohort does not meet the recommended adequate intake (AI) of calcium, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
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Community Intervention Can Improve HIV Testing Rates
THURSDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) -- The use of community-based voluntary counseling and testing (CBVCT) appears to improve initial and repeat HIV testing rates in remote communities as compared with standard, clinic-based VCT (SVCT), according to a study published online May 4 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
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Bisphosphonates Tied to Small Risk of Atypical Fractures
WEDNESDAY, May 4 (HealthDay News) -- Among patients with atypical fractures, there is a high prevalence of current bisphosphonate use, but the absolute risk of these fractures is small, according to a study published in the May 5 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Efficacy of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Unclear
TUESDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- Though stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is currently used as a treatment for various solid malignant tumors, there is a lack of evidence confirming its effectiveness and safety, according to a review published online May 2 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Children Infected With HIV Perinatally Faring Well
MONDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- Most children with perinatal HIV infection are achieving virologic suppression and have normal CD4 lymphocyte counts, according to a study published online March 9 in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.
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Maternal Age Is One Predictor of Child's Poor Development
MONDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- Maternal age below 20 years at the time of birth is one of a number of factors that may predict a child's poor development, according to a study published online May 2 in Pediatrics.
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