Women's Health Archive

The idea of a detox diet or cleanse seems like it might be beneficial, and the advertising is certainly compelling, but these products are not regulated in any way. Evidence of beneficial effects from using them is limited, and there are reports of side effects and complications.

Virtual health care is a convenience in ordinary times, but a valuable tool during a crisis like the one we are experiencing. Also called telehealth, telemedicine, or digital care, it allows medical staff to evaluate patients to determine possible treatment needs and whether they can remain at home.

While COVID-19 brings normal life to a temporary halt as we practice social distancing, it helps to double-down on deepening social bonds and practicing kindness and gratitude, not emotional distancing.

If you are pregnant, naturally you have concerns about COVID-19 and its potential effects on you and your fetus or newborn. Although there is limited data on the new coronavirus and pregnancy, some questions can be answered.

Does stress really turn hair gray? Scientists conducted experiments that simulated stress and led to gray hair—in mice, which does not mean it’s true for humans, regardless of what you may have heard in the media.

Shifts in the levels of female hormones can cause temporary mood changes, including symptoms of depression.

The years leading up to menopause and the transition itself can bring changes to your body. But they can also have an effect on your mind, specifically your mental health.

The incidence of depression doubles during this time. Women who have struggled in the past with depression or anxiety might also see a resurgence in symptoms.

Research we're watching

Can a new breast screening technology find more cancers in women with dense breast tissue? A study managed by the American College of Radiology (ACR) Center for Research and Innovation will compare contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) to other screening technologies used for dense breasts (those that contain a higher proportion of active tissue than fat). It's difficult to find cancers in dense breast tissue using traditional mammography because the active tissue shows up as white areas on a mammogram, just like cancers do, making abnormalities harder to see.

CESM is similar in some ways to traditional mammography, but before having the usual x-ray, the woman is injected with a special iodine-based contrast agent that highlights abnormal areas on the image more clearly. Cancerous tumors typically create new blood vessels when they form, and the contrast agent can reveal that increased blood flow, alerting the radiologist to a potential cancer.

Readers have many questions about the new coronavirus (COVID-19). We have enlisted one of our experts on infectious disease to answer some of them.

Following five healthy lifestyle habits has been shown to extend life expectancy. Better still, a recent study suggests the added years are more likely to be free of illness or disease.