Women's Health Archive

All women, regardless of risk, should focus on preventing diabetes.

Can a blood test act as a crystal ball, alerting you to a health hazard that may await you down the road? Researchers say they've found one that may do just that for diabetes. It could help predict whether women — even ones with no other signs of the disease — may develop the condition in the future.

In a study published online June 21 by the Journal of Clinical Lipidology, researchers showed that in many cases, a test called lipoprotein insulin resistance (LPIR) did a better job, at predicting which women would go on to develop diabetes, says Dr. Samia Mora, one of the study authors and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. In many cases, it was more accurate than traditional measures — such as

Experts says it's too early for alarm, but the findings provide another good reason to pay attention to oral health.

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Is gum disease linked to cancer? A study published in the August issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention suggests a tie between the two, finding that older women with gum disease had a higher risk for cancers of the breast, lung, and esophagus as well as melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer.

But it's not time to sound the alarm just yet, because while the study was published in a well-regarded journal, it had limitations that may have affected the results, says Alessandro Villa, instructor in oral medicine, infection, and immunity at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and associate surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Even so, he says, your oral health should still be a top priority because while it may be premature to say gum disease and cancer are linked, research has shown that gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, may increase the risk of heart disease and other health problems.

Challenging a long-held belief, a new study found that women who received epidural anesthesia during labor did not have prolonged labor or higher rates of cesarean births.

Start a conversation with your doctor about your risk factors.

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Statistically speaking, your heart is the biggest threat to your health. In 2014, more women died from cardiovascular disease than from cancer, chronic lung disease, and diabetes combined, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

But have you talked with your doctor about your risk factors? Many women haven't, according to a pair of surveys published in the June issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC). The surveys also show that this top-ranked threat to women's health isn't getting nearly the attention it deserves from many women and their doctors.

Ask the doctors

Q. I've found that I bruise more easily as I've gotten older. Is that normal?

A. If you're noticing more black-and-blue marks on your body, it's most likely not a skin or blood problem. Age-related changes to your skin and underlying blood vessels can make you more prone to bruising.

A daily low-dose aspirin may help prevent stroke and certain cancers, but the therapy carries certain risks you'll want to discuss with your physician.

It used to be that you would reach for an aspirin only if you had a headache or an achy joint, but current research shows that low doses of the drug may reduce your risk of stroke and even help prevent colorectal cancer.

So, does this mean you should head to the pharmacy, grab a bottle, and pop a tablet every morning to ward off disease? The short answer is, maybe — but only after you have a detailed conversation with your doctor about the potential benefits and risks. A low-dose aspirin regimen is certainly not appropriate for every woman.

Gender differences in the brain's reward system could mean that women who need help kicking alcohol may need different types of treatment.

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Men and women aren't created equal — at least when it comes to drinking alcohol. If you drink a glass of wine, you will typically have a higher blood alcohol level than a man who drinks the same amount, because of differences in the way your body processes alcohol. And if you drink more than the recommended amount, you may also be more susceptible to health problems — including liver disease and brain changes — than a man who does the same.

A new study from researchers at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston University has added another potential concern to that list, by showing that alcoholism may also have different effects on the reward systems in men's and women's brains.