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Women’s Health

Clues Connect Estrogen and Autoimmune Disease

There is a phenomenon that scientists have yet to solve, regardless of whether a woman lives in the United States, where medical care is relatively good, or third world nations, where medical care is often scarce: women are less likely to die from infectious diseases than men. The lower death rate has been attributed to a beneficial, yet unexplained effect estrogen has on the immune system. Females of child-bearing age are more resistant to infectious disease and have an increased risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study hypothesized that estrogen-induced gene expression could establish an immunoactivated state which would render enhanced defense against infection, but may be deleterious in autoimmune development.By Nicholas A. Young, Lai-Chu Wu, et al, Estrogen modulation of endosome-associated toll-like receptor 8: An IFNα-independent mechanism of sex-bias in systemic lupus erythematosus. Clinical Immunology, March 2014

Prenatal Exposure to Flame Retardants Linked to IQ and ADHD

Propionic acid and autism

Prenatal exposure to flame retardants may be as concerning as lead exposure to children’s brain development. A new study involving Simon Fraser University researchers has found that prenatal exposure to flame retardants can be significantly linked to lower IQs and greater hyperactivity in five-year-old children. The findings are published onlineRead

Breast Cancer and DNA Repair Capacity: Multivitamin & Calcium Supplements

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women, with over 1 million new cases diagnosed
every year worldwide. Over recent decades, considerable interest has emerged regarding whether vitamins and/or other supplements can lower the risk of BC. However, previous epidemiologic studies that investigated the association between intake of multivitamin and supplements of single vitamins and minerals and BC risk have reported conflicting results. Whether vitamins can actually reduce BC risk is still controversial. This study examined whether multivitamin and calcium use was associated with BC incidence and DNA repair capacity (DRC).

Iron Improves Women’s Exercise Performance

It is the first time researchers have been able to confirm that iron supplementation has beneficial effects on exercise performance. Dr Sant-Rayn Pasricha from the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health said the findings could have implications for improved performance in athletes and health and general health and well-being in the rest of the population. “It may be worthwhile screening women, including women training as elite athletes, for iron deficiency, and ensuring they receive appropriate prevention and treatment strategies. Athletes, especially females, are at increased risk of iron deficiency potentially, due to their diets and inflammation caused by excessive exercise,” said Pasricha.

Healing Eating Disorders

Mehri D. Moore, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist, has specialized in the treatment of eating disorders for over twenty years, and is widely regarded as one of the Pacific Northwest’s leading authorities on eating disorders and related family issues. She is founder of the…

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