GenderBiology.net

Maladies: Hormone Levels and Chronic Fatigue

SOURCE: The New York Times (online)

DATE:  January 29, 2008

EXCERPT:  "Women who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome may be starting the day at a disadvantage. A new study finds that they wake up with lower levels of a hormone that helps people deal with stress.  ... The cortisol differences were not found in the men studied.  ...  [and]  may help to explain the higher prevalence of C.F.S. in women.    more

RELATED PUBMED LINK:

Nater UM, Maloney E, Boneva RS, Gurbaxani BM, Lin JM, Jones JF, Reeves WC, Heim C.  Attenutated Morning Salivary Cortisol Concentrations in a Population-based Study of Persons with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Well Controls.  J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Dec 26;      article pdf

Scientists Identify Genes Linked To Lupus In Women

SOURCE:  Medical News Today

DATE:  January 22, 2008

EXCERPT:  "An international consortium of scientists has identified multiple genes that are linked to systemic lupus erythematosus, a devastating autoimmune disease that affects between 1 million and 2 million Americans.  .....  Systemic lupus can involve the joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, brain and blood. The disease .... affects women nine times more frequently than men."     more

RELATED PUBMED LINK:

Nath SK, Han S, Kim-Howard X, Kelly JA, Viswanathan P, Gilkeson GS, Chen W, Zhu C, McEver RP, Kimberly RP, Alarcón-Riquelme ME, Vyse TJ, Li QZ, Wakeland EK, Merrill JT, James JA, Kaufman KM, Guthridge JM, Harley JB. A nonsynonymous functional variant in integrin-alpha(M) (encoded by ITGAM) is associated with systemic lupus erythematosus. Nat Genet. 2008 Feb;40(2):152-4. Epub 2008 Jan 20.

Women Who Do Shift Work More Likely To Be Forced To Retire Early

SOURCE:  Medical News Today

DATE: January 19, 2008

EXCERPT:  "If you are a woman and work shifts your chances of enforced early retirement are greater than a woman who is not involved in shift-work or a man who works shifts  ...  findings come from the Danish Work Environment Cohort Study  ...   Shift-work has been linked to a raised risk of heart attack, peptic ulcer, sleep disturbance, breast cancer, pregnancy complications, and accidents. However, this study did not look at the reasons for enforced early retirement. The authors added that why women seem to be more vulnerable is not clear."   more

RELATED PUBMED LINK:

Tüchsen F, Christensen KB, Lund T, Feveile H. A 15 year prospective study of shift work and disability pension. Occup Environ Med. 2008 Jan 15

Why Men Are More Prone To Liver Cancer

SOURCE:  Medical News Today

DATE: January 16, 2008

EXCERPT: "A fundamental difference in the way males and females respond to chronic liver disease at the genetic level helps explain why men are more prone to liver cancer ...  Male and female livers are inherently different, with most of the differences arising during puberty when male livers are exposed to periodic bursts of growth hormone. This prompts male livers to express different genes than female livers, which explains why men and women can have different reactions to certain antibiotics and other medications.  "  more

RELATED PUBMED LINK:

Rogers AB, Theve EJ, Feng Y, Fry RC, Taghizadeh K, Clapp KM, Boussahmain C, Cormier KS, Fox JG. Hepatocellular carcinoma associated with liver-gender disruption in male mice. Cancer Res. 2007 Dec 15;67(24):11536-46.

A different side of estrogen

SOURCE:  Science News

DATE:  January 5, 2008

EXCERPT:   ""Estrogen receptor beta, in particular, is involved in many, many tissues. It shows that estrogens are extremely important not only in reproduction, which everybody knows, but in other aspects of health as well," says Gustafsson, of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.  ... including pain, depression, anxiety disorders, all most every major organ system."   more

RELATED  LINK:

Williams, Sarah C. A different side of estrogen. Sci News. 2008 Jan 5;173(1):8-9.

Calcium Supplements Could Raise Heart Risks in Postmenopausal Women

SOURCE:  MedlinePlus (HealthDay News)

DATE: January 4, 2008

EXCERPT:  "Study found those taking tablets had 47% higher risk of cardiovascular trouble ... The calcium tablets taken by millions of postmenopausal women to reduce their risk of osteoporosis may be contributing to an increase in heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.  The findings might mean doctors shouldn't prescribe the supplement so freely.  more (displays for 90 days)

RELATED PUBMED LINK:

Bolland MJ, Barber PA, Doughty RN, Mason B, Horne A, Ames R, Gamble GD, Grey A, Reid IR. Vascular events in healthy older women receiving calcium supplementation: randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2008 Jan 15

There's a Men's Route And a Women's Route

SOURCE:  washington.com

DATE: January 4, 2008

EXCERPT:  "Research Tries to Explain Why the Sexes Choose Different Strategies to Get From A to B.   ....   While some scientists theorize that hormones account for navigational differences between the sexes, Tremblay thinks the answer may lie in the inner ear."  more

RELATED PUBMED LINK:
na  (study -- Luc Tremblay, Toronto)

Arthritis linked to index to ring finger length ratio

SOURCE:  ZEENEWS.COM

DATE:  January 3, 2008

EXCERPT:  "A study of index to ring finger length ratio (2D:4D) has revealed that having uncommonly long ring fingers raises the risk of developing osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis that results in severe pain in the joints. Researchers at the University of Nottingham in the UK say that their finding is particularly applicable to women with long ring fingers."  more

RELATED PUBMED LINK:

Zhang W, Robertson J, Doherty S, Liu JJ, Maciewicz RA, Muir KR, Doherty M. Index to ring finger length ratio and the risk of osteoarthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2007 Dec 28;58(1):137-144.

Happiness may be good for your health

SOURCE:  MedlinePlus -- Reuters Health Information

DATE:  January 2, 2008

EXCERPT:  "A happy heart just might be a healthier one as well, new research suggests. In a study of nearly 3,000 healthy British adults, lead by Dr. Andrew Steptoe of University College London, found that those who reported upbeat moods had lower levels of cortisol -- a "stress" hormone that, when chronically elevated, may contribute to high blood pressure, abdominal obesity and dampened immune function, among other problems.  ...  Among women, but not men, positive emotions were also related to lower levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin 6. The reason for the sex difference is not clear, according to the researchers."   more   (articles display for 30 days)

RELATED PUBMED LINK:

Steptoe A, O'Donnell K, Badrick E, Kumari M, Marmot M. Neuroendocrine and inflammatory factors associated with positive affect in healthy men and women: the Whitehall II study. Am J Epidemiol. 2008 Jan 1;167(1):96-102.