GenderBiology.net

Daily calcium linked to longer life in women

SOURCE:  Futurity

DATE: May 23, 2013

EXCERPT: "Calcium, an essential nutrient for bone health, is commonly found in dairy products as well as vitamins. Despite calcium’s health benefits, past studies have linked calcium supplements to heart disease risk.

...

"We found that daily use of calcium supplements in women was associated with a lower risk of death, irrespective of cause,” ... “The benefit was seen for women who took doses of up to 1,000 mg per day, regardless of whether the supplement contained vitamin D."

...

Although the data showed women who took calcium supplements had a lower mortality risk, there was no statistical benefit for men. The study found no conclusive evidence that vitamin D had an effect on mortality."    more

RELATED PUBMED LINK:

Langsetmo L, Berger C, Kreiger N, Kovacs CS, Hanley DA, Jamal SA, Whiting SJ, Genest J, Morin SN, Hodsman A, Prior JC, Lentle B, Patel MS, Brown JP, Anastasiades T, Towheed T, Josse RG, Papaioannou A, Adachi JD, Leslie WD, Davison KS, Goltzman D; the CaMos Group. Calcium and Vitamin D Intake and Mortality: Results from the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study (CaMos). J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013 May 24.


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Steroid concentrations in antepartum and postpartum saliva: Normative values in women and correlations with serum

SOURCE:  Biology of Sex Differences (Journal)

DATE: April 10, 2013

EXCERPT: "Saliva has been advocated as an alternative to serum or plasma for 
steroid monitoring. Little normative information is available concerning 
expected concentrations of the major reproductive steroids in saliva during 
pregnancy and the extended postpartum. ... For most of the steroids examined, 
concentrations in antepartum saliva showed linear increases near end of 
gestation, suggesting an increase in the bioavailable hormone component. 
Observed concentrations were in agreement with the limited data available 
from previous reports. Modal concentrations of the ovarian steroids were 
undetectable in postpartum saliva and, when detectable in individual women, 
approximated early follicular phase values. Only low to moderate correlations 
between the serum and salivary concentrations were found, suggesting that 
during the peripartum period saliva provides information that is not 
redundant to serum."  more

RELATED PUBMED LINK:

Hampson E, Phillips SD, Soares CN, Steiner M. Steroid concentrations in antepartum and postpartum saliva: normative values in women and correlations with serum. Biol Sex Differ. 2013 Apr 10;4(1):7.


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librarian for assistance in accessing this article through library resources.

Amiodarone Linked to Cancer Risk in Men

SOURCE:  Medpage Toda

y

DATE: April 8, 2013

EXCERPT: "The risk of cancer was increased in men taking the antiarrhythmia drug amiodarone (Nexterone), particularly in those with extensive exposure to the drug, a retrospective study found. ... Women did not appear to be at increased risk ... "  more

RELATED PUBMED LINK:

Su VY, Hu YW, Chou KT, Ou SM, Lee YC, Lin EY, Chen TJ, Tzeng CH, Liu CJ. Amiodarone and the risk of cancer: A nationwide population-based study. Cancer. 2013 May 1;119(9):1699-705. doi: 10.1002/cncr.27881. Epub 2013 Apr 8.

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The Considerable Gender Differences In Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, Liver Diseases, Osteoporosis, And Pharmacology

SOURCE:  Medical News Today

DATE: March 26, 2013

EXCERPT: "At the dawn of the third millennium medical researchers still know very little about gender-specific differences in illness, particularly when it comes to disease symptoms, influencing social and psychological factors, and the ramifications of these differences for treatment and prevention. Medical research conducted over the past 40 years has focused almost exclusively on male patients.

A new article titled "Gender medicine: a task for the third millennium" presents research on gender-related differences conducted by Giovannella Baggio of Padua University Hospital and her team."  more

RELATED LINK:

Baggio G, Corsini A, Floreani A, Giannini S, Zagonel V. Gender medicine: a task for the third millennium. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2013 Apr;51(4):713-27. doi: 10.1515/cclm-2012-0849.


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The Drug-Dose Gender Gap

Source: NY Times

Date:  January 28, 2013

Exerpt:  Most sleeping pills are designed to knock you out for eight hours. When the Food and Drug Administration was evaluating a new short-acting pill for people to take when they wake up in the middle of the night, agency scientists wanted to know how much of the drug would still be in users’ systems come morning. 

....

Sleeping pills are hardly the only medications that may have unexpected, even dangerous, effects in women. Studies have shown that women respond differently than men to many drugs, from aspirin to anesthesia. Researchers are only beginning to understand the scope of the issue, but many believe that as a result, women experience a disproportionate share of adverse, often more severe, side effects.  more

FDA Recommends that Women Should Cut Dosage of Certain Sleep Medications in Half

SOURCE:  Food and Drug Admininstration (FDA) - For Consumers

DATE: January 10, 2013

EXCERPT: "The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that patients taking sleep medications that include zolpidem should be taking the lowest dose possible, due to due to extended periods of drowsiness. Further, FDA has revealed that women should be prescribed half the dosage that men receive for both immediate- and extended-release products. SWHR has long sought drug labeling to reflect any biological difference and is pleased that the Agency is now implementing this analysis and reporting it to consumers. SWHR urges consumers to talk with their doctors if they are taking these medications."  more

Postmenopausal Women Treated With Steroid Injection For Back Pain At Significant Risk For Bone Loss

SOURCE:  Medical News Today

DATE: December 4, 2012

EXCERPT: "Postmenopausal women suffered significant bone density loss in their hip after they were treated with an epidural steroid injection for back pain relief, ... Bone density loss after six months was six times greater when compared to the typical bone density loss seen in a year in a postmenopausal woman who doesn't receive steroid injection, researchers say."  more

RELATED PUBMED LINK:

Al-Shoha A, Rao DS, Schilling J, Peterson E, Mandel S. Effect of epidural steroid injection on bone mineral density and markers of bone turnover in postmenopausal women. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2012 Dec 1;37(25):E1567-71.


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Spinal Steroids Diminish BMD in Older Women

SOURCE: Medpage Today

DATE: December 2, 2012

EXCERPT: "A single epidural steroid injection led to a significant decrease in hip bone mineral density (BMD) among postmenopausal women, an observational study found. ... "Another sobering aspect of the study's findings is the legal malpractice suits brought against physicians who fail to document disclosing the known effects of steroids to their patients," Mandel and colleagues warned." " more

RELATED PUBMED LINK:

Al-Shoha A, Rao DS, Schilling J, Peterson E, Mandel S. Effect of epidural steroid injection on bone mineral density and markers of bone turnover in postmenopausal women. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2012 Dec 1;37(25):E1567-71.

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Pain Drugs Can Cause Hearing Loss In Women

SOURCE:   Medical News Today

DATE: September 13, 2012

EXCERPT: "Pain relief medications (analgesics) may temporarily stop pain, however, they may also be dangerous, due to the fact that they sometimes cause hearing loss in women. ...  The researchers note that there is no link between impaired hearing and aspirin. "  more

RELATED PUBMED LINK:

Curhan SG, Shargorodsky J, Eavey R, Curhan GC. Analgesic use and the risk of hearing loss in women. Am J Epidemiol. 2012 Sep 15;176(6):544-54.


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Metabolism Of Certain Drugs Varies Between Genders And May Be Reflected In Anti-HIV Drug Efficacy

SOURCE:  Medical News Today

DATE: August 12, 2012

EXCERPT: "Women comprise nearly half of the HIV-infected population worldwide, but these 15.5 million women tend to be under-represented in clinical trials of anti-HIV drug therapies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has created a database from 40 clinical studies to assess gender differences in the efficacy of antiretroviral treatments. The results of this study are presented in an article in AIDS Patient Care and STDs, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the AIDS Patient Care and STDs website."  more

RELATED PUBMED LINK:

Soon GG, Min M, Struble KA, Chan-Tack KM, Hammerstrom T, Qi K, Zhou S, Bhore R, Murray JS, Birnkrant DB. Meta-Analysis of Gender Differences in Efficacy Outcomes for HIV-Positive Subjects in Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials of Antiretroviral Therapy (2000-2008). AIDS Patient Care STDS. 2012 Aug;26(8):444-53.


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