Some avoid diagnosis and treatment due to embarrassment, misinformation

Almost 25 percent of American women have a pelvic floor disorder, such as urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, or pelvic organ prolapse, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

This study showed that pelvic floor disorders are exceedingly common in women in the United States. And, though these disorders are prevalent, women do not always bring them up with their doctors.

Jefferson urogynecologist Carmen Sultana, MD, says some women are too embarrassed to discuss these issues with their physicians. They may assume – incorrectly – that incontinence is simply a “normal” part of aging.

Or, Dr. Sultana notes, “They may not be aware of the medical, behavioral and surgical therapies that may help them.”

More than a leak when laughing

The new study reviewed data from almost 2,000 women over the age of 20 who had participated in the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. This study group is considered to be representative of the US population. None of the women included in the data analysis was pregnant at the time of the study.

The women were interviewed at home and underwent a physical exam in a mobile examination center.

Taking a few minutes to relax, calm down and simply enjoy life can do more than soothe frayed nerves or a troubled mind.

It may save your life.

Emotional upheaval – whether in the form of stress, worry, depression or anger – can increase the risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke, a growing body of research studies has found.

The Archives of General Psychiatry recently published the findings of a three-year research study that has linked negative emotions – depression, anxiety, hostility and anger – with atherosclerosis, or the thickening of the inside walls of the coronary arteries. Atherosclerosis can slow or even block the flow of blood to the heart and brain, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Researchers have identified two reasons why negative emotions have a negative effect on heart health. For starters, individuals who are stressed or depressed are less likely to take good care of themselves. They may be more likely to eat poorly, drink too much alcohol, sleep poorly and not adhere to a prescribed medication regimen. Additionally, depression can also have a direct negative effect on the heart. Depression has been linked with increased inflammation and with negative effects on the immune system.

Read the full story to learn more.

Spanish and American researchers suggest that drinking coffee appears to lower the risk for stroke among women – with more consumption translating into more protection.

The study finds that consuming two or more cups of coffee a day can even boost protection for nonsmokers.

The findings were released in an issue of the medical journal Circulation. The study tracked both coffee habits and stroke occurrence among tens of thousands of American women across nearly a quarter century. It addressed earlier indications that coffee might offer some protection against diabetes while not raising the risk for heart trouble.

However, the current evidence also includes a cautionary note for smokers. That habit seems to wipe out whatever protection long-term coffee drinking might otherwise provide.

Read the full story to learn more about how the study was conducted and how to interpret its findings.

A recent study found abnormal levels of the stress hormone cortisol in women waiting for breast biopsy results.

In the United States, more than a million breast biopsies are performed each year – with 80 percent of them turning up benign, or non-cancerous.

In the March issue of the medical journal Radiology, a research study argues for faster relaying of results. The reason: The overall health of women waiting for results can be negatively affected by abnormal levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

These levels stem from anxiety or stress – and can compromise future medical treatment if the biopsy results come back malignant, or cancerous. While this theory has been intuitively obvious to women for centuries, now scientific evidence exists thanks to research studies. Even so, some experts say the medical community won’t embrace this concept until there’s biochemical data to support it.

Read the full story and then learn more about breast health services at Jefferson.

With a pre-emptive, prophylactic skin regimen, patients who receive panitumumab for treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer may be able to avoid some of the skin-associated toxicities, according to data presented at the 2009 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in San Francisco.

Edith Mitchell, MD, a clinical professor in the Department of Medical Oncology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, presented data from the study, which was the first prospective study to compare pre-emptive and reactive skin treatment for skin toxicities related to panitumumab. The study was co-led by Dr. Mitchell and Mario Lacouture, MD, an assistant professor of Dermatology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

Skin toxicities are the most common adverse effects related to panitumumab, which is a fully human monoclonal antibody that targets the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The toxicities could include erythema, dermatitis, pruritus, pustules, rash, and hair and nail changes.