A team of researchers have identified a genetic variant that may account for the higher rates of premature delivery experienced by African-American women compared to European-American women, according to findings to be published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The findings may help physicians identify patients who may benefit from therapeutic interventions and preventative measures including lifestyle change or medical therapy to reduce the risk of premature birth.
Jerome F. Strauss III, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, and colleagues found that a change in a single nucleotide in the gene sequence, known as a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), in the SERPINH1 gene may be responsible for the increased risk of preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) in women of African descent. The SERPINH1 gene encodes a heat shock protein known as Hsp47, which is essential for collagen production. Collagen lends strength to the membranes that surround the fetus and amniotic fluid.
The genetic variant identified reduces the amount of Hsp47 made and thus the collagen in the membranes, making them more prone to rupture. Other published research has reported that reduced collagen content has been found in PPROM fetal membranes. PPROM is the leading identifiable cause of preterm birth and occurs more frequently in African-American women.
"Our discovery of an association between a gene variation that is more common in individuals of African descent and a cause of premature birth, can explain in part the disparity in prematurity rates in African-Americans," said Strauss, who led the study.
"More importantly, the genetic signature can help us identify women at risk of early breakage of the "bag of waters" so that appropriate monitoring and therapy can be applied in order to prevent this serious pregnancy complication."
In this study, the researchers compared amnion samples carrying the minor "T" allele to samples carrying the major "C" allele. The minor "T" allele is a genetic variant that occurs with greater frequency among those with African ancestry. A reduction in the promoter activity of the amnion cells in the minor "T" allele compared to the major "C" allele was observed. According to Strauss, as a result, women carrying the minor "T" allele may produce decreased amounts of Hsp47 protein and thus, produce reduced amounts of collagen and a weaker amnion that is more prone to rupture.
This work was supported in part by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the March of Dimes Foundation.
Strauss collaborated with Hongyan Wang, Samuel Parry, and George Macones, with the Center for Research on Reproduction & Women's Health at the University of Pennsylvania; Mary D. Sammel, with the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatics at the University of Pennsylvania; Helena Kuivaniemi and Gerard Tromp, with the Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics at Wayne State University Medical Center; George Argyropoulos with the Pennington Center for Biomedical Research; Indrani Halder and Mark D. Shriver with the Department of Anthropology at Pennsylvania State University; and Roberto Romero with the Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD, at Hutzel Hospital.
About VCU and the VCU Medical Center: Located on two downtown campuses in Richmond, Va., Virginia Commonwealth University ranks among the top 100 universities in the country in sponsored research and enrolls 30,000 students in more than 180 certificate, undergraduate, graduate, professional and doctoral programs in the arts, sciences and humanities in 15 schools and one college. Sixty of the university's programs are unique in Virginia, and 20 graduate and professional programs have been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as among the best of their kind. MCV Hospitals, clinics and the health sciences schools of Virginia Commonwealth University compose the VCU Medical Center, one of the leading academic medical centers in the country. For more, see vcu.edu.
News Services
1006 E. Marshall St. P.O. Box 980426
Richmond, VA 23298
United States
vcu.edu/uns
суббота, 28 апреля 2012 г.
суббота, 21 апреля 2012 г.
Association Betgween Vitamin D Deficiency In Younger Women And Increased Risk Of High Blood Pressure In Mid-Life
Vitamin D deficiency in premenopausal women may increase the risk of developing systolic hypertension 15 years later, according to research reported at the American Heart Association's 63rd High Blood Pressure Research Conference.
Researchers examined women enrolled in the Michigan Bone Health and Metabolism Study and analyzed data from 559 Caucasian women living in Tecumseh, Mich. The ongoing study began in 1992 when the women were 24 to 44 years old with an average age of 38 years.
Researchers took blood pressure readings annually throughout the study. They measured vitamin D blood levels once in 1993, and then compared their systolic blood pressure measurements taken in 2007.
Premenopausal women who had vitamin D deficiency in 1993 had three times the risk of developing systolic hypertension 15 years later compared to those who had normal levels of vitamin D, researchers said.
"This study differs from others because we are looking over the course of 15 years, a longer follow-up than many studies," said Flojaune C. Griffin, M.P.H., co-investigator of the study and a doctoral candidate in epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor, Mich. "Our results indicate that early vitamin D deficiency may increase the long-term risk of high blood pressure in women at mid-life."
At the study onset, 2 percent of women had been diagnosed or were being treated for hypertension and an additional 4 percent of the women had undiagnosed systolic hypertension, defined as 140 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or more. But 15 years later, 19 percent of the women had been diagnosed or were being treated for hypertension and an additional 6 percent had undiagnosed systolic hypertension, a significant difference.
Researchers controlled for age, fat mass, anti-hypertensive medication use, and smoking.
Systolic pressure is the pressure of blood in the vessels when the heart beats.
Researchers determined vitamin D status by measuring blood concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in 1993. 25(OH)D is a prehormone in blood that is produced in the liver from the metabolism of vitamin D3 cholecalciferol. Serum 25(OH)D is the primary form that is tested when examining vitamin D deficiency because it represents vitamin D storage in the body. This assessment in the blood reflects vitamin D obtained from ultraviolet B rays through sun exposure, vitamin D from foods such as fatty fish or fortified milk products and dietary supplements. The researchers did not examine the impact of these different sources of vitamin D.
Vitamin D deficiency was defined as less than 80 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L), while normal levels were considered more than 80 nmol/L. Experts in the medical community generally agree that vitamin D deficiency among women is widespread. Some researchers report many women don't get enough sunlight exposure to help keep vitamin D levels near to normal, nor do they have diets or practice supplementation that support normal levels of vitamin D, Griffin said. Vitamin D is either synthesized in the skin through exposure to ultraviolet B rays in sunlight or ingested as dietary vitamin D.
However, Griffin said there's no general agreement about the optimal intake of vitamin D. Some researchers said the current recommended intake of 400 international units (IU) to 600 IU daily is inadequate and suggest a much higher daily intake, from 1,000 IU to 5000 IU.
Vitamin D has a well-established role in bone health. Other recent research indicates vitamin D deficiency in women may increase the risk of some cancers and have a negative impact on immune function and inflammatory diseases, she said.
"Our study highlights the importance of vitamin D in the risk of high blood pressure later in life, a major health problem in the United States," Griffin said.
Co-authors are MaryFran R. Sowers, Ph.D., who directs the Health Study, and Crystal A. Gadegbeku, M.D. Author disclosures are on the abstract P253.
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases funded the study.
Source:
Karen Astle
American Heart Association
Researchers examined women enrolled in the Michigan Bone Health and Metabolism Study and analyzed data from 559 Caucasian women living in Tecumseh, Mich. The ongoing study began in 1992 when the women were 24 to 44 years old with an average age of 38 years.
Researchers took blood pressure readings annually throughout the study. They measured vitamin D blood levels once in 1993, and then compared their systolic blood pressure measurements taken in 2007.
Premenopausal women who had vitamin D deficiency in 1993 had three times the risk of developing systolic hypertension 15 years later compared to those who had normal levels of vitamin D, researchers said.
"This study differs from others because we are looking over the course of 15 years, a longer follow-up than many studies," said Flojaune C. Griffin, M.P.H., co-investigator of the study and a doctoral candidate in epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor, Mich. "Our results indicate that early vitamin D deficiency may increase the long-term risk of high blood pressure in women at mid-life."
At the study onset, 2 percent of women had been diagnosed or were being treated for hypertension and an additional 4 percent of the women had undiagnosed systolic hypertension, defined as 140 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or more. But 15 years later, 19 percent of the women had been diagnosed or were being treated for hypertension and an additional 6 percent had undiagnosed systolic hypertension, a significant difference.
Researchers controlled for age, fat mass, anti-hypertensive medication use, and smoking.
Systolic pressure is the pressure of blood in the vessels when the heart beats.
Researchers determined vitamin D status by measuring blood concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in 1993. 25(OH)D is a prehormone in blood that is produced in the liver from the metabolism of vitamin D3 cholecalciferol. Serum 25(OH)D is the primary form that is tested when examining vitamin D deficiency because it represents vitamin D storage in the body. This assessment in the blood reflects vitamin D obtained from ultraviolet B rays through sun exposure, vitamin D from foods such as fatty fish or fortified milk products and dietary supplements. The researchers did not examine the impact of these different sources of vitamin D.
Vitamin D deficiency was defined as less than 80 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L), while normal levels were considered more than 80 nmol/L. Experts in the medical community generally agree that vitamin D deficiency among women is widespread. Some researchers report many women don't get enough sunlight exposure to help keep vitamin D levels near to normal, nor do they have diets or practice supplementation that support normal levels of vitamin D, Griffin said. Vitamin D is either synthesized in the skin through exposure to ultraviolet B rays in sunlight or ingested as dietary vitamin D.
However, Griffin said there's no general agreement about the optimal intake of vitamin D. Some researchers said the current recommended intake of 400 international units (IU) to 600 IU daily is inadequate and suggest a much higher daily intake, from 1,000 IU to 5000 IU.
Vitamin D has a well-established role in bone health. Other recent research indicates vitamin D deficiency in women may increase the risk of some cancers and have a negative impact on immune function and inflammatory diseases, she said.
"Our study highlights the importance of vitamin D in the risk of high blood pressure later in life, a major health problem in the United States," Griffin said.
Co-authors are MaryFran R. Sowers, Ph.D., who directs the Health Study, and Crystal A. Gadegbeku, M.D. Author disclosures are on the abstract P253.
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases funded the study.
Source:
Karen Astle
American Heart Association
суббота, 14 апреля 2012 г.
Is It Really About Alcohol? The Truth About Alcohol Abuse In Women
Six million women in the U.S. abuse or are dependent on alcohol, according to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. Frequent binge drinking in women's colleges increased by 124 percent between 1993 and 2001. Nearly 21.6 million Americans are in need of but have not received treatment for an alcohol problem, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA, 2003). April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and Brookhaven Retreat, a multidisciplinary treatment facility that helps women overcome emotional trauma and addiction challenges, is working to raise awareness about the number-one drug problem in the United States: alcohol.
"Alcohol abuse is a tool women use to numb out emotional pain, often not realizing that an addiction has developed because they are doing something perceived as legal and social, and therefore okay," said Jacqueline Dawes, the owner and founder of Brookhaven Retreat. "There are millions of American women trapped by alcohol dependency who, because of fear, shame, and the whole stigma associated with alcohol abuse, feel too afraid to seek help. They need to understand that the addiction is treatable and there is hope."
The highly-trained professionals at Brookhaven Retreat strive to help women understand how their need for a numbing-out escape began. What caused them to start using alcohol as a tool to relax, sleep, and hide, when the stress and fear were mounting? And why can they not find the strength to stop?
According to Dawes, alcohol conceals the real issues these women are facing, including depression, low self-esteem, trauma, and disempowerment.
"The alcohol is the tip of the iceberg, and is only a small part of what is really going on with the person," said Dawes. "At Brookhaven, we offer no judgment. It is overwhelmingly frightening to seek treatment, but that is the first step to recovery and is undoubtedly the most crucial."
Alcohol dependency is shrouded by many myths, one of which is that a person chooses to be an alcoholic. Many times, friends and family members think the person should be able to exert self-control, when in fact, the emotional breakage existing within the person has made it unbearable for them to live without their dependency on alcohol. Dawes says that these women have formed a relationship with the alcohol that makes them feel like they need it to function in society, and that once the dependency has been established, women must undergo residential treatment in order to disengage the dependency.
Brookhaven Retreat's philosophy is that each person must receive individualized attention, administered by highly-trained staff in order to facilitate long-term recovery. This recovery grows from an introspective journey to define the emotional breakage, followed by the development of life skills that allow lasting maintenance of emotional wellness.
Realizing that you or a loved one has a drinking problem can be a challenge. The following signs may indicate alcohol abuse:
-- Feeling guilt about drinking
-- Drinking to calm nerves, forget worries or to boost a sad mood
-- Unsuccessful attempts to cut down/stop drinking
-- Lying about or hiding drinking habits
-- Feeling irritable, resentful or unreasonable
-- Causing harm to oneself or someone else as a result of drinking
-- Needing to drink increasingly greater amounts in order to achieve desired effect
-- Identifying medical, social, family or financial problems caused by drinking
About Brookhaven Retreat
Brookhaven Retreat is a unique, voluntary residential treatment facility specially designed to help women overcome emotional trauma or addiction challenges. The fully accredited and certified dual-diagnosis center is America's premier treatment center for emotional trauma and addiction and offers female-specific treatment. Located on 48 beautiful acres in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, it offers modern, holistic care with compassion and respect from a highly trained expert staff of licensed therapists, physicians, registered nurses, nurse practitioners and licensed practical nurses. Visit brookhavenretreat for more information.
Brookhaven Retreat
brookhavenretreat
"Alcohol abuse is a tool women use to numb out emotional pain, often not realizing that an addiction has developed because they are doing something perceived as legal and social, and therefore okay," said Jacqueline Dawes, the owner and founder of Brookhaven Retreat. "There are millions of American women trapped by alcohol dependency who, because of fear, shame, and the whole stigma associated with alcohol abuse, feel too afraid to seek help. They need to understand that the addiction is treatable and there is hope."
The highly-trained professionals at Brookhaven Retreat strive to help women understand how their need for a numbing-out escape began. What caused them to start using alcohol as a tool to relax, sleep, and hide, when the stress and fear were mounting? And why can they not find the strength to stop?
According to Dawes, alcohol conceals the real issues these women are facing, including depression, low self-esteem, trauma, and disempowerment.
"The alcohol is the tip of the iceberg, and is only a small part of what is really going on with the person," said Dawes. "At Brookhaven, we offer no judgment. It is overwhelmingly frightening to seek treatment, but that is the first step to recovery and is undoubtedly the most crucial."
Alcohol dependency is shrouded by many myths, one of which is that a person chooses to be an alcoholic. Many times, friends and family members think the person should be able to exert self-control, when in fact, the emotional breakage existing within the person has made it unbearable for them to live without their dependency on alcohol. Dawes says that these women have formed a relationship with the alcohol that makes them feel like they need it to function in society, and that once the dependency has been established, women must undergo residential treatment in order to disengage the dependency.
Brookhaven Retreat's philosophy is that each person must receive individualized attention, administered by highly-trained staff in order to facilitate long-term recovery. This recovery grows from an introspective journey to define the emotional breakage, followed by the development of life skills that allow lasting maintenance of emotional wellness.
Realizing that you or a loved one has a drinking problem can be a challenge. The following signs may indicate alcohol abuse:
-- Feeling guilt about drinking
-- Drinking to calm nerves, forget worries or to boost a sad mood
-- Unsuccessful attempts to cut down/stop drinking
-- Lying about or hiding drinking habits
-- Feeling irritable, resentful or unreasonable
-- Causing harm to oneself or someone else as a result of drinking
-- Needing to drink increasingly greater amounts in order to achieve desired effect
-- Identifying medical, social, family or financial problems caused by drinking
About Brookhaven Retreat
Brookhaven Retreat is a unique, voluntary residential treatment facility specially designed to help women overcome emotional trauma or addiction challenges. The fully accredited and certified dual-diagnosis center is America's premier treatment center for emotional trauma and addiction and offers female-specific treatment. Located on 48 beautiful acres in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, it offers modern, holistic care with compassion and respect from a highly trained expert staff of licensed therapists, physicians, registered nurses, nurse practitioners and licensed practical nurses. Visit brookhavenretreat for more information.
Brookhaven Retreat
brookhavenretreat
суббота, 7 апреля 2012 г.
Approval Of Nonprescription Plan B Sales To Women Over Age 18 "Not Enough" To Reduce Need For Abortion, Opinion Piece Says
FDA's decision to approve Barr Laboratories' application for nonprescription sales of its emergency contraceptive Plan B to women ages 18 and older is "welcome news," but it will not be "enough to overcome our nation's stalled progress in reducing unintended pregnancies and the need for abortion," Sharon Camp, president and CEO of the Guttmacher Institute, writes in a Philadelphia Inquirer opinion piece. According to Camp, the latest national statistics on abortion -- which show that "a decades-long decline in the U.S. abortion rate is stalling out" -- should "make no one happy." However, there are some "easy ways to get things back on track," such as using state Medicaid waivers to expand eligibility for family planning coverage to more low-income women; allocating sufficient funding to Title X, the federal family planning program; creating better public education programs for teenagers and adults that provide medically accurate information on the safety and effectiveness of contraceptives and stress personal responsibility; and looking for "ways to make effective contraceptive use easier and less expensive" for women, according to Camp. "We know how to make abortion rates start going down again," Camp writes, concluding, "Let's stop wasting time and get on with the job" (Camp, Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/26).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Подписаться на:
Комментарии (Atom)