Most of us will never become doctors but most of us do become patients at one time or another.  Dr. Jerri Nielsen FitzGerald was both patient and doctor in a heroic surgery she performed on herself while stationed in Antarctica…

The Institute of Medicine has just released updated national recommendations for the number of pounds a woman should gain during pregnancy for optimum health to herself and her baby.  This set of revised recommendations is the first the institute has…

Hard-to-detect ovarian cancer is one of the most deadly forms of the disease, due in part because it is so very hard to detect.  Quite often it remains undiagnosed until reaching a stage at which it is nearly impossible to…

In the United Kingdom (UK), police receive an average of one call per minute from people reporting domestic violence.  In England and Wales, 20% of all physical assaults are the result of domestic violence.  Even so, an estimated 75% of…

A still-unnamed California mother made global headlines earlier this week when she gave birth to octuplets.  Her 8 babies, 6 boys and 2 girls, were born during the 12th week of pregnancy and, although painfully small, their doctors say they…

Many a new mother suffers the ravages of postpartum depression just when her new baby demands the most attention.  Until recently, there’s been little physical evidence to determine which mothers are most at risk of developing this debilitating condition but…

The latest issue of the ‘New England Journal of Medicine’ carries a report that indicates losing weight helps ease the symptoms of incontinence experienced by as many as 13 million American women.  Incontinence, or the loss of control of the…

It may be a woman’s need to eat for two during pregnancy that makes it harder for women in general to turn down favorite foods or to keep eating even after hunger has been sated.  In an effort to shed…

It has been well understood that women with type 2 diabetes who take Avandia or Actos to control the disease are at a higher risk of bone fractures than diabetic men taking the same medications. Until today’s release of a…

Marilyn Monroe had one and it drove men crazy.  Women everywhere wanted an hourglass figure just like hers.  Many of them still do.  A recent scientific study, however, suggests that same curvy figure may not be such a good thing…

Medical history is dotted with stories of cancers vanishing without a trace and without any treatment, either.  Once considered medical oddities, a new study suggests more cancers go away without treatment than would be expected.  The theory, however, is quite…

Various studies in the recent past offered the suggestion that one’s risk of breast cancer may drop when taking vitamin D and calcium supplements. According to the newly released results of a more in-depth exploration of the supplement/breast cancer link,…

Making news lately is a study indicating a large percentage of postmenopausal women experience a drop in sexual desire, a situation all but a few regard as no reason for complaint.  The complaining few, however, may find some relief in…

New research from Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center suggests women who experience migraines are at 30% less risk of developing breast cancer than women who don’t suffer this type headache. Estrogen is thought to be the link between the…