Some Breastfeeding Advice Worth Ditching: US Task Force

A review of scientific evidence on breastfeeding out today found that some long-held advice is worth ditching, including that babies should avoid pacifiers and moms should breastfeed exclusively in the first days after birth. Individual interventions to help expectant and new moms breastfeed are still recommended, but systematic or hospital-wide policies tend to show little benefit, said the report by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an independent panel of experts. The benefits of breastfeeding include providing optimal nutrition and an immune system boost for babies, while helping mothers…

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Calcium Supplements Tied to Higher Dementia Risk for Some Women

Some older women who take calcium supplements commonly recommended to ward off age-related bone damage may face an increased risk of developing dementia, a small study suggests. The heightened dementia risk appears limited to women who have had a stroke or suffer from other disorders that affect blood flow to the brain, researchers report in the journal Neurology. “Our study is the first to show a relationship between calcium supplementation and increased risk for dementia in older women,” said lead author Dr. Silke Kern of the University of Gothenburg in…

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Soda and other sweet drinks tied to risk for some rare cancers

People who drink lots of soda or other sugary beverages may have a higher risk of developing rare cancers in the gallbladder and bile ducts around the liver, a Swedish study suggests. Little is known about the causes of biliary tract and gallbladder tumors, but emerging evidence suggests obesity as well as elevated blood sugar levels that are a hallmark of diabetes may increase the risk of these malignancies. Because sodas and other sugary drinks have been linked to high blood sugar and weight gain, researchers wondered if these beverages…

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Oestrogen Patch May Cut Alzheimer’s Risk in Some Women

PhotoCredit:istock Administering the primary female sex hormone oestrogen via a skin patch shortly after menopause may reduce Alzheimer’s risk in women, suggests new research. The study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, found that newly postmenopausal women who received oestrogen via a skin patch had reduced beta-amyloid deposits, the sticky plaques found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. “This study showed, for the first time, that the brain amyloid deposition — a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease — is reduced in newly postmenopausal women who received 17beta-Estradiol patch…

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Oestrogen patch may cut Alzheimer’s risk in some women

Administering the primary female sex hormone oestrogen via a skin patch shortly after menopause may reduce Alzheimer’s risk in women, suggests new research. The study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, found that newly postmenopausal women who received oestrogen via a skin patch had reduced beta-amyloid deposits, the sticky plaques found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. “This study showed, for the first time, that the brain amyloid deposition — a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease — is reduced in newly postmenopausal women who received 17beta-Estradiol patch form…

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Oestrogen patch may cut Alzheimer’s risk in some women

Administering the primary female sex hormone oestrogen via a skin patch shortly after menopause may reduce Alzheimer’s risk in women, suggests new research. The study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, found that newly postmenopausal women who received oestrogen via a skin patch had reduced beta-amyloid deposits, the sticky plaques found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. “This study showed, for the first time, that the brain amyloid deposition — a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease — is reduced in newly postmenopausal women who received 17beta-Estradiol patch form…

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