Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) isn't confined to soldiers on the battlefield; it can happen to anyone after a traumatic event -- including pregnancy loss.

After a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, 1 in 6 women can have PTSD nearly a year later, European researchers report.

"Early pregnancy loss is associated with a significant level of psychological distress, and in...

Popular media often portrays heart disease as a man's problem, but new research suggests that women's blood vessels actually age faster than men's do.

The new study found that blood pressure started increasing in women as early as the third decade of life, and it continued to rise higher than blood pressure in men throughout the life span.

The researchers said that this...

For women, a humdrum sex life might also mean an earlier onset of menopause, a new study suggests.

British researchers who tracked the sex lives and menopausal status of nearly 3,000 American women for a decade found that those who had less sex were more likely to begin menopause at an earlier age.

Women's bodies may react to a lessening of sexual activity on a "use it or lo...

Women who exercise throughout life may keep their muscle power as they age, a new study suggests.

For the study, researchers from Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., examined muscle strength, power and the size and type of muscle fibers in the thighs of three groups of women.

Seven women in one group were over 70 and had exercised regularly for nearly 50 years. The seco...

The number of Americans dying from alcohol abuse each year has doubled since 1999, a new study reveals.

Between 1999 and 2017, alcohol-related deaths jumped from nearly 36,000 a year to almost 73,000. That's about 1 million deaths lost to booze over less than two decades, with white women experiencing the greatest annual increases.

"Those deaths are associated with despair...

Many American teen girls and young women under the age of 21 are undergoing pelvic exams and Pap tests they just don't need, a new study finds.

"Parents of adolescents and young women should be aware that cervical cancer screening is not recommended routinely in this age group," said study senior researcher Dr. George Sawaya. He is professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductiv...

For the average American woman, it's now tougher than ever before to match the "ideal" beauty set by supermodels, new research shows.

Even as the average dress size for a U.S. woman rises, the measurements of the average Victoria's Secret model have shrunk, according to researchers at Boston University School of Medicine.

For the study, the researchers tracked the measuremen...

Having dense breast tissue raises a woman's odds for breast cancer, so many states require providers to notify women if a mammogram finds they have dense breast tissue.

But a new study suggests that the notifications may be having little impact in alerting women to their added breast cancer risk.

The goal of dense breast notifications is to spur a conversation between a wom...

Many women use birth control pills or other hormone-based contraceptives to enjoy sex without fear of an unplanned pregnancy. But could they kill your mojo?

There has been some concern that a woman's sex drive can drop after starting a new form of hormone-based birth control. Sex drive studies involving the pill, the patch and hormone-releasing intrauterine devices (IUDs) have been m...

People who watch lots of TV prefer thinner women, which suggests that TV can influence opinions about preferred body shapes, researchers say.

Their study included 299 men and women in a remote area of Nicaragua, in Central America. Participants were either regular TV viewers or had little or no access to it.

While regular viewers preferred thinner females, those with little...

Obesity in middle age is associated with an increased risk of dementia later in life, according to a study of more than 1 million women in the United Kingdom.

Those who were obese in their mid-50s had 21% greater risk of being diagnosed with dementia 15 or more years later, compared with women who had a healthy weight, a team of British and international researchers found.

T...

Male researchers are far more likely than female colleagues to claim that their findings are especially important, a new study says.

The language used to describe discoveries can affect how much attention researchers get and also affect their career advancement. These findings may help explain why women in medicine and science tend to get paid less and have fewer career opportunities,...

Many U.S. women with breast cancer ultimately die of other causes, a new study finds, highlighting the need for survivors and their doctors to pay attention to overall health.

In recent decades, advances in breast cancer treatment have meant that more women are becoming long-term survivors, which also means that other health issues will become important in their lives.

In th...

Two experimental drugs show real promise against an aggressive, treatment-resistant form of breast cancer that's spread to other parts of the body, researchers say.

The tumors in question are called metastatic HER2-positive breast cancers -- named because the tumor cells' surface is populated with a protein called HER2, which is tied to cancer growth. HER2-positive breast cancers acco...

If you can tackle a tough workout, that may bode well for your longevity, new research suggests.

A woman's risk of dying from heart disease, cancer or other causes is much lower if she can engage in vigorous exercise, scientists report.

The new study included more than 4,700 middle-aged and older women, average age 64, who were referred for treadmill exercise echocardiograph...

Women with a history of domestic abuse are more likely to develop chronic conditions that cause pain and fatigue, a new study says.

British researchers examined medical records of more than 18,500 women who had suffered domestic abuse between 1995 and 2017 and more than 74,000 who had not been abused, to compare rates of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Fibromyalgia ca...

Scientists have developed a method that might eventually allow women to take birth control pills just once a month.

In lab experiments, the researchers found that their tiny drug-delivery device -- contained within a gelatin-coated capsule -- worked as hoped: In pigs, it remained in the stomach, slowly releasing the birth control hormone levonorgestrel for up to one month.

M...

Could permanent hair dyes and chemical straighteners raise a woman's risk of breast cancer? A new study suggests they could.

Researchers analyzed data from nearly 47,000 U.S. women, followed for an average of more than eight years as part of the federally funded Sisters Study. All of the women had a sister who'd been diagnosed with breast cancer, but they didn't have breast cancer the...

A small, preliminary study suggests that a brain area called the hypothalamus appears to be about 6% smaller in women who use birth control pills.

But exactly what that means isn't yet clear. In this study, women on the pill had statistically significant increases in anger. Researchers also found a possible link with depression symptoms.

The good news: They didn't see ...

Rising temperatures might help trigger premature birth, a new study finds, suggesting that global warming could deliver more "preemie" babies.

Looking at 20 years of data on heat waves and birth timing across the United States, researchers "estimate that an average of 25,000 infants per year were born earlier as a result of heat exposure."

Taken another way, the research sug...

Fear of deportation doubles the risk of high blood pressure in Mexican-born women in farmworker families who live in California's Salinas Valley, a new study claims.

It included 572 women, average age 39, who in 2012-2014 were asked to rate their level of worry about deportation for themselves or others as low (28%); moderate (24%); or high (48%).

Researchers lin...

Health experts already know that women with extremely dense breasts don't get the same benefit from mammography as women without very dense breast tissue. But what hasn't been clear is if MRI screening might spot cancers that mammography didn't.

Now a new study from Dutch researchers found that when MRI was used in between mammography appointments, the women in the study were half as...

Binge drinking is on the rise among Americans, especially among women, with rates doubling among childless females in their early 30s, a new study finds.

"Mommy drinking" is also up, say researchers.

"Although heavy drinking has either decreased or stabilized for most groups, binge drinking is still common and is becoming even more prevalent," said lead author Sarah McKett...

The risk of newborn death in late-term pregnancies may be lower if labor is induced rather than taking a wait-and-see approach, a new study suggests.

It's widely believed that mothers and babies have an increased risk of problems at or beyond 42 weeks of pregnancy. (A normal-term pregnancy is 40 weeks.) Some studies have suggested that inducing labor at or after 41 weeks reduces those...

It's not uncommon for a woman's sex life to slow down with age, but hormones aren't the only reason she might not be in the mood, a new study suggests.

Postmenopausal issues, such as vaginal dryness or pain during sex, definitely put a damper on a woman's desire. But just as often, it was issues with her partner that brought sexual activity to a halt.

"Low libido is commo...

One in five women of childbearing age has high blood pressure, according to a new study that found few of these women are on a diet that could help them - and their babies - reduce their risk for health problems.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, in pregnancy is a leading cause of maternal death. Nearly 40% of maternal deaths from any cause are associated with hype...

Diabetes might be more deadly for women than men, at least when it comes to heart troubles, new research shows.

Heart disease occurs an average of 15 years earlier in people with diabetes, and is their main cause of illness and death. In women, the connection between diabetes and heart disease is particularly strong.

Worldwide, more women die due to diabetes than men, 2.1 mi...

Pregnancy-related high blood pressure puts women at higher risk of heart disease later on, new research suggests.

In the study, researchers analyzed an average of seven years of follow-up data on more than 220,000 women in the United Kingdom. Those who had gestational high blood pressure or preeclampsia in at least one pregnancy had stiffer arteries, and two to five times the rate of ...

The extra care that black women's hairstyles can require is often a barrier to exercise, but many U.S. health care providers aren't even aware of the problem, a new study finds.

Researchers surveyed doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants in the department of family medicine at Ohio State University, and found that 95% of them sometimes/often discuss exercise with bl...

Women are at higher risk for stroke and have different stroke symptoms than men. Now, new research suggests another difference: less benefit from a surgery used to treat carotid artery disease, a key risk factor for stroke.

The disease, also called carotid stenosis, is marked by fatty deposits, called plaque, that build up inside the neck arteries and increase stroke risk. Surgery to...

A rigorous, new international study finds that, despite doctors' best efforts, many heart patients given standard drugs aren't meeting goals to lower their cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

The study involved nearly 4,000 patients, averaging 64 years of age, treated at centers around the world.

The researchers found that, one year into treatment, nearly half (48%) o...

Kidney damage among U.S. women hospitalized during pregnancy is on the rise, and those women are more likely to die while in the hospital, a new study finds.

Kidney injury during pregnancy increases the likelihood of complications and death in mothers and their babies.

For the new study, researchers analyzed data on more than 42 million hospitalizations during pregnancy tha...

Could your chosen profession determine the health of your heart?

It could certainly have an influence, new research suggests.

Scientists analyzed data from more than 65,000 postmenopausal women in the United States and found that several jobs were associated with poor heart health.

Compared to women with other jobs, the risk of poor heart health was: 36% higher...

Late dinners and heavy evening snacking do no favors for women's hearts, a new study suggests.

Researchers at New York City's Columbia University found that those who ate more of their daily calories in the evening had a higher risk of heart disease.

One cardiologist who looked over the new findings wasn't surprised by the effect.

"The way metabolism, circadian rhy...

Researchers have developed a skin patch that might one day give women the ability to self-administer long-acting birth control.

The patch, which contains "micro-needles" absorbed into the skin, is seen as a possible alternative to current long-acting contraceptives. Those methods -- intrauterine devices (IUDs) and contraceptive implants -- are highly effective at preventing pregnancy....

Women with HIV experience menopause years sooner than other women -- about three years earlier, on average, a new study finds.

Treatment advances are keeping people with the virus alive longer, and those who adhere to therapy are expected to live into their mid-70s or longer. That means they'll face aging issues that affect sexual and reproductive health, including menopause, the stud...

TUESDAY, Nov. 5, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Weight-loss surgery may do more than shrink one's waistline: New research suggests it lowers the chances of breast cancer among women with genes that make them vulnerable to the disease.

In a large-scale study that involved more than 1.6 million obese women, those who were at genetically high risk for breast cancer and had weight-loss surger...

There's early promise in the quest for a blood test that might spot breast cancer up to five years before clinical signs of the disease appear, researchers say.

The test identifies specific immune system "autoantibodies," British researchers explained. The immune system produces the antibodies when it comes into contact with tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), which are produced by brea...

Smoking is a notoriously tough habit to quit, but a new study suggests it is far harder for women to stop than it is for men.

Why? The researchers point to a higher prevalence of anxiety and depression in women, which might interfere with even the best intentions to kick the habit. And one expert noted that prior evidence has shown that women's brains react differently to nicotine.

Older women who get even light exercise, like a daily walk, may lower their risk of suffering a broken hip, a large study suggests.

A number of studies have linked regular exercise to a lower risk of hip fracture -- a potentially disabling or even fatal injury for older adults. Each year, more than 300,000 people in the United States aged 65 or older are hospitalized for a broken hip,...

Women whose menstrual cycles persistently vary from the 28-day norm may have an increased risk of earlier death, new research suggests.

The study found that women who had irregular periods or extra-long menstrual cycles had as much as a one-third higher risk of death during the two-decade study compared to women who usually had a normal menstrual cycle.

However, "these res...

A little bit of testosterone cream might help women run faster longer, a new study suggests.

Some female athletes have naturally high testosterone levels that are similar to men, and there is controversy over whether it's fair to allow them to compete against female athletes with normal testosterone levels.

There's a lack of clear evidence on how testosterone levels affect ...

Menopause before age 50 puts women at increased risk of nonfatal heart conditions, and the earlier menopause occurs, the greater the risk, new research suggests.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 300,000 women who were part of 15 studies around the world, and found that women who reached menopause before age 50 were more likely to have a nonfatal heart problem, such as a heart ...

Married folks not only live longer than singles, but the longevity gap between the two groups is growing, U.S. government health statisticians report.

The age-adjusted death rate for the married declined by 7% between 2010 and 2017, according to a new study from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Are some tests designed to measure memory declines missing signs of trouble in women?

New research suggests that might be the case.

More women than men were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) when sex-specific scores were used on memory tests, researchers report.

They explained that women generally score higher on verbal memory tests than men, even whe...

Bacterial vaginosis is a common infection in women that's usually easily treated with antibiotics. But for those who develop recurrent infections, treatment options have been limited.

Now, Israeli researchers report they were able to put recurrent infections into remission in four out of five women who received a "vaginal microbiome transplant." The transplant consisted of healthy ba...

Many pregnant women suffer from morning sickness early in pregnancy. But a new study suggests that a small minority who suffer a more severe form of the illness may be at higher odds of having a child with autism.

The form of morning sickness in question is called hyperemesis gravidarum, and it occurs in less than 5% of pregnancies, explained a team at Kaiser Permanente Southern C...

Have scientists solved the mystery of the female orgasm?

As a team of researchers pointed out, during intercourse the male orgasm serves an obvious reproductive function: Without it, ejaculation can't happen.

But the reproductive role of female orgasm has been much less clear, because ovulation in humans occurs whether a woman has recently had an orgasm or not.

So ...

Once a woman gives birth by cesarean section, attempting a vaginal delivery is far riskier for mother and baby alike, a new study finds.

Researchers at the University of Oxford collected data on more than 70,000 births in Scotland between 2002 and 2015. Among women who attempted a vaginal delivery after a previous C-section, 28% had to have an emergency cesarean, they reported.

Menopausal women who get night sweats sleep longer and the longer they sleep, the more trouble they have thinking straight, a surprising new study concludes.

Earlier studies have drawn a link between daytime hot flashes and worse memory. In this study, researchers looked at sleep time and night sweats among women with a history of breast cancer.

To their surprise, the inves...