Barrier contraceptive methods and preeclampsia

Article Abstract:

Preeclampsia (toxemia in pregnancy) is characterized by increasing blood pressure, headaches, the presence of albumin (a blood protein) in the urine, and edema (accumulation of water) in the lower extremities. If the condition is not properly treated, the patient may develop eclampsia, a potentially fatal condition characterized by coma and convulsions. The cause of preeclampsia is not known, but may be related to immune factors. Preeclampsia may result from fetal antigens, elements of the fetus that trigger an immune response in the mother. Prior exposure to paternal antigens (elements from the father that elicit immune responses) may desensitize the mother and reduce the risk of preeclampsia. The risk of preeclampsia is highest in primigravidas, or women in their first pregnancy. Unprotected intercourse (the use of contraceptive methods that permit the sperm to make contact with the mucous lining of the uterus) may decrease the risk of preeclampsia in subsequent pregnancies. One study showed an increased risk for preeclampsia among women who used barrier contraceptive methods, in which the sperm is prevented from making contact with the uterus. The relationship of contraception use before conception to preeclampsia was assessed in two large pregnancy studies, in which a total of 13,914 women participated. The findings showed that the rates of preeclampsia among women using barrier contraceptive methods were no different from those of women using no or non-barrier contraception. Further statistical analysis confirmed that there was no relationship between barrier contraceptive use and preeclampsia. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Methods, Physiological aspects, Preeclampsia, Contraception

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The dietary fat-breast cancer hypothesis is alive

Article Abstract:

In 1989, it is expected that 143,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and nearly one third will die of the disease. One in 10 women will develop a cancer of the breast during her lifetime. An hypothesis that the risks of breast cancer can be reduced by restricting fat in the diet has support both in the experimental and epidemiological literature. Several recent epidemeologic reports have indicated, however, that this association is not valid, and many physicians have come to the conclusion that the dietary fat-breast cancer hypothesis should be abandoned. There is new evidence in support of the hypothesis and the possibility that the reports which show no correlation may have suffered from errors of design. This evidence, drawn from ecological studies that examine relationships among groups of data, suggests that the question must continue to be explored with laboratory animal investigations, laboratory research on the possible mechanism of this connection in humans, and large prospective epidemiologic studies of statistical populations. Studies of dietary fat and breast cancer can be difficult. It may be difficult to separate the effects of calories, fat content, fiber and other nutritional components. Further, it is possible that the fat in the diet at some earlier stage of life is associated with the genesis of breast cancer and would, therefore, not be easily measurable. Several biologically plausible mechanisms have already been proposed to explain a causal link between dietary fat and an increased risk of breast cancer in humans.

Breast cancer, Cancer, Fats and oils, Oils and fats

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A Prospective Study of Diet Quality and Mortality in Women

Article Abstract:

People who follow the food pyramid have lower mortality rates than those who do not. The food pyramid recommends many servings per day of fruits, vegetables, and whole grain foods and fewer servings of sugars, fats, and oils. Researchers asked 42,254 women with an average age of 61 to answer a food questionnaire that ranked them according to their compliance with the food pyramid. They were followed for an average of 5.6 years. Those who were most compliant with the food pyramid had mortality rates that were 30% lower than the rate in the women who were least compliant.

Mortality, Diet

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