Journal of women's health
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Journal of women's health · Apr 2019
Female Sexual Health: Barriers to Optimal Outcomes and a Roadmap for Improved Patient-Clinician Communications.
Although sexual health can be considered a vital sign for overall health, several barriers prevent women from receiving proper medical counseling, support, and/or care for their sexual health needs and concerns. ⋯ Solutions exist to address the barriers currently impeding patient-clinician interactions around sexual health.
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Journal of women's health · Apr 2019
Effectiveness of Physiotherapy Treatment for Urinary Incontinence in Women: A Systematic Review.
Urinary incontinence (UI) may be defined as involuntary urine loss, which can be diagnosed based on patient-reported measures and is a hygiene and social problem in those who have it, affecting their quality of life negatively. ⋯ Studies included in this work propose that physiotherapy treatment may improve UI, the patients' quality of life, and social relations in women. It is necessary to establish group treatment protocols for women with UI, supervised by a physiotherapist to reduce the financial burden incurred from this health problem.
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Dry eye disease (DED) is a multifactorial disorder of the ocular surface and tear homeostasis that can result in discomfort, pain, and visual disturbance. Untreated, DED can become chronic, progressive, and significantly affect an individual's quality of life. Women are disproportionately affected by DED, are diagnosed at a younger age, and experience more severe symptoms compared with men. ⋯ Furthermore, women's health care-seeking behaviors provide opportunities for general practitioners, specialists, and women's health centers to help identify women with DED or at risk for DED for referral to an eye care specialist. This review of the prevalence of DED in women, and gender and sex-specific aspects of DED, highlight a significant opportunity for action. Earlier diagnosis and treatment of this common but burdensome condition could significantly improve a woman's quality of life.
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Journal of women's health · Apr 2019
ReviewRole of Stress and Psychosocial Determinants on Women's Cardiovascular Risk and Disease Development.
The notion that cardiovascular disease (CVD) primarily occurs in men is slowly disappearing. More women than men die of CVD every year, and when women survive, the burden and consequences are worse than in men. Markers of stress and other psychosocial factors have been associated with poor outcomes. ⋯ This review arises from accumulating evidence suggesting that psychological well-being may improve cardiac-related outcomes, independent of cardiac risk factors. Despite the fact that positive physician-patient engagement is likely to play a critical role in promoting positive psychological traits and healthy behaviors, current physician awareness and advocacy are rather suboptimal, despite active awareness campaigns such as the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women®. There is a need to further study the role and management of stress as a CVD risk factor, especially in women, who are disproportionately affected.
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Journal of women's health · Apr 2019
Breastfeeding Greater Than 6 Months Is Associated with Smaller Maternal Waist Circumference Up to One Decade After Delivery.
Abdominal obesity is an important indicator of cardiometabolic dysfunction in later life. Prior studies have observed an inverse association between breastfeeding and maternal waist circumference (WC) in the years after pregnancy, but this may be due to bias resulting from systematic differences in women who do and do not breastfeed. ⋯ This study extends conventional observational study methods to incorporate propensity score approaches that make it possible to separate the study design from the study analysis to account for systematic differences in women who did and did not breastfeed. After reducing potential bias, breastfeeding for greater than 6 months was independently associated with smaller WC in the decade after delivery.