Journal of women's health
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Journal of women's health · Oct 2024
Associations Between Earlier Menarche and Fibroid Severity in Individuals Seeking Hysterectomy.
Objective: Early menarche is associated with uterine fibroid risk, but the association between menarcheal timing and fibroid severity remains to be explored. Given the hormonal dependence of fibroids, earlier menarche may increase physical burden (e.g., number of fibroids) and/or symptoms (e.g., heavy menstrual bleeding), though the two are not always correlated. We hypothesized that individuals with earlier menarche are more likely to have severe fibroids. ⋯ Conclusion: Earlier menarche was associated with measures of fibroid severity. Prolonged exposure to estrogen via early menarche may accelerate the tumorigenesis process. Patient-reported symptoms as well as measures of physical burden should be considered when investigating the etiology of fibroid-related morbidity.
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Journal of women's health · Oct 2024
Reproductive Experiences of Physicians in Medical and Surgical Subspecialties.
Objective: To evaluate the reproductive experiences of physicians across gender and specialty. Patients and Methods: Between November and December 2021, we surveyed nontrainee physicians of all genders at a single quaternary institution using a modified version of an existing survey instrument. Experiences with family planning, fertility, pregnancy, and parental leave were assessed. ⋯ Among those who took less than the full amount offered, 63% cited concerns about falling behind educationally or professionally as significantly influencing this decision. Conclusions: These results support previous trends showing delayed childbearing and increased infertility among physicians while shedding new light on stigma associated with childbearing and parental leave. A better understanding of the reproductive experiences of physicians is critical to recruiting and retaining a skilled workforce and fostering career and life satisfaction in this profession.
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Journal of women's health · Oct 2024
History of Pregnancy Loss and Risk for Higher Midlife Blood Pressure in Parous Females.
Introduction: Pregnancy loss has been associated with later cardiometabolic conditions, potentially due to shared underlying etiology, but associations with midlife blood pressure (BP) remain unclear. Methods: We examined participants enrolled 1999-2002 in prospective Project Viva. At midlife ∼18 years after enrollment, we collected lifetime pregnancy history and measured BP. ⋯ In models examining race and ethnicity, SBP was higher among non-Hispanic White and Hispanic individuals with pregnancy loss; non-Hispanic Black individuals had higher BP regardless of pregnancy loss status. Conclusions: History of pregnancy loss was associated with higher SBP and elevated BP category at midlife. These findings highlight reproductive history as an important consideration for cardiopreventive strategies and interventions.
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Journal of women's health · Oct 2024
Understanding Pregnancy-Related Cardiovascular Disease Risk Communication and Management Among Women Veterans.
Background: Women veterans who experience certain conditions during pregnancy, such as gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, and gestational diabetes, are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) later in life. Many women are unaware of this risk. Furthermore, women often face financial, socioeconomic, or physical challenges when trying to make healthy behavior modifications to reduce CVD risk. ⋯ Those who are aware often receive conflicting or vague recommendations to address these risk factors. When trying to follow CV health recommendations, many women have difficulty due to lack of finances, childcare, or safe areas. Future interventions should be aimed at improving access to medical records between outside and VA providers, patient education, and access to heart-healthy resources.