Journal of women's health
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Journal of women's health · Oct 2008
Fibromyalgia: diagnosis and management for the primary healthcare provider.
Fibromyalgia is a disorder of chronic generalized musculoskeletal pain affecting 2% of the general population, with an increased frequency in women. Clinical diagnosis relies on history and research-supported tender point criteria. ⋯ Evidence-supported pharmacological interventions include tricyclic antidepressants, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, alpha-2-delta ligands, and other serotonergic-noradrenergic analgesic agents, such as tramadol. This paper offers the primary healthcare provider a systematic approach to the diagnosis of fibromyalgia and management strategies based on available evidence, consensus, and empirical data.
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Journal of women's health · Sep 2008
ReviewSleep disorders and medical conditions in women. Proceedings of the Women & Sleep Workshop, National Sleep Foundation, Washington, DC, March 5-6, 2007.
Sleep disorders affect women differently than they affect men and may have different manifestations and prevalences. With regard to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), variations in symptoms may cause misdiagnoses and delay of appropriate treatment. The prevalence of OSA appears to increase markedly after the time of menopause. ⋯ Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is characterized by an urge to move the legs or other limbs during periods of rest or inactivity and may affect as much as 10% of the population. This condition is more likely to afflict women than men, and its risk is increased by pregnancy. Although RLS is associated with impaired quality of life, highly effective treatment is available.
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Journal of women's health · Sep 2008
Prescription medication borrowing and sharing among women of reproductive age.
The purpose of this study was to describe the patterns of prescription medication borrowing and sharing among adults, particularly women of reproductive age. ⋯ Prescription medication borrowing and sharing is a common behavior among adults and is more common among reproductive-aged women than among women in other age groups.
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Journal of women's health · Sep 2008
Comparative StudyGender differences among hardcore smokers: an analysis of the tobacco use supplement of the current population survey.
Despite significant declines in smoking rates in the United States, a substantial percentage of adults continue to smoke. Improved understanding of current smokers and their contact with sources of cessation support future tobacco control efforts. Recent evidence suggests that hardcore smokers, established smokers without a history of quit attempts, have less contact with cessation support. Although gender is among the major factors that influence smoking cessation, no research is available on gender differences among hardcore smokers. ⋯ The sociodemographic and healthcare access variations in tobacco use identified in our analyses have significant public health implications and underscore the vital need for clinical and scientific advances in tobacco use prevention and control efforts.
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Journal of women's health · Sep 2008
Comparative StudyWhy do faculty leave? Reasons for attrition of women and minority faculty from a medical school: four-year results.
Faculty attrition, particularly among female and minority faculty, is a serious problem in academic medical settings. The reasons why faculty in academic medical settings choose to leave their employment are not well understood. Further, it is not clear if the reasons why women and minority faculty leave differ from those of other groups. ⋯ The majority of reasons for faculty attrition are amenable to change. Retaining high-quality faculty in medical settings may justify the costs of faculty development and retention efforts.