October 11th, 2011
A woman with a 34-inch waist has double the risk of uterine or womb cancer compared to one with a waist just three inches smaller, says a new international study.
Researchers also found women who piled on the pounds during their adult years were at much higher risk of this form of cancer than those who put on weight in their youth.
Scientists working for the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) project analyzed data from 223,000 women across 10 European countries. They discovered that obese women – with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more – are most at risk of uterine cancer, along with women who put on more than 44lb since the age of 20.
A ‘particularly strong’ link, says the study, was found in post-menopausal women and those who had never taken hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or used the contraceptive pill.
Professor Christine Friedenreich, of the Alberta Cancer Board in Canada, who led the survey, said: “This large study has provided very strong evidence that obesity and fat distribution increase cancer risk.”
Previous research has found the risk of heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes is increased fourfold in women whose waists exceed 35ins.
A large waist is deemed even more hazardous for health than just being overweight because fat cells carried around the stomach pump out chemicals that can damage the insulin system, raise blood pressure and increase cholesterol levels.
Excess weight and obesity are often caused by a blood glucose and insulin imbalance called Insulin Resistance. Fortunately, this latter condition can be reversed by a balanced, nutritious diet and regular exercise, which, in turn, can combine to reduce waist size by boosting weight loss.
If left unchecked, Insulin Resistance-linked excess weight may lead to a variety of disorders, including Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), a leading cause of infertility and menstrual irregularity, as well as acne and other skin conditions, excess facial hair and female hair loss.
Overweight women do not have a monopoly on PCOS, however. Up to 50% of PCOS sufferers may be females who are of normal weight or even lean.
November 10th, 2009
An interesting but sobering article in the Vail Daily News outlines how toxins in our environment are playing a major role in declining fertility.
It’s acknowledged that one out of every six couples in the U.S. experiences problems with conception during the first 12 months of trying. Apparently, toxins can affect sperm count, movement and “structure” and sons of mothers who have a high level of toxins may have a lower sperm count and a male birth defect called hypospadias.
In women, environmental toxins can affect ovulation, hormones such as progesterone and estrogen, and can cause PCOS, endometriosis and fibroids.
Fortunately, taking precautionary steps as simple as using glass instead of plastic containers, can aid in fertility and conception.
Read on:
http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20091109/AE/911099992/1078&ParentProfile=1062
May 29th, 2009
Just as I was getting a handle on hormones as relates to PCOS, bioidentical hormones are all over the Internet and other media. What exactly are they and how would they affect me? What are the pros and cons of using them?
Fortunately, Dr. Rebecca Booth conveys the straight story in her May 27th Huffington Post blog entitled “Bioidentical Hormones – Marketing Hype of Medical Breakthrough?”
This respected OB/GYN and author of “The Venus Week: Discover the Powerful Secret of Your Cycle…At Any Age” lists many of the changes brought about by our sex hormones in adolescence up to our mid- 20′s (Breasts develop; the waistline is carved out). Good!. And with menopause (Breasts deflate (or worse, get enormous); Waist disappears). Not so good.
We urge you to read this article in full to better understand the nature of your hormones:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-booth/bioidentical-hormones-mar_b_208180.html
All the best, Catherine L, PCOS Support Blog Editor
June 16th, 2008
The Endocrine Society
June 16, 2008
In young girls at risk of early puberty and insulin resistance, the diabetes drug metformin delayed the onset of menstruation and decreased the development of insulin resistance, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, according to a new study. The results were presented Monday, June 16, at The Endocrine Society’s 90th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.
“The findings indicate that we can slow down puberty,” said the study’s senior author, Lourdes Ibanez, MD, PhD, of the University of Barcelona in Spain. “This is important because when puberty is faster in girls, the appearance of menses occurs earlier, and this sequence of events may ultimately result in a shorter adult height.”
Also, getting a first menstrual period before age 12 has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. Early puberty (breast development) is a risk factor for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), especially if the girl is overweight, she said. PCOS is a common cause of infertility.
All 38 girls in the study had not yet reached puberty at the start of the study but had developed pubic hair abnormally early—before the age of 8 years. These girls typically start puberty earlier than their peers, Ibanez said.
The study patients had another risk factor for early puberty. All had been born small and experienced rapid catch-up growth during infancy, thus developing more fat than normal. This fat tends to be around the middle, which increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease in adulthood. Belly fat also is a marker of insulin resistance, in which the body needs more insulin than usual to clear glucose, or sugar, from the blood. Girls who are the most insulin resistant begin menstruating much earlier than their peers, Ibanez said.
Therefore, Ibanez and her co-workers studied whether a low dose of metformin, a drug that improves insulin resistance, would slow the transition through puberty by decreasing insulin resistance and abdominal fat. The girls had an average age of nearly 8 when they started the study. They randomly received either no treatment (19 girls) or treatment with low-dose metformin once a day (19 girls) for 4 years.
The metformin-treated girls started puberty and menstruation later than the untreated girls, the authors found. After 4 years of treatment, they also gained about 50 percent less fat—especially abdominal fat—and became less insulin resistant, compared with girls who did not receive the drug, according to Ibanez. They also had fewer risk factors for future heart disease, including better cholesterol levels, she said.
Bone mineral density testing showed no harm to bone development in the treated girls. At 4 years, treated patients continued to grow taller, but most untreated girls had already stopped growing.
Use of metformin in this patient population is experimental. Metformin is approved for treatment of type 2 diabetes in people 10 years or older.
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Researchers from the University of Girona’s Doctor Josep Trueta Hospital, Spain; the Hospital of Terrassa, Spain; and the University of Leuven, Belgium, collaborated on this study. Carlos III Institute of Health in Madrid, Spain, funded the study.
Founded in 1916, The Endocrine Society is the world’s oldest, largest, and most active organization devoted to research on hormones, and the clinical practice of endocrinology. Today, The Endocrine Society’s membership consists of over 14,000 scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in more than 80 countries. Together, these members represent all basic, applied, and clinical interests in endocrinology. The Endocrine Society is based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. To learn more about the Society, and the field of endocrinology, visit our web site at www.endo-society.org.\
Contact: Aaron Lohr
alohr@endo-society.org
240-482-1380
The Endocrine Society
