Kidney disease costs the health-care system more than $40 billion each year
Not many people think about the cost of kidney disease, says a University of Alberta researcher. But the toll on Canadians is high. Kidney disease will affect one in 10 Canadians and costs the health-care system more than $40 billion each year. The number of people living with end-stage kidney disease, which has no current…
Not being able to control your bladder can be embarrassing
You’ve probably seen the ads: A row of women in nothing but their undies. Look closer and you realize they are wearing special panties – extra protection so they don’t leak urine in public. The market for such products is growing as the population ages. In fact, people’s preferences for “absorbent briefs” (no longer known…
For one research participant, the study taught her how to take care of her own health
“You’re stronger than you think,” said diabetes researcher Jane Yardley, as she clinked the 306-pound (138-kg) weight into place on the calf raise machine at the University of Alberta’s Physical Activity and Diabetes Lab. Surprising myself about how much weight I can lift is just one of the personal takeaways I’ve gained as a participant…
Hormones alone are not enough to explain the difference
Female astronauts could avoid knee injuries during space flight – and better tests, prevention and treatments could be developed for knee osteoarthritis in women on Earth – based on newly published research on the sex differences in knee meniscus tissue. Knee osteoarthritis is more common in females than in males, but hormones alone are not…
International Women’s Day encourages everyone to ‘Break the Bias’ in health care and research
If you are a woman – or love one – here are some facts that may surprise you: Almost three-quarters of the 750,000 Canadians who have Alzheimer’s are women. Women are 20 per cent more likely than men to develop lung cancer if they smoke the same number of cigarettes. Heart attacks are not recognized…
Fewer surgery complications and shorter hospital stays
Women with obesity and endometrial cancer who lose weight in advance of surgery have fewer complications and shorter hospital stays, according to preliminary study results so promising that they are already changing the standard of care. Sophia Pin, an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Alberta and physician at the…
Women face risks and causes of heart disease that men don’t
Five times more women die from heart disease than from breast cancer. Yet many women don’t realize that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of premature death for women in Canada. Although treatments and outcomes of cardiovascular diseases are known to be different between men and women, women continue to be underdiagnosed, undertreated, undersupported and…
New study identifies key areas for actions to improve gender equity in sport at all levels
When a female elite athlete announces her pregnancy, she can prepare herself for a slew of congratulatory messages wishing her well – on her retirement. At least, that was a typical experience for many within a group of 20 female athletes participating in a recent study. The surveyed athletes, who had either trained or competed…
The grief from the loss of a companion animal is real
Grief over the death of a beloved pet needs to be more recognized and respected, according to new research. A study of women 55 and older living alone revealed intense feelings of sorrow after losing a companion animal, but they were careful about who they shared their feelings with, fearing a dismissive response, said Cary Brown,…
An influential breast cancer screening trial was not randomized properly and should be withdrawn, new evidence shows
Thousands of Canadian women may have died needlessly of breast cancer because of the fallout from two flawed studies on breast screening, according to a group of prominent researchers. In a commentary published in the Journal of Medical Screening, the researchers say they have new evidence that the Canadian National Breast Screening trials carried out in the 1980s were…