Women's health
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Endometriosis is a disease that affects millions of women worldwide and its diagnosis is still challenging. Medical history, symptoms together with imaging data may address the correct diagnosis, but the gold standard remains laparoscopic assessment with histological confirmation. ⋯ Several serum biomarkers have been investigated over the years, but none of these have shown a clinical utility and nowadays the more realistic diagnostic biomarker consists in a panel of biomarkers. The recent introduction of new technologies such as genomics and proteomics may represent the future perspective of endometriosis diagnosis.
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Maternal mortality is rising in the USA. The pregnancy-related maternal mortality ratio increased from 10/100,000 to 17/100,000 live births from the 1990s to 2012. ⋯ These efforts include communication and collaboration between all stake holders involved in perinatal health, creation of national bundles addressing key maternal care areas such as hemorrhage management, call for all obstetric hospitals to review and analyze all cases of severe maternal morbidity, and access to contraception. Implementation of interventions based on these efforts is a national imperative to improve obstetric safety.
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Review
Women-specific factors to consider in risk, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease.
In the era of individualized medicine, gaps in knowledge remain about sex-specific risk factors, diagnostic and treatment options that might reduce mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and improve outcomes for both women and men. In this review, contributions of biological mechanisms involving the sex chromosomes and the sex hormones on the cardiovascular system will be discussed in relationship to the female-specific risk factors for CVD: hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, menopause and use of hormonal therapies for contraception and menopausal symptoms. Additionally, sex-specific factors to consider in the differential diagnosis and treatment of four prevalent CVDs (hypertension, stroke, coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure) will be reviewed with emphasis on areas where additional research is needed.