More Evidence HPV Vaccine Cuts Cervical Cancer Rate

MONDAY, April 8, 2019 -- Scotland is already seeing a payoff for vaccinating adolescent girls for human papillomavirus (HPV).

Since the vaccine became routine about a decade ago, cervical cancer cases in young Scottish women have plummeted, a new study reports.

When Do Women Need a Mammogram? New Guideline Tries to Clarify

MONDAY, April 8, 2019 -- A group representing U.S. family doctors issued updated mammography guidelines Monday, adding to an ongoing debate over how early and how often women should be screened.

The American College of Physicians (ACP) now recommends a mammogram every other year for women ages 50 to 74 who are at average risk for breast cancer and have no symptoms.

Less Invasive Fibroid Treatment May Work as Well as Surgery

TUESDAY, March 26, 2019 -- A minimally invasive procedure called uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) was as effective as the recommended surgery for treating fibroids in the uterus, a new study says.

In UFE, the fibroid growths' blood supply is cut off using a small tube. The new research found that this approach also led to fewer complications compared to myomectomy, a surgery that removes individual fibroids from the uterus.

FDA Approves First Drug for Postpartum Depression

WEDNESDAY, March 20, 2019 -- Postpartum depression is a common and often devastating condition for new mothers, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved the first drug to help combat it.

The drug, Zulesso (brexanolone), is delivered via intravenous infusion.

AHA News: Belly Fat Ups Older Women's Heart Risks, Even Without Obesity

THURSDAY, March 7, 2019 (American Heart Association News) -- Bad news for women who carry fat around their waist rather than on their thighs: New research finds that postmenopausal women shaped like apples are at higher risk for stroke and heart attack than their pear-shaped counterparts.

Several recent studies have found that body fat distribution is a better predictor of heart disease risk than body mass index, a widely used method for diagnosing obesity. BMI is a numerical value of weight in relation to height and an indication of body fat -- but not a direct measurement of it.