A woman's risk of heart disease and stroke in middle-age and beyond may be associated with the number of children she gives birth to, a large study of Swedish women hints.

"Women having two births had the lowest risk of future cardiovascular disease," Dr. Erik Ingelsson, at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, noted in an email to Reuters Health, while women having five or more births had the highest risk.

Prior studies looking at ties between number of births and women's later risk of heart disease have yielded conflicting results. Most of these studies were small. Ingelsson and his colleagues looked for an association between number of births and heart disease risk in 1.3 million Swedish women after they turned 50.

During follow up lasting up to 23 years (average of 9.5 years), more than 65,000 heart disease-related events such as heart attack or stroke occurred, the researchers report in American Heart Journal.

Compared with women who gave birth twice (the lowest risk group), women with no, one, or three births had about 10 percent greater risk of future heart disease. The risk was 30 percent higher in women with four births and nearly 60 percent higher in women with five or more births.

The investigators found similar risks when analyzing a subset of nearly 600,000 women with complete pregnancy and birth records and at least one birth between 1973 and 2005. Taking into account pregnancy complications such as high blood pressure and pregnancy-related diabetes, and birth-related complications did not explain the link between number of births and later heart disease and stroke risk.

Pregnancy leads to marked changes in how blood flows in and through blood vessels, which can alter risk for heart disease and stroke. Ingelsson and colleagues say a better understanding of these changes may lead to a better understanding of heart disease and stroke in women.

                                                                                                                                                                 2010-03-10

A new device that looks a lot like those home ovulation and home pregnancy tests but checks sperm count will soon be available in Europe, and is undergoing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review for marketing in the US.

The test targets couples who have been trying to get pregnant for a few months, but aren't ready to seek professional help, Dr. John C. Herr of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, who helped develop the new test, told Reuters Health.

The test helps couples sort out if the male is a factor in the infertility "and to do that in privacy with some cost savings," he said. "The product will retail for about $25. That's a lot cheaper than going in and having a full semen analysis."

Depending on where you are in the country, he added, semen analysis can cost from around $65 to $250, and may or may not be covered by insurance.

In the journal Human Reproduction, Herr and his team report on a study comparing the accuracy of their SpermCheck Fertility test with standard laboratory sperm count methods, using 225 semen samples. The tests were accurate 96 percent of the time, the researchers found. Ninety-five percent of the time a laboratory professional and a lay person got the same result when reading a single test independently.

Sperm counts of 20 million per milliliter of semen and above are considered normal. The test will tell a man whether or not his sperm count meets this cutoff, and if it doesn't whether he has a severely low sperm count (below 5 million sperm per milliliter). "It basically tells the man how deep the infertility is," Herr explains. "If both strips are negative it's important that they then seek medical treatment for the infertility."

The test works by detecting an antigen found on the surface of the head of a sperm cell known as SP-10, which Herr and his colleagues discovered. "There's a lot of cell biology and molecular biology behind the project," the researcher said, adding that the work of discovering SP-10 and developing the test -- much of it funded by the National Institutes of Health -- took about 10 years.

While women only need to dip a test stick in their urine to see if they're pregnant or close to ovulation, the SpermCheck Fertility test requires a few more steps.

Users let the semen rest for 20 minutes, collect 100 microliters using a pipette, and mix the semen with a detergent-containing substance known as a buffer, which releases the SP-10 protein from the sperm. Users then put a few drops of this mix into the two sample wells. Within seven minutes, the test results will appear in test windows above the wells.

                                                                                                                                                            2010-03-09

The main incentive for a woman back pain: osteoporosis, domestic labor, menstruation, breast big.

Osteoporosis: This is the first major incentive for low back pain caused. Women are finer and lighter bones than men and therefore a greater chance of suffering from osteoporosis. Once osteoporosis, the thickness of the spine will change, sub-Bian Ai, force will be a problem, which usually make women's back pain much earlier and lasted longer. Therefore, a woman from a young age we must adhere to exercise, timely calcium, multi-sun, timely supplement estrogen. If you really serious, it is necessary the use of appropriate drug therapy, physiotherapy and other means of assistance to relieve symptoms.

Menstruation: Young women, menstruation will produce a small back muscle pain, especially in the lumbar spine Department, but most of them will end with the natural menstrual cycle disappears. This menstrual mood changes related to changes in hormone levels. Proposed menstrual Do not give too much pressure on themselves, plenty of rest. If you really hurt, the monthly amount of pain medicine can be served.

Pregnancy: pregnancy after pregnant women, the strength of abdominal muscles support the lower spine to endure more pressure. At the same time, sitting right, the reasons for changes in hormone levels also lead to joint loosening. This back pain will disappear as the child's birth. Therefore, pregnant women, to control a good weight, avoid bending, Twister, carry heavy loads, avoid sedentary, forced to stand.

Breasts too large: too large breasts will affect the normal physiological curvature of the spine and force points, "excessive" changes in the breast to the spine, so a large chest of women have to wear the right bra, sport is best to wear recoil bra to alleviate the burden on his back.

Housework: women doing housework always bent over, sweeping, mopping the floor often the side of the force, and that is very easy for the back to withstand more pressure. Suggested a certain one will be home to rest, the same kind of actions do not last long.

Sedentary: Office of the woman sitting time per day is almost more than seven hours, low back pain become a common problem. A long time to maintain a posture makes lumbar functional decline day by day, so that increased pressure inside the discs. Usually try to wear flat shoes, swimming, walking can help to relieve the symptoms.

Disease: Low back pain may also be the performance of a number of diseases, such as fiber fibroids, lumbar disc herniation, lumbar degenerative changes in lumbar hyperplasia, and even breast cancer and bone cancer patients are likely to back pain after the transfer. Acute pain usually can be resumed within 4 weeks, if more than this time, it is best related in time to the hospital for examination, early diagnosis of illness treatment.

                                                                                                                                                    2010-03-09