Women Health Online

Vacations can rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. They can relieve stress and give your body a rest. They also give you the time to slow down, stop, and smell the roses. And everyone needs to do that.

Stress at work Stress at work can affect your physical health. According to the American Psychological Association, three fourths of those responding to a poll reported physical symptoms from workplace stress. And half of those polled said they don’t take their allotted vacation time because they are too busy.

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According to one expert, people who suffer from migraines and high blood pressure could be more likely to suffer a stroke than those who only have high blood pressure. An Italian doctor said that while hypertension and migraine comorbidity was rare, it was important for doctors to be aware of the potential connection. Experts say it may be even more important for migraine sufferers to work on reducing their cardiovascular risk factors, including high cholesterol, diabetes, and excess weight.  

FRIDAY, June 24 () — Pregnant women with depression receive inconsistent treatment and, as a result, may spend more time in the hospital before their babies are born, a new study finds.

Researchers followed 20 health care providers at six Michigan clinics and found a lack of uniformity in treating pregnant women with depression. Often, health care providers felt burdened by the responsibility of needing to make instant decisions about issues, and there was great variation in those decisions — even within the same clinic.

“There was no system-level support for providers.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered a new warning label for the cholesterol medication Zocor (simvastatin), saying that the drug has an increased risk of muscle damage (myopathy) when taken at its highest dosage. Researchers in two different studies have found muscle damage in people taking 80 mg of Zocor, especially in the first year of treatment. FDA officials say these findings suggest that this dose should only be given to people who have been using Zocor for more than 12 months without damage, and not to new patients. People taking this dose of Zocor should speak to their healthcare providers before making any changes to their medication.  

THURSDAY, June 23 () — Who do teens look to as role models for healthy sexual behavior? According to a new Canadian study, they look first to the example set by their parents, not to friends or the media.

In their survey of more than 1,100 mothers of teenagers and almost 1,200 teens between the ages of 14 and 17, researchers found that when it comes to sexuality, 45 percent of the teens considered their parents to be their role model, compared to just 32 percent who looked to their friends.

Only 15 percent of the teens said celebrities influenced them, the investigators found.

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