Can hormone therapy or the pill prevent brain aneurysms? (HealthDay)

(Thursday, may 5, HealthDay News) - taking birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy may protect against brain aneurysms women later in life, a new study suggests, although a mis neurologist cast doubt on the quality of the research.

Cerebral aneurysm to occur when a blood vessel in the brain weakens and balloons out, which can lead to a stroke hemorrhagic cerebral (or bleeding) if the ship explodes. These types of aneurysms are more frequent among women than men, possibly because the decrease in the female hormones after menopause plays a role in their development, said the authors of the study.

Brain aneurysms are more common after the age of 40 years and are more likely to burst when people are in their fifties.

In the study, Dr. Michael Chen of Rush Medical University Center and colleagues interviewed 60 women who have suffered brain aneurysms and asked about their use of oral contraceptives and estrogen hormone replacement therapy and their responses were compared to those of a group of almost 4 700 other women in the U.S. public.

Women who had brain aneurysms were significantly less likely to have taken oral contraceptives or received hormone therapy, and were also more likely to have entered menopause earlier, according to the report published online may 4 in the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery.

Previous research suggested that taking birth control pills decreases the risk of stroke (bleeding) haemorrhagic life. However, women who either start your rules at an early age, have children, or both, face a higher risk.

Because estrogen is important for the repair and maintenance of the walls of blood vessels, a decrease in the female hormone levels is supposed to be the reason for the increase in the risk of the structure of these ships, the authors of the study noted in general information about research.

However, commenting on the study, neurologist Dr. Cathy Sila said research is flawed and its conclusions exaggerated.

Other research is more reliable, noted Sila, Director of the Center stroke & stroke University hospitals case Medical Center in Cleveland. "Doctors are paid in better data," she said, adding that she hoped that the study convincing physicians to change how they prescribe birth control hormone replacement drugs.

Another expert called the finding "interesting", but it was a study.

"[This] deserves an additional investigation, in a large group of women" said the Dr. David j. Langer, Director of stroke research at the institutes of neuroscience Cushing, part of the North Shore-LIJ health system in Manhasset, New York, "no doubt"", women maintain a higher risk of cerebral aneurysm to men and the connection to hormone differences between men and women can be a contributing factor in this preference", he said.

"Whenever published studies such as this one must be careful in drawing general conclusions, but the results support more research in this area", said Langer. "One question, could be would it be that the incidence of hypertension and smoking was in this group of 60 women and how that compare with the greatest control group"?

In a press release of the editor of the journal, the authors of the study stated that, according to them, that their findings add to the understanding of how the brain aneurysms develop and progress and can stimulate new treatments for patients who have an aneurysm or are at risk of developing a. Current methods of treatment include the control of blood pressure, quitting smoking and possibly surgery to try to prevent future failure.

More information

For more information on aneurysms, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Growth hormone works for short children were premature: study (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - short children born prematurely see significant improvements in their height and weight during the first year of treatment with the growth hormone, although that long-term follow-up is required, an international study said.

Approximately 10 per cent of all infants are born prematurely, said Margaret Boguszewski, main author of the study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & metabolism. Premature birth is defined as less than 37 weeks of gestation.

"Advances in perinatal ensure that most of them will survive," she told Reuters Health by email.

"So, concern now focuses on the development and growth of these children." However, even with all the advances in perinatal care... some children born preterm remain smaller than their counterparts born at the end. ?

Boguszewski, Clinicas hospital, Curitiba, Brazil and colleagues noted that growth hormone may be useful for these children, but that preterm birth was usually ruled out their participation in clinical trials.

The study, they have identified 3 215 prepubertal children born at 37 weeks or less, with the growth of International of Pfizer The basic data (formerly Kabi Pharmacia growth international study). Children have received growth hormone.

Most is born in 33 to 37 weeks at an age appropriate for the gestation, 629 were born before 32 weeks in the appropriate weight, 519 had a 33 to 37 weeks gestation and are small for their gestational age and 139 were very premature and small for their gestational age.

The median age at the beginning of the treatment of growth hormone varies between 6 and 7.5 years.

After the first year of treatment, the four groups had a significant increase in weight and height of the speed. The highest growth rate was in the very preterm group.

"The conclusion was that short children born prematurely respond well to the first year of growth hormone treatment, and improvement of the speed of growth," Boguszewski told Reuters Health.

"Further studies are needed to collect information on the response of growth in the long term, the adult height and the safety of the treatment of hormone growth in short children after premature birth".