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Late motherhood and weight gain greatly increase breast cancer risk

Women who experience significant weight gain after the age of 20 and either have their first child after the age of 30 or don't have children are almost three times more likely to develop breast cancer than those who give birth earlier and whose weight remains relatively stable, new research from the UK being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025) has found.

11 May 2025

Maternal testosterone levels shape boys' activity and girls' strength by age 7

Boys born to mothers with PCOS or high third-trimester testosterone levels are less physically active at age 7, particularly on weekends. Girls exposed to high prenatal testosterone show reduced muscle strength but not lower activity levels.

10 May 2025

Study reveals phthalate exposure harms early sexual development in children

Maternal exposure to phthalates during pregnancy is linked to shorter anogenital distance in 3-year-old boys, a marker of impaired sexual development. Girls showed similar outcomes from their own postnatal exposure, highlighting the lasting hormonal risks of environmental pollutants.

10 May 2025

Researchers uncover why women handle body fat more efficiently

Women’s fat cells break down fat faster than men’s once activated, even though they require higher hormone levels to initiate the process. This may help explain why women are less prone to metabolic complications despite higher body fat.

10 May 2025

Mothers' early pregnancy weight influences kids’ BMI into adolescence

Children born to mothers with higher BMI in early pregnancy have greater weight and BMI from birth through age 10, regardless of prenatal lifestyle interventions. Paternal BMI also plays a significant role in childhood obesity risk.

10 May 2025

Using gas stoves at home significantly increases cancer risk

A new study in the Journal of Hazardous Materials modeled benzene emissions from the top 5% of gas stoves in U.S. homes, finding elevated cancer risks, especially for children, in poorly ventilated spaces. Using validated simulations, the researchers estimated up to 69 additional leukemia cases annually under high-use, unventilated scenarios.

10 May 2025

Redlining continues to impact breast cancer survival in America

In neighborhoods across America, women face a daunting threat from a federal practice that, although it was outlawed decades ago, continues to negatively impact their health today.

10 May 2025

Liver disease in pregnancy linked to higher risk of preterm birth

Pregnant women with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) have an increased risk of giving birth prematurely and the risk increase cannot be explained by obesity, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal eClinicalMedicine.

9 May 2025

Most of today’s children could endure historic heatwaves as planet warms

A Nature study projects that millions born after 1960 will face unprecedented lifetime exposure (ULE) to climate extremes, such as heatwaves, droughts, and floods. The risks grow with global warming and disproportionately impact socioeconomically vulnerable populations.

8 May 2025

Women face higher risk of COPD even without smoking history

Women' are around 50% more likely than men to develop COPD, the umbrella term for chronic lung conditions, such as emphysema and bronchitis, even if they have never smoked or smoked much less than their male counterparts, suggests observational research, published in the open access journal BMJ Open Respiratory Research.

8 May 2025

Maternal health during pregnancy linked to higher blood pressure in children

Children born to mothers with obesity, gestational diabetes mellitus or a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy have higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure than children born to mothers without these risk factors, according to a new USC study.

8 May 2025

Eating avocado in pregnancy cuts infant food allergy risk by nearly half

Pregnant women who ate avocado were significantly less likely to have children with food allergies at 12 months of age. The association held even after adjusting for maternal diet quality, lifestyle, and perinatal factors in a large Finnish cohort.

8 May 2025

Cancer rates are climbing in younger adults and researchers want to know why

A new NIH-led study finds rising rates of 14 cancer types in Americans under 50, especially breast, colorectal, kidney, uterine, and pancreatic cancers. The research urges deeper investigation into shared risk factors and earlier screening strategies.

8 May 2025

Ovary and fallopian tube removal linked to lower death risk in BRCA carriers with breast cancer

Women diagnosed with breast cancer who carry particular BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic variants are offered surgery to remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes as this dramatically reduces their risk of ovarian cancer.

8 May 2025

How satisfaction with your partner's looks directly boosts relationship quality

A dyadic study of 167 heterosexual couples in Quebec found that satisfaction with a partner’s appearance and the absence of body criticism were linked to better relationship quality. These dynamics were shaped by both perceived similarity and accurate perceptions of partner satisfaction.

7 May 2025

Women with serious mental illness need more support and education during menopause transition

Many women struggle to find resources to help manage their menopause symptoms. For women living with a serious mental illness, the need for additional support and education during the menopause transition is even greater.

7 May 2025

How urine caffeine levels may help detect diabetic eye damage early

Researchers found that higher urinary levels of caffeine and specific metabolites, especially in men, were significantly associated with diabetic retinopathy risk. The cross-sectional study used NHANES 2009–2014 data and highlights potential biomarkers for early detection in diabetic populations.

7 May 2025