as of September 3, 2010
Celebrating
Women's Health
Take Charge & Take Care
Know your numbers:
Cancer Screening:
Other Important
Health Screenings
for Women:
Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is a measurement of the force applied to the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood through the body. The pressure is determined by the force and amount of blood pumped and the size and flexibility of the arteries. It is one of the principal vital signs.
Blood pressure is continually changing depending on activity, temperature, diet, emotional state, posture, physical state, and medication use. In adults, the systolic pressure should be less than 120 mmHg and the diastolic pressure should be less than 80 mmHg.
Source:
Review Date: 7/21/2006
Reviewed by: Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found in all parts of the body. This includes the nervous system, skin, muscle, liver, intestines, and heart. It is made by the body and also obtained from animal products in the diet.
In general, you want your total cholesterol to be less than 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl). When the level is above 200 mg/dl, the risk for heart disease increases. You should also know your levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL, also known as the "good cholesterol") and low density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad cholesterol"). Talk to your health care provider about what your cholesterol levels mean.
Source:
Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults. Executive Summary of the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). JAMA. 2001;285:2486-2497. Review Date: 1/17/2007 Reviewed by: William McGee, M.D., M.H.A., Assistant Professor of Medicine and Surgery, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, and Chairman, Nutrition Committee, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
Blood Glucose
Diabetes is a life-long disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood. To understand diabetes, it is important to first understand the normal process of food metabolism. Several things happen when food is digested:
- A sugar called glucose enters the bloodstream. Glucose is a source of fuel for the body.
- An organ called the pancreas makes insulin. The role of insulin is to move glucose from the bloodstream into muscle, fat, and liver cells, where it can be used as fuel.
People with diabetes have high blood sugar. This is because their pancreas does not make enough insulin or their muscle, fat, and liver cells do not respond to insulin normally, or both.
Normal Blood Glucose Values: Before meals: 90 to 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) After meals: Less than 180 mg/dL
Source:
Standards of medical care in diabetes--2007. Diabetes Care. Jan 2007;30 Suppl 1:S4-S41.
Larsen PR, Kronberg HM, Schlomo M, et al. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 10th ed. St. Louis, Mo: WB Saunders; 2003:1427-1468, 1485-1504.
Armstrong C. ADA Releases Standards of Medical Care for Patients with Diabetes. Am Fam Physician. Sept 2006; 74(5); 871-874.
Caballero E. Prediabetes. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Jan 2007; 92(1); 15A-16A.
Review Date: 2/8/2007
Reviewed by: Robert Hurd, MD, Professor of Endocrinology, Department of Biology, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
Click Here for Information About Blood Sugar Monitoring from the American Diabetes Association
Mammography
A mammogram is an x-ray picture of the breasts. It is used to find tumors and to help tell the difference between noncancerous (benign) and cancerous (malignant) disease.
Source:
Muss HB. Breast cancer and differential diagnosis of benign lesions. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 208.
Berg WA, Blume JD, Cormack JB, Mendelson EB, Lehrer D, Böhm-Vélez M, et al. Combined screening with ultrasound and mammography vs mammography alone in women at elevated risk of breast cancer. JAMA. 2008 May 14;299(18):2151-63.
Lehman CD, Gatsonis C, Kuhl CK, et al. MRI evaluation of the contralateral breast in women with recently diagnosed breast cancer. N Engl J Med. 2007 Mar 29;356(13):1295-303. Epub 2007 Mar 28.
Qaseem A, Snow V, Sherif K, et al. Screening mammography for women 40 to 49 years of age: A clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2007;146(7):511-515.
Saslow D, Boetes C, Burke W, et al. American Cancer Society guidelines for breast screening with MRI as an adjunct to mammography. CA Cancer J Clin. 2007 Mar-Apr;57(2):75-89.
Smith RA, Saslow D, Sawyer KA, et al. American Cancer Society guidelines for breast cancer screening: Update 2003. CA Cancer J Clin. 2003;53(3):141-169.
Review Date: 12/31/2008
Reviewed by: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Susan Storck, MD, FACOG, Chief, Eastside Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Redmond, Washington; Clinical Teaching Faculty, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Click Here for a Mammography Fact Sheet from the American Cancer Institute
Pap Smears
A Pap smear is an examination under the microscope of cells scraped from the cervix.
Source:
Smith RA, Cokkinides V, Eyre HJ. American Cancer Society guidelines for the early detection of cancer, 2006. CA Cancer J Clin, 2006;56:11-25.
Review Date: 2/19/2008
Reviewed by: Peter Chen, MD, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Click Here for a Pap Smear Fact Sheet from the American Cancer Institute
Colonoscopy
A colonoscopy is an internal examination of the colon (large intestine), using an instrument called a colonoscope. The colonoscope is a small camera attached to a flexible tube. Unlike sigmoidoscopy, which examines only the lower third of the colon, colonoscopy examines the entire length of the colon.
Source:
Pasricha PJ. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Textbook of Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Sauders Elsevier; 2007:chap 136.
Review Date: 3/8/2008
Reviewed by: Christian Stone, MD, Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Bone Density Test
Osteoporosis is the thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density over time. Osteoporosis occurs when the body fails to form enough new bone, when too much old bone is reabsorbed by t
he body, or both. Researchers estimate that about 1 out of 5 American women over the age of 50 have osteoporosis. About half of all women over the age of 50 will have a fracture of the hip, wrist, or vertebra (bones of the spine).
Source:
Cranney A, Papaioannou A, Zytaruk N, et al. Clinical Guidelines Committee of Osteoporosis Canada. Parathyroid hormone for the treatment of osteoporosis: a systematic review. CMAJ. 2006 Jul 4;175(1):52-9.
Gass M, Dawson-Hughes B. Preventing osteoporosis-related fractures: an overview. Am J Med. 2006 Apr;119(4 Suppl 1):S3-S11. Review.
Estrogen and progestogen use in postmenopausal women: July 2008 position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. July/August 2008;15(4)584-602.
Management of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women: 2006 position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2006 May-Jun;13(3):340-67.
National Osteoporosis Foundation. Clinician's Guide to Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis. Feb. 2008. Accessed July 23, 2008. Available online at http://www.nof.org/professionals/Clinicians_Guide.htm
Review Date: 8/4/2008
Reviewed by: Elizabeth H. Holt, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yale University. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Breast Self Exam
Breast cancer is easier to treat the earlier it is found. For that reason, some experts recommend that women over age 20 perform a monthly breast self-exam to look for new lumps and other changes. The self-exam has limitations, however, and is NOT a substitute for regular breast examinations from your doctor or screening mammograms. Talk to your health care provider about the pros and cons of performing self-exams. If you do perform monthly exams, do them 3-5 days after your period, when your breasts are the least tender and lumpy.
Source:
US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Breast Cancer Recommendations and Rationale. Guidelines from Guide to Clinical Preventive Services: Third Edition (2000-2003).
Rockville, Md. US Dept of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Agency for Health Care Policy and Research; 2002.
Review Date: 6/6/2006
Reviewed by: Audra Robertson, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
Click to Learn How to Perform Breast Self Exam from The American Cancer Society.
Skin Cancer Self-Exam
Skin cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal skin cells. If left unchecked, these cancer cells can spread from the skin into other tissues and organs. There are different types of skin cancer. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common. Melanoma is less common, but more dangerous.
Source:
Review Date: 2/5/2008
Reviewed by: Kevin Berman, MD, PhD, Associate, Atlanta Center for Dermatologic Disease, Atlanta, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Click Here to Learn How to Perform Skin Cancer Self Exam from the National Cancer Institute