Case vignette A 46-year-old patient presented to our specialty women’s health clinic with vaginal bleeding. Previously, this patient was treated at our facility for early-stage breast cancer. As part of her treatment, she had a hysterectomy, oophorectomy and was on a long-term adjuvant course of aromatase inhibitors (AIs). The patient was very concerned that the etiology of the bleeding was cancerous. On exam, we determined that a urethral caruncle—a large friable red mass—was…

Read guest columnist Chad Schlesinger, MBA-HCA Cleveland Clinic Women’s Health Institute Educational Program Manager’s column on postgraduate women’s health education and our Specialized Women’s Health Fellowship.

Speaking of Women's Health guest columnists Dana Leslie, CNP and Dr. Ula Abed Alwahab discuss Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and the symptoms women should look out for.

Read Dr. Holly L. Thacker’s column on new therapies for low libido and the latest treatment options for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder.

A substance that could cause cancer has been found in some ranitidine heartburn and ulcer medicines, including the brand-name drug Zantac, and the source of this contamination is being investigated, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says. While preliminary tests found low levels of the nitrosamine impurity N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in some ranitidine products, the FDA said this does not mean patients taking the drugs should stop using them now.

Dr. Holly Pederson and Erika Klempay, PA-C discuss if hormone therapy use after menopause increases a woman's risk of breast cancer.

Dr. Holly L. Thacker and Dr. Holly J. Pederson discuss why some women are at an increased risk of getting breast cancer and what are some of the other "red flags" that point to increased genetic risk for several cancers.

Read Dr. Camille Moreno and Dr. Holly L. Thacker's column on exercise and nutrition in menopause.

Another drug has been added to a recall for medication used to treat high blood pressure. Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited is recalling several batches of Losartan Potassium tablets, the FDA announced Thursday. Losartan is reportedly used to treat hypertension, hypertensive patients with Left Ventricular Hypertrophy, and for the treatment of nephropathy in Type 2 diabetic patients. The recall states that “trace amounts” of N-Methylnitrosobutyric acid, which is a known carcinogen, have been…

Exposure to fluoroquinolone antibiotics is linked to a heightened risk of left-sided valvular regurgitation, analysis of adverse event reporting data showed. Fluoroquinolones overall held a significant 45% higher likelihood of valvular regurgitation events reported to the FDA Adverse Events Reporting Systems (FAERS) than did other drugs from 2004 to 2018, reported Mahyar Etminan, PharmD, MSc, of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and colleagues in the Journal of the American…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Reyvow (lasmiditan) tablets for the acute (active but short-term) treatment of migraine with or without aura (a sensory phenomenon or visual disturbance) in adults. Reyvow is not indicated for the preventive treatment of migraine.Migraine headache pain is often described as an intense throbbing or pulsing pain in one area of the head. Additional symptoms include nausea and/or vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound. Approximately…

Authors: Anna Camille Moreno DO NCMP, Belinda L Udeh, Yao Meng, Sabrina Sahni MD and Holly L. Thacker MD The primary objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of APEX M™ pelvic floor therapy, a pelvic stimulating device, for women with urinary incontinence (UI) from April 1, 2014 to January 31, 2018 at a tertiary medical center. Efficacy of the device was measured by daytime incontinence episodes; nighttime incontinence episodes (nocturia); number of female incontinence pads at study…

Read Speaking of Women’s Health Founder and Chief Creative Strategist, Dianne Dunkelman’s column on her inspiring story on fatty liver and the hidden links to cirrhosis of the liver, along with our Executive Director, Dr. Holly L. Thacker.

A new drug to treat most cystic fibrosis patients has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Trikafta (elexacaftor/ivacaftor/tezacaftor) is the first triple combination therapy available to treat patients with the most common cystic fibrosis mutation. Its list price is $311,000 a year, same as one of the maker's earlier treatments for the genetic disease.Trikafta is approved for patients aged 12 and older who have at least one F508del mutation in the cystic fibrosis…

Nothing beats this all-time easy, favorite barbeque chicken pizza.

E-cigarettes and vaping are relatively new and many have thought of them as a helpful alternative to quit traditional smoking. But now, reports of serious respiratory illnesses likely tied to vaping are popping up across the country. Having identified nearly 1,500 lung illnesses and 33 deaths, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating multiple reports of serious respiratory illnesses likely tied to vaping. Learn more about the dangers of vaping from Cleveland Clinic pulmonologist and smoking cessation specialist, Dr. Humberto Choi.

New Tymlos Patch StudyThe trial compares Abaloparatide/Tymlos(R) injection vs Tymlos(R) patch. The patch is applied for 10 minutes daily and avoids the need for daily subcutaneous injection.Every woman with osteoporosis who gets enrolled in this study will receive active treatment free of charge in that there is no placebo group. Patients are randomized to either daily injection or patch. The study is 12 months and requires about 14 visits to Cleveland Clinic's main campus. Parking, mileage,…

Read senior Specialized Women’s Health fellow, Dr. Taryn Smith’s column on updates from the 2019 North American Menopause Society. Dr. Smith was honored as a new investigator award winner at the NAMS meeting for her quality improvement in osteoporosis research, as well as one of our graduated fellows, Dr. Heather Foreman Hirsh. Dr. Hirsh is now at Harvard and won the top research poster on menopause and metabolic parameters.

Read Dr. Holly L. Thacker's column on the latest contraception options for women.

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