Early Menopause Linked To Higher Risk For Heart Disease
Researchers believe that factors leading to a later menopause might help protect against heart problems. In other public health news: genetic testing and pregnancy, vaccinations, Legionnaires' disease and lead in makeup.
The Mercury News:
Early Menopause May Impact Women’s Heart Disease Risk
Women who entered menopause at an earlier age or who never gave birth may be at higher risk for heart disease, according to a new study by UC San Francisco researchers. In a study of more than 28,000 women without heart disease over an average of 13.1 years, researchers found that while only 5.2 percent of the women were hospitalized for heart failure during the study, those who never gave birth were 2.75 times more likely to develop diastolic heart failure. (Seipel, 5/15)
San Francisco Chronicle:
A New Era For Genetic Testing, Especially In Pregnancy
A year and a half ago, few health insurers would cover a noninvasive prenatal test — which draws blood from a pregnant woman to analyze fetal DNA — unless the pregnancy was considered high-risk, which usually meant the woman was over 35. The test, which screens for chromosomal abnormalities linked to genetic disorders like Down syndrome, seemed less essential for women with average- or low-risk pregnancies. Today, at least 30 major U.S. insurers — including Anthem, Cigna and more than a dozen Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliates nationwide — cover the test for average-risk single-gestation pregnancies, expanding access to millions more people. (Ho, 5/15)
Orange County Register:
Vaccination Law Passed After 2014 Disneyland Measles Outbreak Increased Immunizations In Orange County
A state law passed in response to a 2014 measles outbreak at Disneyland has boosted immunization rates among Orange County kindergartners and reduced the number of school districts where low vaccination rates threaten to cause the spread of disease, according to an Orange County Grand Jury report released Monday. Senate Bill 277, which became one of the strictest vaccine laws in the nation when it took effect in mid-2016, eliminated a loophole that allowed families to opt out of state immunization laws by saying vaccinations conflicted with their personal beliefs. (Graham, 5/15)
Orange County Register:
5 Things To Know About Legionnaires’ Disease After Foothill Ranch Pool/Spa Closure
It will take a couple of weeks before water-testing results are back from the Foothill Ranch community pool and spa used by two adults who were hospitalized with Legionnaires’ disease. No new illnesses have been reported since the pool closure Friday, May 12. The two cases are among 28 countywide this year, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.Here are five things to know about the illness and its causes. (Perkes, 5/15)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Does Your Makeup Contain Lead, Mercury?
According to data from the California Department of Health, more than 63,000 products sold in California contain toxic chemicals. A U-T Data Watch analysis shows at least a dozen contain lead or lead acetate, and one of those is categorized as a baby skin care product. Another four products contain mercury. Data is collected by the California Safe Cosmetics Program, which maintains a list of all “reportable” cosmetic ingredients known or suspected to cause cancer, birth defects or reproductive problems. (Schroeder, 5/15)