Women Blog

A new analysis finds that women in New Jersey who take the breast cancer drug tamoxifen in conjunction with certain popular antidepressants may be at a higher risk for a breast cancer recurrence.

In May, Medco Health Solutions, Inc. and Indiana University School of Medicine released a study revealing that women using tamoxifen to prevent a recurrence of breast cancer who also use certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), for example Prozac (fluoxetine), Paxil (paroxetine) and Zoloft (sertraline), have up to twice the chance of having a recurrence of the disease.

In a separate New Jersey-specific analysis, Medco found that among nearly 2,000 tamoxifen patients in the state during 2008, 12 percent were also taking SSRIs, including those that could put them in the at-risk population.

“We’ve been aware that certain antidepressants, known as CYP2D6 inhibitor drugs, block the activation of tamoxifen chemically, but this evidence shows that these drugs are putting women in New Jersey and across the nation at a much higher risk for recurrent breast cancer,” said Dr. Milayna Subar, National Practice Leader for Medco’s Oncology Therapeutic Resource Center located at Medco’s Willingboro, N. J. pharmacy. “Women taking tamoxifen along with an SSRI should speak with their doctor immediately to discuss modifications to their medication regimen to ensure they are getting the full benefit of their tamoxifen therapy.”

Approximately 500,000 women take tamoxifen in the U.S., with 80,000 new patients starting on the treatment annually. Nearly 30 percent of women taking tamoxifen also use an antidepressant. Based on estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, New Jersey is among the states with the highest breast cancer incidence and death rate in the country.

The study by Medco and Indiana University School of Medicine that was presented at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). It was the largest study to-date looking at how these drugs impact breast cancer recurrence rates when taken with tamoxifen.

Antidepressants are often prescribed when women receiving tamoxifen are depressed, or to treat hot flashes — a common side effect of the breast cancer drug. Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft are among a group of antidepressant drugs known as CYP2D6 inhibitors. These drugs prevent the CYP2D6 enzyme from working properly, and cause less of the active form of tamoxifen, called endoxifen, from being produced, making the drug less effective at preventing breast cancer. Women taking tamoxifen along with certain SSRIs have a 2-fold increased risk of breast cancer recurrence compared to women not taking these drugs together.

Tamoxifen

Tamoxifen is one of the oldest and most widely used treatments for reducing the risk of breast cancer recurrence among women with estrogen-dependent tumors. The drug works by blocking the estrogen receptors in the breast cells and can reduce the risk of a breast cancer recurrence by up to 50 percent. It’s the only anti-estrogen available for prevention of breast cancer recurrence in pre-menopausal women and is one of several anti-estrogens used to treat post-menopausal breast cancer patients.

Source: Medco Health Solutions, Inc.

PriceGrabber.com(R) survey data reveals that men are more likely to categorize technology as a necessity

PriceGrabber.com , a part of Experian, explores the impact of the economy on online consumer behavior in its latest Consumer Behavior Report, Economic Trends in Consumer Spending. Results are based on a survey of 3,156 online consumers conducted over the past two months. Survey data revealed that most consumers are cutting back as a result of the economy and that the economy has affected men and women differently.

Consumers are more focused on saving now compared with six months ago

Even with rumors that the recession could be bottoming out, consumers are cutting back even more than they were six months ago. PriceGrabber.com’s June 2009 survey revealed that 67 percent of consumers are making a concerted effort to spend less, compared with 57 percent of consumers who were cutting back in PriceGrabber.com’s January 2009 survey (conducted from Jan. 6-13; 1,545 respondents) — revealing a 10 percent increase. The June survey also found that of the consumers who have changed their spending habits in the last year, 90 percent said they still will use their saving strategies after the economy improves by continuing to live with a conservative mentality.

Women are cutting back more than men

While the recession has impacted consumer spending as a whole, women have made a greater effort to cut back than men. When respondents were asked to indicate how the state of the economy has affected their spending in specific categories, 74 percent of women indicated that they are spending less on eating out, compared with 66 percent of men; 72 percent of women are spending less on entertainment outside the home, compared with 64 percent of men; 55 percent of women are purchasing less online, compared with 42 percent of men; and 69 percent of women are buying less in stores, compared with 59 percent of men.

Men and women diverge on the definition of “necessities”

Men and women not only differ on where they are cutting back, but they also differ in their definitions of “necessities.” When consumers were asked which of the following items qualified as a “necessity” — defined as “an item that they cannot live without” — men were more likely than women to view technology items as necessities. For example, 88 percent of men and 79 percent of women indicated a personal computer or laptop as a necessity; 73 percent of men and 64 percent of women indicated a high-speed Internet connection as a necessity; and 20 percent of men and 10 percent of women indicated a flat screen television as a necessity.

Latest Research Provides More Reasons to Eat America’s Favorite Fruit

Strawberries are good for your brain, according to breaking news out of the 2009 Berry Health Symposium. Several of the latest studies, conducted by world-renowned researchers, consistently showed that strawberry consumption is a simple way to improve cognitive function.

For example, one study presented by researchers from the Chicago Healthy Aging Project (CHAP) showed that older adults who consume strawberries at least once per month have less cognitive decline. More specifically, women who consumed more than one serving of strawberries per month had a 16.2% slower rate of cognitive decline versus those who consumed less.

With increasing age, brain function diminishes. This has been conclusively shown in laboratory studies, by Drs. James Joseph and Barbara Shukitt-Hale of USDA Agricultural Research Service at Tufts University. Their latest research at the conference demonstrated that aging results in deficits in learning, memory and motor function, such as balance and walking speed – and concluded that strawberries and other berries improved both memory and motor function.

Berries Can Preserve Brain Function

Researchers from the 2009 Berry Health Symposium described how berries may be contributing to the preservation of brain function. Most disease processes in the body are believed to begin through inflammation and oxidation which damage cells. Healthy nerve cell membranes promote optimal communication within the brain and nervous system so preventing membrane damage from inflammation and oxidation is essential. Numerous antioxidant substances have been identified in berries.

Prevention of Dementia in an Aging Population

Dementia is the loss of cognitive function of sufficient severity to interfere with everyday tasks. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. It is estimated that one in eight persons, aged 65 and older have Alzheimer’s. There is no cure for the disease and treatments are ineffective.

According to recently released census estimates, the world’s 65-and-older population will triple by 2050 to make up 1 in 6 people. The number of senior citizens has already increased 23 percent since 2000 to 516 million, more than double the growth rate for the general population. As a result, the incidence of dementia is likely to rise.

The frequent consumption of berries is emerging as a potential simple dietary factor for prevention.

California strawberries are grown and available year-round in supermarkets across the country.

More information and the research abstracts from the 2009 Health Benefits Symposium can be found at www.berryhealth.org.

Quick Links:
– Visit the California Strawberry Commission to get unique recipes from top chefs.
– Become a fan of California strawberries at www.facebook.com/castrawberries.
– Twitter: Follow us http://www.twitter.com/CAstrawberries.

Source: California Strawberry Commission

Causes of Procrastination

Here are some suggestions from the book Organize Yourself by Ronnie Eisenberg with Kate Kelly

1. The hardest part is getting started. Once you actually begin, it will be easier to keep going. You usually find is not as bad as you expected, and once you’re involved, you’ve overcome the highest hurdle.

2. Have a realistic sense of time. Procrastinators often have an unrealistic sense of time. You may think the project will take forever and you’ll never get it done. Alternatively, you may think you have plenty of time to do a project when you really don’t. To get a better sense of time, keep track of how long your projects take i.e. how long does it take you to pay monthly bills?, how long did it take you this month to make sales calls etc.

3. Work with the time available to you - If your project is going to take 10 hours, you won’t ever have 10 hours of uninterrupted time. So break down the project into pieces. Make a list of each step in the process.

4. Remember that even five minutes is enough time to get something done. Two phone calls or more can be completed in that time.

5. If it seems like there really is no time, carve out a half hour or so from your existing schedule. For instance, if you want to exercise during the day consider climbing the stairs in your building for 10 minutes before work, 10 minutes before lunch and 10 minutes before you leave. 30 minutes of exercise done!

6. Consider your workspace - perhaps it’s simply not convenient or pleasant. If you have to run around to several places to collect the items you work on you may find yourself putting it off. If your workplace is not pleasant to be in you sure are not going to want to start working.

7. Clear your work area of everything else so you are not distracted.

8. You don’t always have to begin at the beginning. If that first step seems the hardest, start with another part of the project. For example, When writing papers I found introductions were always hard for me to write, so I would leave them until the end.

9. Some people like to do the worst first. If they accomplish what they dislike most, the rest of the project seems easier. My father always said “Do the worst thing first and the rest of the day will seem easy.” I have followed this practice all my life and it works!

10. Set small deadlines - For example if you want to organize your desk here is a sample schedule:

Clean out 2 drawers by April 20
Clean out 2 additional drawers by April 25
Clean out 2 more drawers by April 30
Purchase any needed desktop organizing items by May 8
Get new organizing items in place by May 15

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Now that summer is in full swing, stories about home pool or hot tub tragedies are making headlines across the county.

With millions enjoying their summers by swimming in backyard pools and relaxing in hot tubs, the need for home pool and hot tub safety is urgent.

The American Red Cross and National Swimming Pool Foundation want all home pool and hot tub owners to make safety their priority by following these safety guidelines:

1. Secure your pool with appropriate barriers. Completely surround your pool with a 4-feet high fence or barrier with a self-closing, self-latching gate. Install alarms on any doors leading to the pool that sound when opened unexpectedly. Place a safety cover on the pool or hot tub when not in use and remove any ladders or steps used for access. Consider installing a pool alarm that goes off if anyone enters the pool.

2. Keep children under active supervision at all times. Stay in arm’s reach of young children. Designate a responsible person to watch the water when people are in the pool – never allow anyone to swim alone. Have young or inexperienced swimmers wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket.

3. Ensure everyone in the home knows how to swim well by enrolling them in age-appropriate water orientation and learn-to-swim courses.

4. Keep your pool or hot tub water clean and clear. Use proper chemical levels, circulation and filtration. Regularly test and adjust the chemical levels to minimize the risk of earaches, rashes or more serious diseases.

5. Establish and enforce rules and safe behaviors, such as “no diving,” “stay away from drain covers,” “swim with a buddy” and “walk please.”

6. Ensure everyone in the home knows how to respond to aquatic emergencies by having appropriate safety equipment and taking water safety, first aid and CPR courses from the Red Cross.

7. Enroll in the two-hour Home Pool Essentials online course (www.HomePoolEssentials.org ) for only $19.95. This class describes steps you can take to help prevent tragedy and how to care for your pool and hot tub. It includes a 30-page resource guide and six months access to the site.

Learn about Red Cross and NSPF at www.redcross.org and www.nspf.org.

Mayo Clinic researchers have found that children exposed to anesthesia during Cesarean section are not at any higher risk for learning disabilities later in life than children not delivered by C-section. These findings are reported in the current issue of the journal Anesthesiology.

“We found that the incidence of learning disabilities was equal between children who were delivered vaginally and those who were delivered via C-section but with general anesthesia,” says Juraj Sprung, M.D., Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic anesthesiologist who led the study. “It’s reassuring that the anesthetics required for Cesarean delivery do not appear to cause long-term brain problems.”

The study was conducted with data from the Rochester Epidemiology Project. Researchers analyzed the medical records of 5,320 children born between 1976 and 1982 to mothers living in Olmsted County. They compared birth records with scholastic achievement and IQ tests administered to the children later in life as part of their schooling.

The study builds on a previous project, reported in March, which found that children exposed to a single dose of anesthesia during the first three years of life had no increased risk for learning disabilities, but those exposed multiple times had an almost doubled risk for later identification of learning disabilities.

Prolonged exposure to anesthetics has been shown to cause brain abnormalities in young animals, which was the impetus behind these two studies. Scientists think that the brains of young animals and humans are more vulnerable to a variety of problems because they are undergoing rapid growth. The brain is forming vital connections between cells during this time.

Not only did the researchers find that the use of anesthesia during delivery was not harmful to the baby, they found that babies delivered by Cesarean using an epidural anesthetic (which numbs only the lower region of the body and does not involve the mother going to sleep) had a substantially reduced risk for learning disabilities later in life. “The risk was reduced by about 40 percent compared to children delivered vaginally and those delivered via Cesarean section but with general anesthesia,” says Dr. Sprung.

Study co-author and Mayo Clinic anesthesiologist Randall Flick, M.D., cautions that because this study is preliminary, changes to medical practice should not be considered at this point. “What we’ve found is an association between two things,” says Dr. Flick. “One is the way a child was delivered, either vaginally or under regional or general anesthesia. The other is a difference in the incidence of learning disabilities as the child attended school. It’s important to recognize there may be many other factors that impact learning disabilities.”

The team is investigating whether use of an epidural on a mother during natural labor has similar effects on the incidence of learning disabilities in children as a C-section with an epidural.

Dr. Flick says the research team also is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on a related study that looks more closely at young children with specific medical conditions who have been exposed to anesthesia and compares them to children with similar medical conditions who were not exposed to anesthesia. The study is part of a national SAFEKIDS Initiative that the FDA is undertaking with several academic and clinical institutions to study the effects of anesthetics and sedatives on brain development in infants and young children.

Funding for this study was provided in part by the Mayo Clinic Center for Translational Science Activities (CTSA). The Mayo Clinic CTSA is part of a national consortium working to improve how biomedical research is conducted across the nation. The consortium, funded through Clinical and Translational Science Awards, shares a common vision to accelerate the time it takes for laboratory discoveries to become treatments for patients and to engage communities in clinical and translational science. It is also fulfilling the critical need to train the next generation of clinical researchers. The CTSA initiative is led by the National Center for Research Resources at the National Institutes of Health.

Additional co-authors include Robert Wilder, M.D., Ph.D.; Slavica Katusic, M.D.; Tasha Pike; Mariella Dingli, M.D.; Darrell Schroeder; William Barbaresi, M.D.; Andrew Hanson; and David Warner, M.D. Another co-author is Stephen Gleich, M.D., of the Primary Children’s Medical Center, Salt Lake City.

References:
– Mayo Clinic News Blog http://newsblog.mayoclinic.org/2009/07/23/mayo-researchers-find-anesthesia-not-harmful-for-babies-during-birth-process/
– Anesthesiology http://journals.lww.com/anesthesiology/pages/currenttoc.aspx
– Juraj Sprung, M.D., Ph.D., http://www.mayoclinic.org/bio/10429492.html
– Rochester Epidemiology Project = http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/rep/
– Randall Flick, M.D.,  http://www.mayoclinic.org/bio/12358614.html
– SAFEKIDS Initiative http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm149543.htm
– Clinical and Translational Science Awards http://www.ctsaweb.org/
– National Center for Research Resources  http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/
– National Institutes of Health  http://www.nih.gov/

Foods may look, smell and even taste fine — and still harbor bacteria that can cause food poisoning. The July issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource provides an overview of food storage safety and how to avoid bad bacteria, such as E. coli and salmonella.

Safe food storage matters. While diarrhea and vomiting caused by food poisoning usually resolve without treatment, about 325,000 people in the United States are hospitalized every year because of food poisoning. And, 5,000 people die.

Consider these food safety reminders:

Observe the “two-hour” rule. Foods requiring refrigeration, including poultry, meat, eggs, cooked seafood, produce, leftovers and takeout food, shouldn’t be at room temperature longer than two hours. When the air temperature is above 90 F, perishables should be refrigerated within one hour.
Store leftovers safely. Hot foods can go straight into the refrigerator or freezer. They shouldn’t be left out to cool on the counter. Hot foods can be rapidly cooled by dipping the bowl or container in ice or a cold-water bath. Leftovers from a large pot will cool more quickly when divided into smaller, shallower containers. In general, leftovers should be used or frozen within three to five days.
Don’t crowd. A refrigerator that is too full blocks air circulation, hampering the cooling process.
Know when to toss. An opened package of luncheon meat can be safely stored in the refrigerator three to five days. Unopened, it will keep for two weeks. Three to five days is a safe storage time for deli or homemade egg, chicken, ham, tuna or pasta salads. Cooked or uncooked fish should be tossed after one to two days. The same goes for fresh sausage and uncooked ground beef.
Set the temperature. A refrigerator temperature should be at or below 40 F. The freezer should be kept at 0 F.
If in doubt, throw it out. Any foods that look or smell suspicious should be tossed.

Source: Mayo Clinic

Most work at home moms start home based businesses because they want to be home with their little ones. Though I started working from home before my son was born, I know of many women who left their corporate jobs so that they can spend more time with their children.

For many who are starting out with a home office, we tend to put in lots of time and efforts in our home business. Yes, you are getting orders, and making some money, but the flip side is that you end up not spending enough time with your little ones. How do you then balance your time? Do you still put your children first? Or do you go for the “Wait a minute” line and hope they will accept your reasons.

It isn’t easy to balance, is it? I know of a good friend who runs a successful online maternity clothing business from home and yet her success is robbing her time away from her precious kids. As such, she needs to look into employing a couple of staff to run her marketing and customer service department so that she can still be an effective work at home mom. In other words, you may need to get help when your business is weighing you down with too much workload and responsibilities.

I once heard of a story of a work at home mom who actually came up with the idea of building her child an ‘office’ right next to her out of used boxes. With that in place, she was able to continue her work uninterrupted and her child loved watching and copying her. When she picked up the phone to talk to a customer, her child would pick up her imaginary phone. One day, the little girl is a orange nj dentist and another day, she’s an online retailer selling baby toys. In the play process, she had taught her child some simple business duties as well as learning to be creative.

Could YOU be using your home business to teach your kids some business basics while having fun? Sometimes we are the ones who need to learn creative parenting techniques while working from home. Just take some time and think how your situation can be used to plant some business lessons in your child.

Good vision can be directly correlated with a child’s learning ability. As much as 80% of the learning a child does occurs through his eyes and approximately 1 in 4 school-age children have some type of vision impairment.

Does your child have normal, healthy vision needed for classroom learning, or is there a problem that requires treatment by a pediatric ophthalmologist, optometrist or pediatrician?

“Generally, the earlier we diagnose vision issues, the better the outcome for the child,” said Dr. Mark Borchert, a pediatric ophthalmologist and the director of The Vision Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and associate professor of ophthalmology and neurology at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. “Professional eye examination tests not only measure distance of vision, but also how accurately the eyes focus and how well the eye muscles are working,” he said.

Below are four suggestions from The Vision Center for parents concerned about their child’s eyesight.

1. Don’t wait until your child enters kindergarten for his first complete eye exam. Pediatricians should perform a dilated eye exam to detect any serious eye problems within the first two months of life. Children are often more responsive to treatment when diagnosed early, so every child should have a comprehensive eye exam by age three. Some of the more serious eye diseases like amblyopia (lazy eye) or strabismus (crossed eyes) are correctable with eye patches or surgery if caught early. Once a child is seven or eight years old, the opportunity to correct the problem may have been lost, resulting in permanent vision problems.

2. Children that avoid books or reading may have a vision problem. Generally, preschoolers are eager to look at books and try and figure out words. Most children are reading by first grade. In general, most reading problems are not caused by vision problems. For instance, the child may have dyslexia, ADHD, or other learning differences and this may not be the result of poor vision. In these cases glasses, while helpful, will not fully solve the problem. However, if a child is having trouble learning to read, a comprehensive vision examination by a pediatric ophthalmologist or optometrist should be one of the tools used in making a diagnosis.

3. If your child is resistant to wearing glasses, point out those with familiar faces who also wear them. Defeating the stereotype that glasses are “dorky” is half the battle with school-aged children. Getting your child to wear glasses, without tearing them apart is the other. When children see relatives, cartoons or classmates wearing glasses, they are typically drawn to the attractiveness of someone they admire wearing them. If your child needs to wear glasses, you should allow the child to pick out the frames as it gives them a sense of ownership and pride.

4. Children age 10 and above can usually manage contact lenses. Children of all ages, even infants, can be fitted with contact lenses if their vision requires it. Under the age of 10, an adult will usually need to insert, remove and clean the lens. Many children over 10 can handle wearing and cleaning the contact lenses themselves.

The Vision Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles is an international referral center known for its family friendly environment of children afflicted with all forms of eye disease and provides a full range of inpatient and outpatient services. It is the largest pediatric ophthalmology program in the nation with multiple subspecialty programs that are considered to be among today’s finest resources for diagnosis, treatment and research.

Founded in 1901, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles has been treating the most seriously ill and injured children in Los Angeles for more than a century, and it is acknowledged throughout the United States and around the world for its leadership in pediatric and adolescent health. Childrens Hospital is one of America’s premier teaching hospitals, affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932. It is a national leader in pediatric research.

Since 1990, U.S. News & World Report and its panel of board-certified pediatricians have named Childrens Hospital Los Angeles one of the top pediatric facilities in the nation. Childrens Hospital Los Angeles is one of only 10 children’s hospitals in the nation – and the only children’s hospital on the West Coast – ranked in all 10 pediatric specialties in the U.S. News & World Report rankings and named to the magazine’s “Honor Roll” of children’s hospitals.

Source: The Vision Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles

A recent Ketchum survey of attendees of BlogHer ‘09, the largest gathering of female bloggers in North America, confirms that women bloggers are a growing channel of influence for marketing and public relations professionals to target as key influencers — but only if communications professionals do their homework first.

Conducted in June 2009 among bloggers registered to attend BlogHer, the largest gathering of women bloggers in North America, the survey revealed that approximately four in 10 have provided information or feedback collected on their blogs to marketers to help them better market to women or mothers. But an even larger percentage (53 percent) said they would consider doing so if asked, revealing an untapped opportunity for marketing and PR professionals to enhance and expand their base of influencers when marketing to women.

The survey also showed that nearly half of those surveyed say they hear from public relations professionals at least once a week, with another 30 percent being contacted daily. However, despite this frequency of communication, women bloggers indicate that PR and marketing professionals need to do their homework if they want to work more effectively with this audience.

When respondents were asked what they ask marketers to know before contacting them, several common themes emerged:

• Take the time to read their blogs and understand their areas of focus. Many women bloggers said they would like to hear about news and products that better match their specific interests.

• This applies to location, too. A number of respondents said they receive communications about products and events not available in their regions or even their countries.

• Know that they are “more than their blog” — they have other roles in addition to being a mom or a blogger, say respondents, including jobs outside the home.

• Similarly, don’t assume that all women bloggers are “mommy bloggers.”

“Our research at Ketchum shows that women want marketers to understand them, and the female blogger audience is saying the same thing, loud and clear,” said Kelley Skoloda, director of Ketchum’s Global Brand Marketing Practice and author of the new book Too Busy to Shop: Marketing to “Multi-Minding” Women. “Given that friends and family, offline and online, are the most credible sources of information when making a purchase decision and that many bloggers are now virtual friends with their readers and other bloggers, it behooves marketers to really listen to and respect the influence of female bloggers.”

Marketing Technology to Women

The survey also examined bloggers’ perceptions of how consumer technology products are marketed to women. According to BlogHer attendees, the most common mistake that companies make is to use patronizing language (33 percent), followed closely by employing stereotypes (28 percent). Other missteps included not being clear on product benefits (15 percent), using too much jargon (11 percent) and making products that appeal to men (7 percent).

“The survey shows that what women want in consumer technology marketing is less about gender than it is about respecting their intelligence and communicating benefits clearly. With women as the primary decision makers for many consumer technology purchases, it is worth the effort to create relevant, targeted messaging that avoids stereotyping,” said Chris Ditner, vice president of marketing and innovation for Ketchum’s Global Technology Practice.

Ketchum and BlogHer collaborated on the survey instrument, which was administered online by BlogHer in late June 2009 and was open to members of the BlogHer community who registered for the 2009 conference. The number of respondents totaled 177, representing 18 percent of the conference’s projected 1,000 women bloggers in attendance.

BlogHer

Founded in February 2005 by Elisa Camahort Page, Jory Des Jardins and Lisa Stone, BlogHer’s mission is to create opportunities for women who blog to pursue exposure, education, community and economic empowerment. BlogHer is the leading participatory news, entertainment and information network for women online and creates opportunities for its members via a community hub (http://blogher.com/), annual conferences and a publishing network of more than 2,500 qualified, contextually targeted blog affiliates. BlogHer provides the highest quality content on a range of topics, with all blogs continually edited to meet strict editorial standards, including content quality, category relevance and blog frequency. BlogHer enjoys a strategic partnership with iVillage, part of Women@NBCU, which includes other NBC Universal brands including Bravo and Oxygen. BlogHer’s investors include Venrock, Peacock Equity, a joint venture between NBC Universal and GE Commercial Finance’s Media, and Azure Capital Partners.

Source: Ketchum