Today,more than 200 health professionals attended the Institute for Women’s Health Research at Northwestern University’s first educational research forum of the 2010-2011 school year that featured Bonnie Spring, PhD, a behavioral psychologist at Northwestern. Her lecture entitled “Untangling the Web of…
For some unknown reason, we are suddenly receiving a lot of comments on our March 2010 posting on Endometriosis. Maybe it is because endometriosis is one of the most common gynecological diseases, affecting more that 5.5 million women in North…
The millions of middle-aged and older adults who suffer from insomnia have a new drug-free prescription for a more restful night’s sleep. Regular aerobic exercise improves the quality of sleep, mood and vitality, according to a small but significant new study…
An understanding why women experience more stress-related mental disorders like depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has eluded scientists but a new study in rat brains may help explain why women are more prone to mood and anxiety disorders than…
Our monthly women’s health e-newsletter is now available on the Institute for Women’s Health Research web site. Learn more about smoking, women and lung cancer. You can also check out our website every month to get the lastest e-newsletter for free.
Contrary to some commonly held beliefs, men, more than women will likely benefit more from expanded healthcare coverage. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research June 2010 Fact Sheet, men represent a majority of non-elderly US adults who lack health…
The National Institutes of Health Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a day-long symposium on Monday, Sept. 27, in Bethesda, Maryland. Discussed will be highlights of early accomplishments in women’s health research, as well…
Weight gain during menopause continues to be a challenge to women. About 30% of women aged 50-59 are not just overweight, but obese. This weight gain increases one’s risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. Just when we…
Women with the most serious type of angina are three times as likely as men with the same condition to develop severe coronary artery disease (CAD), researchers have found.
In the study, Canadian researchers analyzed the medical records of 23,771 patients referred…
Our recent blog on male menopause has generated a number of questions, especially on the side effects of hormone treatments. I went back to Dr. Robert Brannigan, a Northwestern University urologist, who was quoted in our previous blog on the topic…
A new study underscores the importance for women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer to get genetic counseling and testing for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes that make them more likely to develop lethal breast or ovarian cancer,…
In 2006, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 21.6% of the US adult population reported arthritis, with significantly higher prevalence in women than in men (24.4% vs. 18.1%). Arthritis prevalence increased with age and was higher among…
A study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the University of Oxford supports the widespread belief that stress may reduce a woman’s chance of becoming pregnant. The study is the first of its kind to document, among…
Results of a recent poll by ICM, a public opinion research firm from England, two thirds of the British public and nearly nine out of 10 (88%) of 18-24 year olds are unable to name a single famous female scientist, despite…
A recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) MedWatch Safety Alert warns women to make sure children and pets do not come into contact with Evamist that they have sprayed on their skin. Evamist is a transdermal spray containing estradiol, a form…
Study finds association between stress level in early cycle, severity of symptoms
Women who report feeling stressed early in their monthly cycle were more likely than those who were less stressed to report more pronounced symptoms before and during menstruation, according to…
No, you did not open the wrong page. Yes, this blog is posted by the Institute for Women’s Health Research at Northwestern. As an advocate for better sex and gender based research, we support all avenues that increase our knowledge about…
Benefits shown in middle-aged and elderly women
Middle-aged and elderly Swedish women who regularly ate a small amount of chocolate had lower risks of heart failure risks, in a study reported in Circulation: Heart Failure, a journal of the American Heart Association. …
The first study to compare the effectiveness of the birth control pill in women with marked weight differences has found that the pill works equally well in women with obesity and thinner women. This new finding by physician-scientists at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia…
All living organisms have a circadian clock, sometimes called a biological clock, that is an important part of maintaining optimal health. The circadian rhythm is a roughly 24-hour cycle in the biochemical, physiological, or behavioral processes of living things. Although circadian…
Postmenopausal women have an increased risk of hypertension (high blood pressure), and among older adults, more women than men have hypertension. As with many other health issues, hypertension research has been conducted predominately in males, and little is known about how…
The most recent statistics on the women who participate in our Illinois Women’s Health Registry, indicate that sleep is a significant issue in their lives. Among the most current women who are enrolled in our registry, 11% report difficulties getting to…
Women’s cholesterol levels vary with phase of menstrual cycle
NIH findings suggest a need to consider phase of cycle when measuring cholesterol
National Institutes of Health researchers have shown that women’s cholesterol levels correspond with monthly changes in estrogen levels. This natural variation,…
In July, a commentary in the journal Pediatrics discussed several new studies that have increased our knowledge of the association between tobacco smoke exposure and childhood morbidity and mortality. Collectively, these new reports demonstrate that in several categories of chronic childhood…
We all hear that fiber is good for you yet many American’s don’t get enough of it in their diets. Experts recommend that men get about 38 grams of fiber a day and women get about 25 grams. Unfortunately, the average…
The health of pregnant women can say a lot about a region. It can indicate the accessibility and affordability of health care, as well as how much recognition maternal health receives in the region. A healthy pregnancy results in healthier children…
A recent fact sheet from the Kaiser Family Foundations, points out that even though health care providers have known about Emergency Contraception (EC) for several decades, the public at-large is less aware of its availability. In June 2010, the federal Emergency…
Reps. Jan Schakowsky (IL), Ed Markey (MA) and Tammy Baldwin (WI) introduced legislation that would toughen safety standards for cosmetics and give the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to check personal care products for harmful ingredients. Current…
I just received a FDA email about the safety of color additives in food. What caught my eye was the subheading: “Without color additives, colas wouldn’t be brown, margarine wouldn’t be yellow and mint ice cream wouldn’t be green.” I wonder…
Recent publications in Nature and Women’s Health by Institute Director Teresa K. Woodruff and her post docs have seemed to hit a nerve among other science writers who are beginning to explore issue raised by Dr. Woodruff. A few days…
CHICAGO — Wrist fractures have an important personal and public health impact and may play a role in the development of disability in older people, according to a Northwestern University study published by the British Medical Journal. Beatrice Edwards, M.D., associate…
I recently received a copy of an article written in 2007 by Molly Carnes, MD and Judyann Bigby, MD. One of the obstacles to the advancement of women in academic medicine is discussed in terms of the Jennifers vs the Janets. …
CHICAGO — The more an older woman weighs, the worse her memory, according to new research from Northwestern Medicine. The effect is more pronounced in women who carry excess weight around their hips, known as pear shapes, than women who carry…
A recent post on the Oncofertility Consortium Blog discussed gender disparities in the senior levels of scientific research. Women receive 56% of science and engineering undergraduate degrees and are awarded more than 40% of graduate degrees in the sciences, often a…
Fish and shellfish are an important part of a healthy diet. They contain protein and other essential nutrients, are low in saturated fat, and contain omega-3 fatty acids. A well-balanced diet that includes a variety of seafood can contribute to heart…
L-R: Shaquita, Dr. Carla Pugh, Megan, and Nicole
The Oncofertility Summer Research Fellowship 2010 is now in full swing (check out this post for more details)! Our three Oncofertility Saturday Academy alumni undergraduate students, Nicole Miles, Shaquita Webster, and…
In March 2010, Congress passed and President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act–the new health care reform law. It will take several years for all provisions of the Act to be implemented but there are a variety of tools becoming available…
Several Northwestern researchers, including our own Institute director, Teresa K. Woodruff, PhD, have been making a strong case for more sex-based research that is making waves in several prestigious journals including Nature and Women’s Health. Readers interested in reading these articles…
Many people assume that brain differences between men and women result from sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone. This is not true. In fact, increasing numbers of studies find large reliable distinctions between the sexes. These effects are often seen early…
A survey of more than 1,200 primary care physicians indicates that many are not following clinical practice guidelines on recommended screening intervals for cervical cancer, both with regard to traditional Pap testing as well as a newer screening method, a DNA…
Women who measure their peak heart rates for exercise will need to do some new math, as will physicians giving stress tests to patients. A new formula based on a large study from Northwestern Medicine provides a more accurate estimate of…
The following press release was issued by the FDA. While the seriousness and pain of bone fractures is significant, the side effect profiles of this drug sound pretty serious. What is the risk/benefit ratio? Is the trade-off worth it?…
Dr. Teresa Woodruff and Megan Faurot, WHSP Directors, with high school graduate who will be entering college in the fall.
For the third consecutive year, 100% of the high school seniors who participated in the Women’s Health Science Program for High…
Ms. Magazine has a new blog post about the drug Flibanserin, which is touted as the female Viagra. The post brings up some interesting points about the psychosocial issues surrounding female sexuality and encourages the FDA to reject the drug. Rather…
The article below was recently released by the National Institutes of Health. It is important information but I post it with caution because it could make some people panic before the facts are in. It is somewhat alarming if you…
An article was released in the June 10, 2010 edition of the well-respected journal, Nature, that raises the question of doing research studies on pregnant women. Women get colds, the flu, infections and other diseases during their pregnancies that have nothing…
The New York Times has recently reignited a hypothesis made by Lawrence Summers, Director of the White House’s National Economic Council, about the ratio of males to females in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. Despite inroads, females make up…
According to the World Health Organization, alcohol is one of the most significant risk factors for diseases including chronic conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Compared with men, women become more cognitively impaired by alcohol and are more susceptible to…
Today, the scientific journal, Nature, released a Commentary by Institute Director Teresa Woodruff and two of her post doctorate students that we hope will open up the dialogue about the current status of women’s health research. For the reader’s convenience, the…
A recent publication from the National Osteoporosis Foundation reported that many women with postmenopausal osteoporosis underestimate their risk for fractures. This is particularly alarming when it is coupled with new information released from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that found…
Biological differences between the sexes could be a significant predictor of responses to vaccines, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. They examined published data from numerous adult and child vaccine trials and found that sex…
May 31st is World No Tobacco Day—an annual awareness day sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) since 1987 to draw worldwide attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes. The theme for this year’s World…
The results of a study were recently released that examined the best strategy to wean college-age women who are considered addicted or pathological tanners from tanning salons. “They’re not worried about skin cancer, but they are worried about getting wrinkled and…
You may have seen the cover article on our Spring Newsletter titled “Spotlight on Obesity: Is it just your weight?” This article focuses not only on the epidemic of obesity in the U.S. but also on the serious health conditions that…
dopamine molecule
Several recent press releases from the National Institutes of Health have focused on new findings from scientists at Yale who have demonstrated that when endometrial stem cells were injected into the brains of mice with a laboratory-induced form of Parkinson’s…
Last night, the Institute for Women’s Health Research held is first grassroots social event in Chicago. More than 120 women (and a few brave men) turned out to network with each other, learn about the state of women’s health research and…
Nicole Miles learning how to take blood pressure during a Oncofertility Saturday Academy module in 2008. Nicole is now a sophomore at Smith College with the goal of applying to medical school.
The Oncofertility Summer Research Fellowship 2010 selected three Oncofertility Saturday…
Northwestern’s Institute for Women’s Health Research is celebrating National Women’s Health Week with our Stand Up For Women’s Health Event tomorrow evening, May 12, at 6 PM. You can get more information here, but we are looking forward to a great…
Sharon Green, Executive Director of the Institute for Women's Health Research
In celebration of National Women’s Health Week, Sharon Green, Executive Director for the Institute for Women’s Health Research at Northwestern will be appearing on the Steve Cochran Show, WGN-AM radio 720…