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Congresswoman Schakowsky cites WHRI in testimony

On July 12, Janet Woodcock, MD, Director, Center for Drug Evaluation & Research at the FDA appeared before the Subcommittee on Health of the Congressional Energy and Commerce Committee.  Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (pictured) questioned the Director about the inclusion of equal number of women in drug studies that are often male biased.   The  Women’s Health Research Institute at Northwestern provided background information for the Congresswoman on the topic which she acknowledged.

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National Action Plan on Infertility Released

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the final version of its National Public Health Action Plan for the Detection, Prevention and Management of Infertility.  The National Action Plan developed over the course of seven years and began with an ad hoc working group that included members of the Oncofertility Consortium that started at Northwestern.    A draft National Action Plan was released in May 2012.

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Microchip contraceptive with on/off switch?

Women may soon bid farewell to birth control pills and welcome a new type of contraception in the form of microchip implants. An MIT startup backed by the Bill Gates Foundation plans to start pre-clinical testing for the birth control chip next year and pave the way for a possible market debut in 2018.
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Inclusion of women in medical device studies critical!

Most people know that human clinical trials are critical to prove safety and efficacy in new medications.   This is also true for medical devices yet a recent study indicated that only 14% of device studies included sex as a key outcome measure, and only 4% included a subgroup analysis for female participants.    The differences in anatomy and physiology, as well as other factors in men and women,  can lead to devices working less effectively and safely.

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Having babies later may extend life

Women who had their last child at age 33 years or older were more likely to reach extremes of longevity, according to an analysis published online June 23 in Menopause.
Women who had their last child when they were aged 33 to 37 years were twice as likely to reach the extreme fifth percentile of longevity compared with women who had their last child before that age.

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Adopting healthy habits in your 30s can decrease heart disease risk.

The heart is more forgiving than you may think — especially to adults who try to take charge of their health, a new Northwestern Medicine® study has found.

When adults in their 30s and 40s decide to drop unhealthy habits that are harmful to their heart and embrace healthy lifestyle changes, they can control and potentially even reverse the natural progression of coronary artery disease, scientists found.

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The Right to Contraception Coverage

Yesterday, in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that “requiring family-owned corporations to pay for insurance coverage for contraception under the Affordable Care Act violated a federal law protecting religious freedom.” Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. conceded that the government does have a “compelling interest in making sure women have access to contraception,” but that there are ways of providing that access without “violating the companies’ religious rights.”

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Certain acne products can cause serious allergic reactions

The use of certain acne products containing the active ingredients benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid can cause rare but serious and potentially life-threatening allergic reactions or severe irritation according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The acne products the FDA is warning about are sold over-the-counter (OTC) and applied to the skin (topical). Their serious allergic reactions differ from the less harmful irritations already included in the product Drug Facts labels, which include burning, dryness, itching, peeling, redness, and slight swelling where the product is applied.

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Addressing Problems at the VA

Disturbing reports about mismanagement at the Veteran’s Affairs (VA) medical centers had led to Congressional action.  One of our Leadership Council members at the Women’s Health Research Institute, Melina R.

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Sex Differences in Gout

Research presented at the European Congress of Rheumatology indicated that “women have different predisposing risk factors for gout than do men, who more often fit the stereotypical profile of patients with gout who consume foods that increase the risk of the disease.” The research, “based on data collected from participants in the Consortium of Rheumatology Researchers of North America (CORRONA) gout registry,” indicated that “women with gout were more likely to have taken predisposing medications and to have more gout-associated comorbidities, whereas men were more likely to consume foods linked to the disorder, such as alco

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