Overlooked: Older Women Are Ignored in Medical Research

Medical research has long overlooked women, especially older women, leaving healthcare providers without crucial data to manage their health effectively. The Biden administration responded by launching the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research to address these disparities.

Stephanie Faubion, from the Mayo Clinic’s Center for Women’s Health, criticizes the inadequate state of research. She stresses the need for the FDA to mandate reporting of clinical trial data by sex and age to determine drug efficacy in women, who often receive less aggressive treatment for heart disease compared to men.

Martha Gulati, director at Cedars-Sinai’s Women’s Heart Center, highlights disparities in treating women for heart conditions, emphasizing the importance of tailored cardiovascular treatments.

Regarding brain health and cognitive decline, women constitute two-thirds of Alzheimer’s patients, yet recent findings suggest gender differences in medication efficacy, prompting concerns about treatments’ suitability for women.

Older women face a higher risk of multiple health conditions, including disabilities, autoimmune diseases, depression, anxiety, and osteoarthritis, underscoring the need for targeted interventions.

Helen Lavretsky, from UCLA, advocates for research into non-pharmaceutical interventions to enhance mental health and resilience in older women, addressing issues like anxiety and depression exacerbated by hormonal changes and societal biases.

Improving cancer screening and treatment for older women is another critical area. Supriya Gupta Mohile, from the University of Rochester, calls for personalized breast cancer screening guidelines and safer lung cancer treatments tailored to older women’s health status.

Maintaining bone health and preventing frailty are also vital. Experts like Jane Cauley from the University of Pittsburgh emphasize the need for better osteoporosis treatments, especially for minority women, while Stanford’s Marcia Stefanick stresses strategies to promote physical activity and independence among older women.

In conclusion, addressing these multifaceted health challenges for older women requires comprehensive research efforts and tailored healthcare strategies to improve outcomes and quality of life.

Re-reported from the article originally published in She the People.