Women's Health News

Apr 11, 2022 by Devin Lynn

Today, in a new paper published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus faculty Judy Regensteiner, PhD, and Jane Reusch, MD, discuss the need for sex-specific health information for obesity, hypertension and diabetes.

Oct 27, 2021 by Amy Huebschmann, MD Devin Lynn

At times, opportunities for the Ludeman Family Center for Women’s Health Research to have an impact on health occur rapidly, such as when when there are shifts in healthcare delivery policies and procedures. That was the case in December 2020, amid a COVID-19 pandemic surge, when UCHealth received a mandate to start using a new laboratory assay to measure the early signs of a heart attack in patients – the ‘troponin’ laboratory test. The relevance to the Ludeman Center is that this new laboratory assay for the troponin test is one of the first tests to recommend different normative values for men and women.

Oct 14, 2021 by Devin Lynn

On October 5, Jennifer Mieres, MD, senior vice president of Northwell Health’s Center for Equity of Care and expert in nuclear cardiology and cardiovascular disease in women, shared heart smart tips to improving health at the 2021 Annual Community Event.

Aug 3, 2021 by John Anderer

Both the World Health Organization and American Heart Association recommend that adults perform at least 150 minutes per week (two and half hours) of moderate aerobic exercise, such as a brisk walk or light bike ride, or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise such as running or hiking. Importantly, both organizations also offer a third option: a combination of both moderate and vigorous activity roughly equivalent to either of the first two options. So, about two hours of combined moderate and vigorous exercise should be enough to meet those suggestions as well.

Jul 29, 2021 by Devin Lynn

In 1994, the NIH created a policy in the Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research. This policy mandates that all NIH-funded research must address plans for the inclusion of women and minorities in the research grant application. The Ludeman Center is taking this further at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus to encourage faculty to actively participate in women’s health and sex differences research.

Jul 6, 2021 by Debra Melani

Research out of the University of Colorado School of Medicine could pave the way for preventive treatments for dementia-causing small vessel disease.

Jul 6, 2021 by Debra Melani

Research out of the University of Colorado School of Medicine could pave the way for preventive treatments for dementia-causing small vessel disease.

Jun 15, 2021 by Devin Lynn

Two community leaders recently joined the Ludeman Family Center for Women’s Health Research Advisory Board to continue their passion for women's health and sex differences research. Betty Arkell and Bill Ernstrom will be great additions to our outstanding board. We look forward to working with them.

Jun 15, 2021 by Devin Lynn

Middle age and older Americans spend an average of 9 hours every day sedentary. Adults with type 2 diabetes engage in sedentary behavior approximately three hours more per week. The SitWise study aims to better understand sedentary behavior as it relates to cardiovascular health for older women with type 2 diabetes.

Jun 7, 2021 by Anjali A. Sarkar, PhD

Research continues to show a correlation between stress and physical health. Using functional MRI tests and frozen serum from four decades ago, the research team of one of our scientific council advisors — Dr. Jill Goldstein — has made an important discovery on the influence of stress during pregnancy on the brain development of their babies. Babies whose mothers had biomarkers of higher stress during their pregnancy have disruptions in how their brains process stress that are still apparent in middle age. These disruptions are different in female offspring than in male offspring.

Jan 14, 2021

The analysis found that at least 38 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each day was associated with the lower risk, which is a little more than the current recommendations of at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

Mar 4, 2021

Cardiovascular and metabolic derangements observed among adolescents with type 1 diabetes and obesity parallel those of youths with type 2 diabetes, suggesting a critical need for lifestyle management, data show.

Mar 8, 2021 by Michael Merschel

Today, there is a growing understanding of the importance of researching women's health and sex differences, but that was not always the case. Take a look back at the evolution of science to study women's health - some missteps we've overcome along the way - and the need for a continued focus on women's health and sex differences.

Mar 8, 2021 by Devin Lynn

Understanding cardiovascular disease in women’s health is personal for Kate Brown, founder of Boulder Organic Foods and Ludeman Center Advisory Board member. Her father and grandfather both had cardiovascular disease, so Kate visited a doctor to better understand her risk factors.

Dec 8, 2020

“Exercise can’t entirely reverse the effects of declining estrogen on the body,” the University of Colorado’s Kohrt says. “But there are so many potential health benefits, regardless of what you do. Anything is better than nothing—and it’s never too late to start.”

Feb 18, 2021

An innovative study that examined hundreds of factors linked to heart failure found one dietary factor that may lower risk: drinking coffee.

Feb 8, 2021 by Devin Lynn

The Ludeman Family Center for Women’s Health Research connects scientists and community members from around the country and advocates for women’s health and sex differences research. One key element is the Ludeman Center’s Scientific Council. This group consists of pioneers in the field that help guide the scientific mission of the Ludeman Center. Nanette Wenger, MD, professor emerita of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, is a longtime member of the Scientific Council and a living legend in the field of cardiology and women’s health and sex differences research. We recently interviewed her about the role of innovation in women’s health and sex differences research.

Nov 5, 2020 by Devin Lynn

Community outreach is a central tenet of the CWHR. Research is a powerful tool for improving the lives of women and men around the world, but it is critical that they are given the necessary information. Partnerships like the one with AMG provide critical avenues for disseminating information to the community.

Aug 25, 2020 by Devin Lynn

The CWHR is empowering women to ask questions and advocate for their own health, by arming them with the knowledge and data about how various health issues impact women specifically. Sex differences research helps all people by determining the differences and the optimal treatments for women and their families.

Jul 9, 2020

Men and women are different — especially when considering risk factors for heart disease. Some conditions specific to women, such as endometriosis or premature menopause, are linked to an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Jun 16, 2020 by Simon Fraser University

A new study provides further evidence of the link between depressive symptoms and an increased risk of heart disease and early death.

Jun 1, 2020 by Nicholas Bakalar

New research shows that women who have had a prior miscarriage have a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future. While the exact reason for this connection is unknown, the authors proposed two possible explanations - 1) prediabetes at the time of the miscarriage may have led to that pregnancy loss as well as future type 2 diabetes; or 2) there is a genetic background linking risk for miscarriage and risk for type 2 diabetes.

Jun 19, 2020 by Mark Couch

Faculty at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus recently launched Researcher Management and Leadership Training on Coursera.org — a global learning platform partnering with leading universities and organizations to offer online education.

Apr 21, 2020 by C. Neill Epperson, MD

Dr. Neill Epperson, chair of the CU Department of Psychiatry and CWHR senior faculty, recently announced the availability of new resources from the CU Department of Psychiatry to address mental health issues during this time of uncertainty. These resources may help you cope with COVID-19 and prepare a resiliency plan for you and your family.

Apr 3, 2020 by Alisha Haridasani Gupta

The US is missing the boat on tracking sex differences in coronavirus infections. Researching sex differences and the immune system is important as we look for new treatments and a possible vaccine.

Mar 3, 2020 by Yoonkyung Chang Ji Sung Lee Ki-Jung Lee Ho Geol Woo Tae-Jin Song

You knew that a healthy diet, regular physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight can prevent many cases of diabetes - now it appears that tooth-brushing frequently may also be protective. The benefits appear greater in women than in men, and in younger than in older people.

Mar 1, 2020 by Harrison Wein, PhD

Strength training, also called resistance training or weight training, is particularly important. It brings many benefits. First, it makes your muscles stronger. That can help you keep up the activities you enjoy—at any stage of your life.

Jan 30, 2020 by Joshua Eferighe

Sex matters at the pharmacy. Women are nearly twice as likely to report an adverse reaction to their medications, with more serious side effects, compared to men.

Jan 23, 2020 by Endocrine Society

Center for Women's Health scientist Melanie Cree-Green and colleagues linked polycystic ovarian syndrome with altered patterns of gut bacteria - a step toward finding new mechanisms and treatment options.

Dec 18, 2019 by Nicola Slawson

There is five times more research into erectile dysfunction, which affects 19% of men, than into premenstrual syndrome, which affects 90% of women.

Dec 7, 2019 by Rachel Treisman

Research shows that bystanders are less likely to perform CPR on women than men, and experts say superficial anatomical differences may lead people to assume chest compressions must be performed differently on men and women, which is not true. The Womanikin campaign is part of a larger discussion among public health advocates working to solve this problem.

Dec 6, 2019 by David Robson

Researchers evaluate possible reasons for greater risk of concussions in women than men and kick-start a "pink concussions" awareness movement.

Nov 26, 2019 by Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D.

When you think about your mental health, how often do you consider that your physical health may be part of the picture? A new study suggests that a lack of physical activity has additional consequences for people with serious mental illness.

Nov 28, 2019 by Medical Plastics News

A new report reveals more women than men have been injured by a medical device, such as a metal hip implant. It urges the FDA to further investigate possible sex differences in adverse reactions to implantable medical devices to assure safety for women and men.

Dec 5, 2019 by Susan Fitzgerald

A large study shows women survive stroke more often than men but have worse disability as a consequence of the stroke, with possible contributors being the lower use of cardiovascular preventive medications in women.

Nov 18, 2019 by Eve Glicksman

Recent research suggests that implicit gender bias leads to incorrect diagnoses. Check out these experts' tips to head bias off at the pass.

Oct 14, 2019 by RICHARD HARRIS

Nearly half of all children who develop Type 1 diabetes don't know they have the disease until they end up in the hospital with a condition that puts them at risk of coma or even death.

Oct 28, 2019 by Marc Iskowitz

Facebook is taking a step toward leveraging its social media platform for public health. The social giant said it’s teaming up with four national medical groups to launch a preventive health tool offering tailored advice, the ability to set check-up reminders and other actionable information.

Sep 24, 2019 by Serena Gordon

One of the biggest risk factors for Type 2 diabetes is excess weight. But you don't have to be overweight to have the disease -- and new research revealed that some racial and ethnic minority groups are more likely to have diabetes at lower weights.

Sep 27, 2019 by Vishwadha Chander

People in certain occupations have a three-times-higher risk of type 2 diabetes compared to those in other jobs, probably because of lifestyle factors, a nationwide study in Sweden suggests.

Sep 25, 2019 by Lisa Rapaport

Women who have frequent hot flashes early in menopause or over a long period of time may be more likely to have a heart attack or stroke than women who don’t suffer from regular hot flashes, a new study suggests.

Jun 3, 2019 by Ludeman Center

A new national study led by Dr. Sarah M. Perman, Ludeman Center researcher in the Department of Emergency Medicine at CU Anschutz School Medicine is the first to explore public perceptions of why community bystanders may not administer Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) to an unresponsive women in cardiac arrest.

Aug 9, 2019 by Ludeman Center

On Tuesday, June 4, the School of Medicine’s Ludeman Family Center for Women's Health Research and UCHealth jointly hosted 50 girls from high schools across the Front Range for the fifth annual Girls’ Career Day. The program featured a full day of interactive activities, lectures, and discovery across the Anschutz Medical Campus. Each year, the Ludeman Center and UCHealth tailor a unique agenda to ensure that the girls gain exposure to an array of careers in healthcare.

Jul 31, 2019 by Gretchen Reynolds

People who exercise in the morning seem to lose more weight than people completing the same workouts later in the day, according to a new study of workouts and waistlines. The findings help shed light on the vexing issue of why some people shed considerable weight with exercise and others almost none, and the study adds to the growing body of science suggesting that the timing of various activities, including exercise, could affect how those activities affect us.

Jun 11, 2019 by James Ives

For women, gender bias can result in poorer diagnosis and treatment. As María Teresa Ruiz Cantero, Prof. in Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the University of Alicante states, "We can no longer pursue the 'one size fits all' model based on men," as this negatively impacts the quality of health care, medical education and research.

May 30, 2019 by JoAnna Klein, New York Times

"The first time I had a heart attack, no one took me seriously. The emergency room doctors assumed I was having a panic attack...

Apr 9, 2019 by Viral Shah, MD

“Our results suggest significant impairment in the bone structural quality among patients who were diagnosed with [type 1 diabetes] before the age of 20 years,” the researchers wrote. “Young-onset [type 1 diabetes] is characterized by lower trabecular [volumetric] BMD at the distal radius and cortical bone size deficit at the radial and tibial shaft. This may be due to reduced periosteal apposition and increased endosteal resorption, resulting in a cortical deficit among patients with [type 1 diabetes].” The researchers noted several study limitations, including the inclusion of only postmenopausal women, the small sample size and the limited resolution of peripheral quantitative CT, which did not allow for the evaluation of trabecular structure or cortical porosity.

Aug 7, 2017 by Gina Kolata

For middle-aged women struggling with their weight, a recent spate of scientific findings sounds too good to be true. And they may be, researchers caution. Studies in mice indicate that a single hormone whose levels rise at menopause could be...

Sep 26, 2017 by Lisa Rapaport

(Reuters Health) - Children who don’t get enough sleep may be more likely to become overweight or obese than kids who typically get enough rest, a Danish study suggests. The researchers focused on 368 normal weight children between...

Jan 22, 2018 by David Kelly

As obesity continues to rise in the U.S., non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a major public health issue, increasingly leading to cancer and liver transplants. But new research from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus...