Journal of women's health
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Journal of women's health · Jun 2020
Sex as a Biological Variable: A 5-Year Progress Report and Call to Action.
A little over 5 years ago, the U. S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced the intention to develop policies to require applicants to report plans to balance male and female cells and animals in preclinical investigations. ⋯ We call on NIH's various stakeholders to redouble their efforts to integrate SABV throughout the biomedical research enterprise. Sex- and gender-aware investigations are critical to the conduct of rigorous and transparent science and the advancement of personalized medicine. This kind of research achieves its greatest potential when sex and gender considerations are integrated into the biomedical research enterprise in an end-to-end manner, from basic and preclinical investigations, through translational and clinical research, to improved health care delivery.
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Journal of women's health · Jun 2020
Electronic Cigarette Use During Preconception and/or Pregnancy: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Concurrent Mental Health Conditions.
Background: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are increasing in popularity in the United States. Prior prevalence estimates of e-cigarette use in pregnancy range from 1% to 15%. Materials and Methods: We assessed prevalence of e-cigarette and conventional cigarette use during preconception or pregnancy in a large sample of racially/ethnically diverse, low-income pregnant women via telephone survey (2015-2018) and compared sociodemographic characteristics and mental health conditions. ⋯ Women who used e-cigarettes and women who used conventional cigarettes were more likely than women who used no tobacco/NRT to report a history of severe mental health conditions, alcohol use during pregnancy, and marijuana or other drug use during preconception. Conclusions: In this sample, 4% of women used e-cigarettes during preconception and/or pregnancy and most also used conventional cigarettes. Increased efforts by providers to screen for tobacco (including use of e-cigarette) and polysubstance use and to provide cessation services could improve outcomes of mothers and children.
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Journal of women's health · Jun 2020
Economic and Humanistic Burden of Cervical Cancer in the United States: Results from a Nationally Representative Survey.
Objective: To measure the economic and humanistic burden of cervical cancer in the United States. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data (2006-2015). Cervical cancer cases were identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code "180" or clinical classification software code "26". The control group included women without any cancer diagnosis. ⋯ Multivariate analyses suggested that compared to controls, cancer cases had significantly higher costs: institutional outpatient ($1,610 vs. $502), physician visit ($2,422 vs. $1,321), and total health care ($10,031 vs. $4,913). Cases were 1.99 (odds ratio [OR]: 1.991; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.23-3.22) and 2.56 (OR: 2.562; 95% CI: 1.78-3.68) times as likely to report activity limitations and poor general health versus controls. Cervical cancer patients had significantly lower SF-12 physical and MCS score, health utility, and higher depression severity. Conclusions: Cervical cancer is associated with significant economic burden, activity limitations, and quality of life impairment among ambulatory women in the United States.
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Journal of women's health · Jun 2020
Microvascular Disease and Small-Vessel Disease: The Nexus of Multiple Diseases of Women.
Microvascular disease, or small-vessel disease, is a multisystem disorder with a common pathophysiological basis that differentially affects various organs in some patients. The prevalence of small-vessel disease in the heart has been found to be higher in women compared with men. Additionally, other diseases prominently affecting women, including heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, cerebral small-vessel disease, preeclampsia, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), endothelial dysfunction in diabetes, diabetic cardiomyopathy, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and systemic sclerosis, may have a common etiologic linkage related to microvascular disease. ⋯ Therapies that improve endothelial function, such as those used in PAH, may also be associated with benefits across the full spectrum of microvascular dysfunction. A shared pathology across multiple organ systems highlights the need for a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach among medical subspecialty practitioners who care for women with small-vessel disease. Such an approach may lead to accelerated research in diseases that affect women and their quality of life.