reproductive health
A new women's health buzzword has entered the villa
Molly Ferguson for STAT
It's perimenopause — the period before the official onset of menopause that can last for years, characterized by fluctuating hormones. Menopause has been flooded with attention in recent years. (Everyone always thinks no one is talking about menopause, but these days everyone always is.) Now, hoping to expand on that $18 billion market, health entrepreneurs are coming for perimenopause with communities, supplements, meal plans, wearables, prescription medications, and more.
STAT's Sarah Todd spoke with women's health experts who say they're glad the topic is getting more attention, but they're also skeptical that all the new products can fix issues like sleep difficulties, hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats, brain fog, anxiety, hair loss, skin problems, weight gain, and low libido — many of which could be caused by perimenopause or by something else entirely. Read more from Sarah on the boom in perimenopause products, and the medical gap they're filling.
anniversaries
25 years of mifepristone
Mifepristone, commonly known as the "abortion pill," was approved by the FDA 25 years ago yesterday. At the time, "none of us working on expanding access to reproductive health care could have imagined the future we find ourselves in," writes Elisa Wells, a co-founder of the information resource Plan C Pills, which helps people in every state access abortion medication. In a new First Opinion essay, Wells celebrates the drug as "a hero in modern abortion access."
Read the anniversary essay, which comes just days after federal health officials initiated a new review to reassess the safety of the drug. But existing research demonstrates that the pill is safe and effective, even when delivered to someone's home.
first opinion
Introducing a new column on dementia
An estimated 7.2 million Americans are living with dementia, and that number could rise to as many as 13.8 million by 2060. In order to combat this growing problem, the way we talk about dementia needs to change completely. That's the argument made by physician and writer Jason Karlawish in his new column, called Neurotransmissions.
We have to start talking more about the common diseases that cause dementia, Karlawish argues, including Alzheimer's, Lewy body, and newly discovered diseases like the oddly named LATE (limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy). While LATE is little known even among physicians, it is perhaps one of the most common causes of dementia in people over 75. Read more and keep an eye out for future essays on the dramatically changing world of dementia.
No comments