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EVERYTHING
The Female Exercise Gap Matters
What: Only 33% of women get the recommended amount of aerobic exercise per week, compared to 43% of men. The reasons seem obvious (women shoulder more caretaking of others than men), but this piece highlights the health effects of that gap.
Key line: “Over time, this exercise shortfall can have serious implications on women’s health and quality of life. While women live an average of six years longer than men, they spend a greater percentage of their lives in poor health, suffering from conditions like heart disease, diabetes or depression. And yet a 2024 paper suggests that, compared to men, they may benefit more from the same dose of exercise. ‘Doing something was better than nothing for both,’ said Dr. Martha Gulati, the study’s co-author and the associate director of the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai Hospital. But, for reasons not fully understood, ‘women get more bang for their buck.’”
Source: New York Times
PREGNANCY + POSTPARTUM
Antibiotics to Prevent C-Sections
What: A clinical trial at the University of Oklahoma will look at whether getting antibiotics at a labor induction could reduce the risk of C-section for obese women. The theory is that antibiotics can reduce chronic inflammation that can come with obesity.
Key line: “Pierce was awarded the grant after the success of her pilot study demonstrating that antibiotics given at the start of labor induction to first-time pregnant women with obesity resulted in a 27% lower C-section delivery rate. That study was published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology MFM (Maternal-Fetal Medicine).”
Source: University of Oklahoma
BIRTH CONTROL
Emergency Contraception Requests Soar After Trump Election
What: Further evidence of women reacting to Donald Trump’s election, this time with emergency contraception like Plan B.
Key line: “Wisp, which serves over 1.2 million patients nationwide, reported a 1,000% increase in emergency contraception purchases from November 5 to November 6. Wisp CEO Monica Cepak told Business Insider that women are ‘taking action as they navigate the uncertainty of these next few years.’”
Source: Business Insider
ONCOLOGY
Adding Dye to Mammograms Could Help Identify Cancer in Dense Breasts
What: NBC news has a video looking at an experimental study that used dye to highlight tumors in dense breast tissue. One trial found 14 cancer cases in 460 exams, which researchers say could’ve been missed by traditional mammograms.
Key line: Looking for tumors in dense breast tissue can be “comparable to trying to find a snowman in a snowstorm.”
Source: NBC News
BEAUTY + WELLNESS
Does Botox Actually Prevent Wrinkles?
What: A plastic surgery professor confirms that yes, getting Botox younger can actually slow the appearance of wrinkles, but it comes with a big caveat. (Read below.)
Key line: “…it’s not a panacea, Mosahebi says. Thinning of the skin will still lead to lines developing, just to a lesser extent, and if you stop the injections you’ll age as normal. Plus, the longer you use botulinum for, the more you have to use to get the same effect.”
Source: The Guardian
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