Report: NIH, federal agencies should promote research on women’s health

But the report’s authors wrote that insufficient research on women’s health “hinders a comprehensive understanding of the impact of these and other chronic diseases on women.” The study said more research is needed, particularly for Black women, who are more likely to die from chronic disease than white women.

The 500-page report calls for focused efforts led by the NIH to enhance diagnostic tools for women-specific conditions like endometriosis and to distinguish between overlapping symptoms of various chronic conditions.

Farida Sohrabji, one of the authors of the report, said she hoped the paper would guide immediate research priorities.

“One of the biggest frustrations is how often we [saw] “There are many examples where women have not been included in research, where women’s experiences and symptoms have been underreported or not given enough attention,” said Sohrabji, director of the Women’s Health in Neuroscience Program at Texas A&M University. “One thing that comes up often is that [women] They know that sometimes their health is not given the proper attention, and their experience of pain is underestimated.”

Emphasizing the importance of addressing racial, ethnic and socio-economic disparities, Sohrabji said the experiences of white women and women of color are vastly different but do not receive enough attention in research.

The report highlights the influence of biological and social factors in the diagnosis and management of chronic diseases, drawing attention to research gaps related to women-specific and gynaecological conditions and the impact of social determinants of health on chronic diseases.

Experts highlighted the need for better diagnostic tools adapted to chronic diseases in women, given the distinct differences in symptom presentation for women and men, such as heart disease and diabetes. Women’s diseases may manifest uniquely, leading to misdiagnosis when using tools designed primarily for male patients, experts say.

A 2019 Research paper published in JAMA The paper found that the NIH gives first-time male grantees more research money than their female peers. The letter argued that federal research funding is tied to the quality of science and career advancement.

“If there was something that affected a large percentage of men [some of the diseases that affect] In women, we’ll know exactly what causes it, and then we’ll have more treatments and diagnostics,” he said. Karen TangA gynecologist and author who was not involved in the report.