Hear are the top things to know in women’s health and wellness so far this week:
The FDA lifted the black box warning on hormone replacement therapy for women approaching menopause, a move the FDA commissioner says could be the greatest improvement for older women’s health beyond vaccines and antibiotics.
Meanwhile, 60 Minutes highlighted how the Trump administration abruptly cut long-running breast cancer research at Harvard — a reminder that progress in women’s health now happens alongside Trump’s arbitrary whims.
Actress Jennifer Lawrence said she used Zurzuvae to treat her postpartum depression, and it worked well for her. Even more — she’s not a paid rep for the manufacturer.
JUMP TO…
EVERYTHING
What: This article is a deep dive into young women diagnosed with A.L.S. who met on Cape Cod to find connection and humor in a brutal, degenerative disease. It also explores how ALS is associated with older men, prolonging diagnoses and treatment for young women.
Key Line: “By the time Ms. Northrop went to the doctor, she was losing her ability to speak. The doctor told her that she was fine, and that she was suffering from depression. She was puzzled. “About what?” she said. Ms. Kessler was pregnant when she first felt weakness in her right hand, but her obstetrician was dismissive. She was diagnosed shortly after she gave birth, at 29, when she started having trouble buttoning up her baby’s onesies.”
My Take: The article says there’s no data showing the disease is growing more common among young women but is another example of disease that can get overlooked in women.
Source: The New York Times
PREGNANCY + POSTPARTUM
What: Actress Jennifer Lawrence said Zurzuvae, a new 2-week antidepressant for postpartum recovery, helped her manage severe postpartum depression after the birth of her second child. The drug is unusual in how quickly it works, clinical trials showed it could ease symptoms within three days. It’s the first oral medication made specifically for postpartum depression.
Key Line: “But a fast-acting treatment pill can help new moms turn things around in just a couple of weeks — and it’s so new, many women don’t know it exists. Lawrence, 35, may be changing that: The mother of two spoke about the 14-day treatment that ‘really helped’ when it ‘felt like a tiger was chasing [her] every day.’”
My Take: Lawrence said she is not a paid rep of Sage Pharmaceuticals, which makes this commentary all the more meaningful.
Source: New York Post
MENOPAUSE
What: Big news on the menopause front: the FDA announced it is removing black box warning on estrogen and progesterone therapies for menopause after reviewing newer evidence showing the old cancer and heart risk data were based on outdated science. The change affects pills, patches, gels, and creams now used to ease hot flashes, mood swings, and vaginal dryness, though labels will still advise starting before age 60 or within 10 years of menopause.
Key Line: “In the JAMA editorial, Makary and three other FDA officials wrote that the warnings — which appear on medication packaging — will be removed from products that contain estrogen or progestogen only, as well as the two combined. ‘With the exception of antibiotics and vaccines, there may be no medication in the modern world that can improve the health outcomes of older women on a population level more than hormone therapy,’ they wrote.”
My Take: The black box warning change seems like it will help patients already seeing doctors trained to treat menopause…but will this change things with (most) other doctors? I lean towards no but let me know if you think I’m wrong!
Source: NBC News
What: The Society of Women’s Health Research supported the removal of the black box warning, especially on local estrogen treatments for vaginal dryness and related menopause symptoms are proven safe. But they cautioned against removing all warnings without evidence-based review and called on the FDA to clearly communicate to patients and clinicians.
Key Line: “Labeling practices should reflect evidence-based risks and benefits and align with the latest guidelines from medical professional societies in women’s health, allowing women and their health care providers to make fully informed shared decisions. While the use of vaginal estrogen for the treatment of GSM has a wealth of evidence in favor of its use and the backing of leading medical experts and professional societies, there are important considerations when it comes to the use of systemic hormone therapy.”
My Take: This is the devil in the details.
Source: SWHR
ONCOLOGY
What: 60 Minutes dives into the Trump administration withholding over $2 billion in federal research grants from Harvard after the university refused to change campus policies tied to free speech. It halted hundreds of science projects, including research from Joan Brugge, the director of the Ludwig Cancer Center at Harvard Medical School. For 50 years, Brugge won competitive federal grants to detect and treat breast cancer. Then her million-dollar annual funding was cancelled last spring, for research on identifying the earliest signs of breast cancer.
Key Line: “Joan Brugge: So our progress has been significantly affected. Now, I'm spending most of my time ringing doorbells to find alternate funding so that we can keep the lab going. …There's now this existential threat that this could happen again. …It will eventually draw people away from the United States to carry out research, where that kind of threat and that kind of insecurity doesn't exist.”
My Take: This is just one study of hundreds focused on women’s health that remain in funding limbo, as courts find the cancellations illegal, and the Trump administration continues to appeal.
Source: CBS News