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EVERYTHING
Women's Health Data, State by State
What: KFF has a comprehensive database of women's health data and policies in every state in the US, including abortion access, maternal and infant health stats, access to healthcare, and more.
Key Line: "Restrictions on Private Insurance and Medicaid Coverage of Abortion, as of February 7, 2025, United States:
-- Medicaid Restricts Abortion Coverage? Yes – 19 states, including DC
-- Private Insurance Plans Restrict Abortion Coverage? Yes – 5 states
-- Health Insurance Marketplaces Restrict Abortion Coverage? Yes – 14 states
-- Public Employee Insurance Plans Restrict Abortion Coverage? Yes – 15 states, including DC"
Source: KFF
Study: Endometriosis Alters Body's Response to Stress
What: Women with endometriosis are linked with having a higher risk of cardiovascular issues, like diabetes or artery disease. So, when researchers at Penn State had just over 20 women with and without endometriosis participate in a stress and exercise test, they expected those with endometriosis would have higher blood pressure. Instead, they found the opposite--and they say that challenges previous assumptions about the disease.
Key Line: “'Compared to the crippling pain that endometriosis can cause, the lightheadedness associated with a decreased blood-pressure response is trivial,' said Williams, who conducted this research as part of her doctoral studies at Penn State. 'What matters here is the evidence that the autonomic nervous system functions differently in women with endometriosis. Most of the women with endometriosis in our study had undergone surgery to remove lesions. While the gynecological issues had been addressed, the changes to their nervous systems were still present, so they demonstrated lower blood pressure increases than women without endometriosis.'”
Source: Penn State
PREGNANCY + POSTPARTUM
Chinese Company *Plans* Pregnancy Humanoid Robot with Artificial Womb
What: It may just be an outlandish claim on a company press release, but it's getting some (tabloid-y) news coverage. A Chinese company says they are creating the world’s first "pregnancy robot"...which will have an artificial womb for the gestation period.
Key Line: "According to Qifeng, it is not merely an incubator but a life-sized humanoid equipped with an artificial womb in its abdomen, capable of replicating the entire process from conception to delivery. The core innovation lies in artificial womb technology, where a fetus develops in artificial amniotic fluid and receives nutrients through a hose, mimicking natural gestation. Dr. Zhang claimed the technology is already mature in laboratory settings and now needs integration into a humanoid form to enable real human–robot interaction during pregnancy, according to Oddity Central. Qifeng anticipates that a prototype of his pregnancy robot will be ready within a year, priced at under $13,900."
Source: Interesting Engineering
ONCOLOGY
Marathon Runners and Colon Cancer Risk
What: Colon cancer has been on the rise among women (and men) under age 50. After an oncologist in Virginia treated three patients under 40 who had no known risk factors and happened to be frequent marathon runners, he decided to see if it was a coincidence. His study of 100 marathon and ultramarathon runners aged 35 to 50 found that almost half had polyps, with 15% having polyps at high risk of becoming cancerous. The typical rate for precancerous polyps for people in their late 40s is around 5%.
Key Line: "Several doctors interviewed for this story went out of their way to emphasize that most of the young colon cancer patients they see are not marathon runners. But experts said Dr. Cannon’s work was provocative and called for more research. 'It tells us there’s a signal here,' said Dr. David Lieberman, professor emeritus at Oregon Health and Science University. 'We wouldn’t have expected these rates of high-risk adenomas, which are cancer precursor lesions, in an age group like this.'"
Source: New York Times
New Study Reveals How Fat Cells Can Fuel Cancer Tumors
What: NBC reports on a study that found some breast cancer cells can tap into nearby fat cells for nutrients, suggesting a new way to potentially treat aggressive triple-negative breast cancer. The breast tumor cells appeared to use a "straw-like structure" to get lipids out of nearby fat cells for energy.
Key Line: "If researchers can find a way to block tumors from tunneling into neighboring fat cells without harming patients, they might have a way to cure the often deadly cancers, said the study’s lead author, Jeremy Williams, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, San Francisco. 'Aggressive cancer cells can co-opt different nutrient sources to help them grow, including by stimulating fat cells in the breast to release their lipids,' Williams said. 'In the future, new treatments might starve the tumor cells by preventing their access to lipids from neighboring cells.'”
Source: NBC News
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