women's health initiative gone for good?

• Stat reports another casualty of the Trump administration's funding cuts: the landmark Women's Health Initiative study (yes, the one that ended HRT treatment and then brought it back), is being shut down.
   
• On the same day, researchers at Penn State report that the *very same study* helped them find that hormone therapy could improve cardiovascular health in women.
   
• The New York Times has a deep dive on estrogen's effects on the brain--especially as it relates to Alzheimers.

Landmark Women’s Health Initiative Loses Federal Funding

What: Stat reports that the Women’s Health Initiative, a massive research project covering everything from menopause to nutrition, will lose federal funding in September.

Key Line: "The project may be best known for changing the way hormones are prescribed during menopause, when safety data led study leaders to immediately stop hormone therapy given to its trial volunteers. In the decades since, analysis has continued and led to an evolution in treatment."

Source: Stat

Estrogen and the Brain

What: The New York Times has a deep dive on estrogen and how it is not just about reproduction, but a "powerhouse" hormone that affects everything from bones to brain health. Recent research has shown estrogen plays a crucial role in brain development, potentially affecting neurological conditions like Alzheimer's.

Key Line: “'You name the organ, and it promotes the health of that organ,' said Roberta Brinton, a neuroscientist who leads the Center for Innovation in Brain Science at the University of Arizona."

Source: New York Times

Trump Administration Cuts CDC IVF Staff Despite Focus on Fertility

What: More coverage of the Trump administration cutting CDC's IVF funding -- all while Trump calls himself the "fertilization president."

Key Line: "'How does cutting this program support the administration's position?' the CDC employee said. 'If [Trump] really wants to expand IVF access, that was exactly what we're trying to do, and we can only help support this position. It's really frustrating and and strange.'"

Source: Axios

Clinics Struggle as Trump Admin Freezes Family Planning Funds

What: Politico reports that dozens of clinics providing contraception and reproductive healthcare to low-income patients across the United States are on the brink of closing, as the Trump administration drags its feet on doling out over $65 million in Title X family planning funds. The funding was withheld last month after the administration demanded records that the clinics had eradicated any diversity initiatives. 

Key Line: “'It’s been radio silence,' said Sarah Stoesz, the interim CEO of Utah’s Planned Parenthood chapter. 'For some inexplicable reason, they are taking a meat axe to the healthcare system in America.'”

Source: Politico

Can Hormone Therapy Benefit Menopausal Women's Heart Health?

What: An analysis of data from the (recently canceled!) Women's Health Initiative found that long-term use of estrogen-based hormone therapy may improve heart health in menopausal women by lowering levels of lipoprotein (a), a genetic risk factor for heart attack and stroke.

Key Line: "'The pendulum has been swinging back and forth as to whether hormone therapy is safe for menopausal women, especially from a cardiovascular disease perspective,' Nudy said. 'More recently, we’re recognizing that hormone therapy is safe in younger menopausal women within 10 years of menopause onset, who are generally healthy and who have no known cardiovascular disease.'”

Source: Penn State