Lack of Menopause Care Behind Bars

Bad news!

"As more incarcerated women enter menopause, advocates say prisons are failing to provide adequate care.

Women ages 50+ now make up 18% of U.S. prison populations, up from 8% in 2008.

Yet only five states explicitly mention menopause in prison policies ..."

Global Health NOW: Fighting Fuels Yemen’s Health Crisis; and Bolstering Menopause Care Behind Bars

Fitness tracker early on indicate pregnancy and miscarriage in women before conventional pregnancy tests

Good news!

"... For many women, the first sign that they might be pregnant is a period that doesn't arrive when expected. This is around the same time it's possible to take a pregnancy test. With the exception of some tests that claim to be able to detect a pregnancy early, most aren't able to spot the change in hormones until the first day of a missed period.

But Ravika is one of hundreds of women who are reporting online that they are seeing the signs earlier than this, through the data on their fitness trackers.

Fitness trackers - including smart rings, smart watches and chest-mounted trackers - have surged in popularity in the UK. According to YouGov research, 36% of British adults in January 2026 owned and used a fitness tracker - nearly twice the proportion in July 2019.

Finnish-US company Oura has the highest sales in the smart ring market, which also includes India-based Ultrahuman, and Hong Kong-based RingConn.

Predicting miscarriages as well as pregnancies

One of the key signs of pregnancy is a change to body temperature - which means trackers that can monitor body temperature are popular with those trying to conceive.

In a typical cycle, a woman's body temperature will be elevated until just before her period comes, when it drops sharply. In early pregnancy, body temperature usually stays high. If a fitness tracker measures body temperature, it can pick up on this early symptom.

As well as her stats, Ravika started reading Reddit posts from women who said their Oura ring had predicted not only their pregnancy but their miscarriage as well, through the ring's "major signs" notification. ..."

My fitness tracker knew I was pregnant before I did

Source

FDA-approved drug may address a major cause of infertility

Good news! Nice example of drug repurposing!

"Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), in which the ovaries don’t mature and release eggs properly, affects about 3% of women under age 40 and typically causes infertility. But a drug already approved to treat kidney disease may one day help some of these people [women] get pregnant, a research team reports today in Science. ..."

From the editor's summary and abstract:

"Editor’s summary

Premature ovarian insufficiency is associated with decreased numbers of ovarian follicles and decreased frequency of menstrual periods before age 40. This occurs in more than 1% of women and leads to what is generally considered to be irreversible infertility. By screening a library of approved drugs, Lin et al. identified a promising candidate in finerenone, a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist used for kidney disease ... The authors demonstrated that finerenone decreased ovarian fibrosis in mouse models, facilitating follicular development and improving fertility, and other antifibrotic drugs showed similar effects. In a pilot clinical trial, patients treated with finerenone showed improvement in ovarian function and follicle maturation, some getting as far as in vitro fertilization, all without major side effects or risk of fetal exposure.

Structured Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) affects approximately 1 to 3% of women under the age of 40. It is characterized by symptoms such as oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea, sex steroid deficiency, elevated follicle-stimulating hormone levels, and infertility. Currently, no effective treatments exist to restore fertility in patients with POI. This is because ovarian follicular development in these patients is insufficient, typically lacking ultrasound-detectable antral follicles that are hormone-responsive. ...

RATIONALE

... we established a platform and systematically screened 1297 compounds from an FDA-approved drug library and identified finerenone as a safe and potentially effective candidate for treating POI-associated infertility.

RESULTS

We first revealed that finerenone promoted ovarian follicular development in mice, with no observed adverse effects on oocyte quality, early embryonic development, or offspring health.

Furthermore, our pilot clinical trial showed that oral finerenone administration (20 mg, twice weekly) promoted the development of follicles in patients with POI, yielding mature eggs (oocytes) and viable embryos. Mechanistically, we found that finerenone reduced collagen deposition (fibrosis) within aged ovaries, thus reducing the stromal fibrosis-mediated restriction of follicular development and creating a more permissive microenvironment for follicle activation and growth.

Based on these findings, we further identified a series of FDA-approved oral antifibrotic drugs, including nintedanib, ruxolitinib, and other drugs with established antifibrotic activity but based on distinct antifibrotic mechanisms, which were effective in promoting ovarian follicle growth. ... This broader validation across antifibrotic drugs with different mechanisms of action supports the notion that ovarian stromal fibrosis is a central, druggable, pathological condition that suppresses follicle growth in POI.

CONCLUSION

Our findings provide a starting point showing that targeting the ovarian stroma—rather than the follicles themselves—represents an effective therapeutic strategy for POI-related infertility. We propose that alleviating ovarian stromal fibrosis through repurposed antifibrotic drugs, such as finerenone, nintedanib, ruxolitinib, or other FDA-approved oral agents, offers a possible promising intervention for restoring fertility in patients with POI."

FDA-approved drug may address a major cause of infertility | Science | AAAS

Antifibrotic drug finerenone restores fertility in premature ovarian insufficiency (no public access)

Schematic model of finerenone-mediated follicle growth.

Ovarian stromal collagen suppresses the development of small follicles (left), whereas finerenone reduces the fibrotic deposits (right), relieving stromal constraints and thus enabling follicle activation and development.

Pregnancy, breastfeeding associated with higher levels of cognitive function for postmenopausal women, new research shows

Amazing stuff!

"... Researchers used data from the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study and the Women’s Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging, which annually assessed more than 7,000 women aged about 70 for up to 13 years.

Women are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s disease, something that has not been fully explained by the length of life span. Fox’s study aimed to address this question by examining the relationship between reproductive histories and cognitive function in a large group over a long period, something previous studies had not yet accomplished. ..."

"Key Takeaways

• Pregnancy and breastfeeding may improve long-term cognitive function in women. 
• The study found that an increase in cumulative time spent pregnant and time spent breastfeeding correlated with greater cognition, verbal memory and visual memory later in life. 
• The findings may open the door to potential advancements in preventative strategies targeting women at greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

..."

From the abstract:

"INTRODUCTION

The brains of female mammals evolved to undergo structural and functional changes during pregnancy and lactation, equipping them for motherhood. However, long-term cognitive health implications of these adaptations in women are poorly understood.

METHODS

In the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Memory Study (WHIMS; n = 7427) and WHI Study of Cognitive Aging (WHISCA; n = 2304), postmenopausal women completed reproductive history interviews, annual global cognitive assessment from mean age 70 for up to 13 years, and multi-domain cognitive testing for up to 8 years.

RESULTS

Each additional month pregnant was associated with higher scores of global cognition.

Each additional month of breastfeeding corresponded to higher scores of global cognition, verbal memory, and visual memory. We observed equivalent results for binary formulations of gravidity and breastfeeding.

DISCUSSION

Low rates of fertility and breastfeeding may have implications for postmenopausal cognitive health at the population level. Next steps include examining mechanisms linking women's reproductive history with postmenopausal cognitive health.

Highlights

• Motherhood may leave an enduring mark on women's brains, shaping cognitive health.
• Over 7000 women were assessed annually from approximately age 70 for up to 13 years.
• Ever being pregnant and cumulative time pregnant were linked with better cognition.
• Ever having breastfed and more time breastfeeding were linked with better cognition.
• These results imply that declining fertility may affect cognitive aging in future generations.

"

Pregnancy, breastfeeding associated with higher levels of cognitive function for postmenopausal women, new research shows | UCLA

Pregnancy and breastfeeding are associated with less later-life cognitive decline in a longitudinal, prospective cohort

Fig. 3 Results from primary hypotheses.

Studying Ovaries to Understand How We All Age

Amazing stuff!

"Ovaries are the fastest aging organ in the body, but the least studied organ in aging research.

The impact of aging ovaries on a woman’s fertility are well known, but aging ovaries—which shrink from the size of a kiwi to a kidney bean—also have much wider impacts on a woman’s health in the later decades of life. The earlier the ovaries age, the more likely a woman is to develop heart disease, dementia, depression, glaucoma, and other diseases, and die earlier.

“The ovary is an endocrine organ and influences aging in the entire body ...

“By delaying ovarian aging, we could live longer and healthier lives,” she says. ...

In our latest research, we compared ovaries in women in their 20s versus 40s or 50s, and the big surprise was that there’s nothing special about how ovaries age. The same genetic programs and molecular signals you see in an old brain or heart or kidney in your 60s, you see in this tiny organ in your 40s.

The good news is that means geroprotective drugs, which delay aging in animals, could be used to delay aging in the ovary. ..."

From the abstract:

"The ovary is the first organ to age in the human body, affecting both fertility and overall health. However, the biological mechanisms underlying human ovarian aging remain poorly understood.

Here we present a comprehensive single-nuclei multi-omics atlas of four young (ages 23–29 years) and four reproductively aged (ages 49–54 years) human ovaries. Our analyses reveal coordinated changes in transcriptomes and chromatin accessibilities across cell types in the ovary during aging, notably mTOR signaling being a prominent ovary-specific aging pathway. Cell-type-specific regulatory networks reveal enhanced activity of the transcription factor CEBPD across cell types in the aged ovary.

Integration of our multi-omics data with genetic variants associated with age at natural menopause demonstrates a global impact of functional variants on gene regulatory networks across ovarian cell types. We nominate functional non-coding regulatory variants, their target genes and ovarian cell types and regulatory mechanisms. This atlas provides a valuable resource for understanding the cellular, molecular and genetic basis of human ovarian aging."

Studying Ovaries to Understand How We All Age | Columbia University Irving Medical Center "New findings from Columbia's Yousin Suh suggests ovarian aging has lessons for us all."

Molecular and genetic insights into human ovarian aging from single-nuclei multi-omics analyses (open access)

Fig. 2: Aging alters ovarian cellular composition and affects the transcriptional activity of pathways involved in the hallmarks of aging across cell types.

How does the brain react to birth control? A researcher scanned her brain 75 times over 3 x 5 weeks to find out

A dedicated guinea pig? Self experimentation taken to a new level!

It appears, this research has not been published yet.

Apparently, no major discoveries or surprises!

Unfortunately, this Nature article again is an example of ideological indoctrination of calling women people! It is disgusting! "Today, more than 150 million people of reproductive age globally take oral contraceptives ... Many people begin taking the pill during puberty ..."

"Hold the morning coffee and meditation: for about 75 days over the span of a year, neuroscientist Carina Heller’s morning ritual included climbing into her university’s brain scanner at 7:30 a.m. and lying perfectly still for an hour and a half — without falling asleep. By her estimates, this has made her the most-scanned woman in science. ...

Her findings suggest that brain morphology and connectivity change daily throughout the natural cycle and are influenced by birth-control pills, according to preliminary results  ...

Heller drew inspiration from a study in which Pritschet [another researcher] scanned her own brain for 30 consecutive days during her natural menstrual cycle and for 30 more days while taking oral contraceptives. This was part of a project that Pritschet calls 28andMe: the name is a nod to the consumer-genetics firm 23andMe in South San Francisco, California, and the 28 days in a canonical menstrual cycle. ..."

Global Health NOW: Lebanese Hospitals on Alert; Malaria Becomes ‘Ancient History’ in Egypt; and Switching Sides on the Tobacco Fight

How does the brain react to birth control? A researcher scanned herself 75 times to find out "Extensive scans reveal rhythmic changes in the brain throughout the menstrual cycle and while on the pill"

Neuroscientist Carina Heller has joined a cadre of investigators who are filling in gaps in women’s health research by hopping into brain-imaging machines themselves.

More than 70 babies have been born from uterus transplants: ‘It’s a complete new world’

When will we be able to perform pregnancy and birth in vitro? I bet in the next 10-25 years.

Imagine a time e.g. when all the past hyperpartisan fights over abortion will be history and forgotten.

But this research is also a cautionary tale, because of the reported common adverse events. Furthermore, the data underlying this study is very old dating back to 2019.

From the key points and abstract:

"Key Points

Question

Is uterus transplant safe and feasible, resulting in subsequent live births?

Findings

In this series of 20 participants, uterus allograft was successful in 70% of recipients and was associated with at least 1 live birth for all recipients with a successful allograft. Adverse events were common, with medical and surgical risks affecting recipients as well as donors.

Meaning

Uterus transplant was feasible and was associated with at least 1 subsequent live birth following a successful allograft.

Abstract

Importance

Uterus transplant in women with absolute uterine-factor infertility offers the possibility of carrying their own pregnancy.

Objective

To determine whether uterus transplant is feasible and safe and results in births of healthy infants.

Design, Setting, and Participants

A case series including 20 participants with uterine-factor infertility and at least 1 functioning ovary who underwent uterus transplant in a large US tertiary care center between September 14, 2016, and August 23, 2019.

Intervention

The uterus transplant (from 18 living donors and 2 deceased donors) was surgically placed in an orthotopic position with vascular anastomoses to the external iliac vessels. Participants received immunosuppression until the transplanted uterus was removed following 1 or 2 live births or after graft failure.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Uterus graft survival and subsequent live births.

Results

Of 20 participants (median age, 30 years [range, 20-36]; 2 Asian, 1 Black, and 16 White), 14 (70%) had a successful uterus allograft; all 14 recipients gave birth to at least 1 live-born infant. Eleven of 20 recipients had at least 1 complication. Maternal and/or obstetrical complications occurred in 50% of the successful pregnancies, with the most common being gestational hypertension (2 [14%]), cervical insufficiency (2 [14%]), and preterm labor (2 [14%]). Among the 16 live-born infants, there were no congenital malformations. Four of 18 living donors had grade 3 complications.

Conclusions and Relevance

Uterus transplant was technically feasible and was associated with a high live birth rate following successful graft survival. Adverse events were common, with medical and surgical risks affecting recipients as well as donors. Congenital abnormalities and developmental delays have not occurred to date in the live-born children."

Uterus transplant science has entered 'a complete new world' "In a study of 20 women who had uterus transplants, 14 went on to deliver a baby."

Uterus Transplant in Women With Absolute Uterine-Factor Infertility (no public access)

Birth of Midwifery, Circa 100 CE

Recommendable!

"Around 100 CE, a Greek physician of the Roman Empire known as Soranus of Ephesus wrote several books on medicine, compiling the knowledge of the day into volumes on anatomy, disease, surgery, and pharmacology, among other subjects. His most enduring work, On Midwifery and the Diseases of Women, covered female reproduction from conception through newborn care, including new solutions to old problems. It would remain the gold standard for obstetrics and gynecology until significant scientific strides were made during the Enlightenment 1,500 years later. ...
Laboring mothers were attended by midwives who themselves had given birth and gained knowledge through experience. Doctors were rarely involved in the birthing process, even in complicated cases, because gynecology was considered beneath them. But Soranus argued that, in addition to being clean and literate, midwives should be trained in basic medicine in order to properly care for an expectant mother and her child. ...

His is the first known description of a technique for turning a baby whose back is covering the birth canal, a situation known as a transverse position that until that point had nearly always ended in the baby’s death. By reaching into the uterus and pulling on the baby’s legs to manipulate it into a breech, or feet-first, position, the delivery became merely tricky, rather than impossible.

Among his other innovations, Soranus developed a birthing chair with stirrups, and protocols for cutting the umbilical cord and cleaning the stump and for removing blood clots from the uterus following delivery of the placenta. ..."

Birth of Midwifery, Circa 100 CE | The Scientist Magazine® Soranus of Ephesus’s manual shaped the way midwifery was practiced for more than a millennium.