Federal panel calls for more research on women and chronic diseases

Research into chronic conditions affecting women is significantly lacking, and the National Institutes of Health and other agencies should do more to investigate issues that lead to worse medical treatment for women, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine says (Source: “Panel urges more research on women and chronic diseases,” Washington Post, July 11).
 
Women are disproportionately affected by chronic illnesses, including Alzheimer’s disease and depression, according to the study requested by NIH’s Office of Research on Women’s Health and published Wednesday.

Inadequate research in women’s health “hinders a comprehensive understanding of the impact on women” of these and other chronic illnesses, the report’s authors write. Further research is needed, particularly for Black women, who are more likely to die of a chronic illness than White women, the study says.
 
The 500-page report calls for focused efforts, led by NIH, to enhance diagnostic tools for female-specific conditions such as endometriosis and to distinguish between overlapping symptoms of various chronic conditions.