opinion: women deserve accurate, informed care—not outdated models that miss the mark
4 minute read
whether you’re a woman in your 30s and starting to notice changes, in your 40s and wondering what’s ahead, or in your 50s and managing new health challenges, you’re not alone—and this isn’t “just in your head.”
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we recently attended an academic conference on the study of sex differences in science, in the u.s.—and what we witnessed was deeply disturbing. for the first time, new restrictions in the u.s. actively prevented many american scientists from presenting their data, speaking openly about their research into sex differences in health, or even attending at all.
this silencing of science is not only unprecedented in recent history—it is dangerous. it threatens the integrity of research, compromises public health, and signals an alarming shift away from evidence-based inquiry in a field that directly impacts the lives of millions.
as canadian researchers and women, we know how fortunate we are to live in a country that continues to support science that prioritizes and values integrating biological (sex) and sociocultural (gender and other identity factors) differences into health research. we also are deeply aware of how much more we could be doing.
only one per cent of canadian research funding is directed to women’s health. so as this chilling effect spreads south of the border, we want to take this moment to encourage our nation to choose a different direction—to forge our own path and keep pushing forward for meaningful progress in women’s health.
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here’s the issue: most health tools and studies were designed for men. the tests used to predict life-changing issues like heart disease risk and age-related memory decline are based on data that often excluded women, or failed to account for how hormonal changes shape health.
because of this, even seemingly healthy women who exercise, eat well and don’t smoke can be told they’re “low risk,” when in reality, due to changing levels of hormones, their risks are rising as they age.
what’s the big deal about estrogen?
when people think of women’s health, they often think only of periods and pregnancy. but this narrow focus misses the bigger picture. a woman’s body changes over time and those changes affect her heart, brain, bones and overall well-being. at the centre of it all are hormones most people have heard of but may not fully understand: estrogens.
estrogens help keep blood vessels flexible, reduce inflammation, and support healthy cholesterol levels. in short, they protect the cardiovascular system. but many heart-health studies were done on men, so standard risk calculators don’t account for hormonal changes. this has led to misdiagnosis, undertreatment and even preventable heart events in women who seem low risk on paper.
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estrogens also play a significant role in brain health, regulating mood, supporting memory and keeping the brain’s energy systems working efficiently. as estrogens decline in perimenopause (the years prior to menopause), many women report “brain fog,” anxiety and sleep disturbances. while for many of those women, these changes are often dismissed by health professionals as “normal aging” or stress, they are in fact directly linked to hormonal shifts.
estrogens also help the body maintain bone density. without them, bones become weaker and more prone to breaking. in fact, up to half of women over 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. yet many women don’t learn about this risk—or get screened—until after they’ve broken a bone.
what needs to change in women’s health?
women deserve accurate, informed care—not outdated models that miss the mark. it’s time to treat women’s health as whole health—and to recognize the lifelong effects of hormonal changes. that means:
- more research on sex hormones, not just how they affect reproductive organs
- better training for health-care providers around reproductive aging
- earlier screening for reproductive aging stage
- including more women in more clinical studies
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whether you’re a woman in your 30s and starting to notice changes, in your 40s and wondering what’s ahead, or in your 50s and managing new health challenges, you’re not alone—and this isn’t “just in your head.”
let’s take this important lesson from our neighbours to the south and keep the focus on women’s health. and let’s shift the conversation from “just getting older” to better understanding women’s health across the lifespan. because when women are seen, studied and supported, they thrive—and so does everyone around them.
colleen m norris phd (epidemiology) faha fcahs fesc is a professor and associate dean of research, faculty of nursing, university of alberta; cavarzan chair in women’s health research, women & children’s health research institute; fom&d, university of alberta; research lead of the ckhui/lhhw women’s heart health research collaborative, alberta women’s health foundation (royal alex hospital foundation); adjunct professor faculty of medicine & dentistry and school of public health, university of alberta.
liisa galea phd, fcahs is the treliving family chair in women’s mental health; senior scientist, centre for addiction and mental health; professor, department of psychiatry, university of toronto; affiliated professor, department of psychiatry, university of british columbia; lead women’s health research cluster; principal editor fin; past president ossd
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