Preliminary results from nearly 30 years of research show that women face higher levels of overweight and disease. The study began in 1986 and was conducted by the University of Oulu and followed a cohort of female participants from pregnancy to adulthood.
Approximately 4,500 women born in northern Finland in 1986 were invited to participate in the study. About 2,000 of them attended her four-hour research appointment in Helsinki and Oulu, where basic measurements, blood samples and various gynecological and abdominal ultrasound tests were taken.
According to the study director, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology, almost half of the women had some kind of chronic disease. Tehi Piltonen.
“It was very surprising. We’re talking about people who are just over 30 years old,” Piltonen said.
Another area of concern is the increase in excess weight in women. The results showed that this cohort of women was two units heavier on the BMI compared to a previous study from 20 years ago, which looked at women born in 1966.
Approximately 40% of women aged 32 to 35 at the time of the survey wanted to become pregnant.
“In times like these when birth rates are plummeting, it’s great to know that women still have such plans,” Piltonen said.
Gynecological diseases affect general health
This study was carried out as part of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort Study at the University of Oulu. This study investigates the long-term overall health status of female participants born in northern Finland between 1966 and her 1986.
Data collection for the current study began when the participants’ mothers were pregnant. This means that women currently in their mid-30s are being monitored immediately after pregnancy.
The data collected will also be linked to information from national registries, making this the largest women’s health study ever conducted in Finland.
“Similar health research has never been done before. This will involve experts in many gynecological diseases as well as other specialists,” said Piltonen, who plans the final data collection stage. He said this when announcing.
The research center will be closed in 2022 and 2023, and the data is currently being processed.
She noted that this study aims to contribute to filling a significant gap in research on women’s health.
“There is a lack of research investigating the overall health burden of gynecological conditions and diseases,” Piltonen said.
According to the lead researcher, gynecological issues such as endometriosis, heavy menstruation, and vulvodynia are often discussed as isolated issues. This study seeks to find out how they may affect a woman’s overall health.
Piltonen points out the shortcomings of occupational health, which does not cover conditions that have a significant impact on women’s quality of life, especially their ability to work.
“Some occupational health contracts do not cover the treatment of gynecological conditions, including the treatment of menopause, which is why it is so important to have visibility into these things.” she stated.
Gender bias persists in health research
Piltonen says women’s health is understudied. She says funding is scarce compared to other specialties, especially given the far-reaching impact that effective women’s medicine can have.
Surprisingly, she says, little funding goes into gynecological research. According to Piltonen, there is also a historical burden in that women and children have not received much attention as the main subjects of research.
Even today, gender blind spots persist in key medical fields such as vaccine development. Piltonen highlighted the example of the coronavirus vaccine, which reportedly had a noticeable effect on many women’s menstrual cycles. Her research revealed that the effects of vaccines on the menstrual cycle had not even been investigated during the trial phase.
“Although the symptoms were temporary, the lack of information about it caused great concern among women. Lack of information may have an impact on vaccine resistance, especially in a country where the general level of education is lower than Finland. “They may have given it to you,” she said. .
However, the dosage of medicines in men has been extensively studied.
“Recent studies show that the doses given to women are not always justified and may therefore cause more side effects in women,” added Piltonen.
Heart disease in women is often undiagnosed
The ramifications of gender bias can be deadly. For example, the fact that heart disease is much more studied in men means that women often go undiagnosed more often and for longer because they often exhibit different symptoms and risk factors than men. means.
“Women die from cardiac death just as much as men, but the symptoms are different,” Piltonen says.
She hopes that women’s health research will receive greater support and funding at all stages of research, diagnosis, and treatment.
“Women at risk of disease should be better identified and provided with targeted prevention, treatment and support,” she said.
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