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Targeting Older Women
(HealthScoutNews) -- More medical studies
need to be done on older women's health issues and more older
women need to take part in such studies, says the Society for
Women's Health Research.
To encourage that, the society
has launched a campaign called "Some Things Only a Woman
Can Do" to educate women about medical research studies and
about medical conditions that affect them.
The campaign goal is to get women
more involved in their own health and to get involved in research
that will benefit future generations of women.
The society says there's a lack
of research on long-term health for women, who often live for
more than 30 years after menopause. As women live longer, they
may be affected by a number of chronic diseases that can impair
their quality of life.
It's predicted that by next year,
more than 20 percent of Americans will be 65 and older. Of the
people who reach 85 or older, women are more likely than men to
suffer chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.
Many more women than men survive
to the ages when Alzheimer's disease is most prevalent.
It wasn't until the early 1990s
that researchers were legally required to include women in clinical
trials. So much of what is known about health and disease has
come from men under age 70, the society says.
However, research shows there are
important differences between men and women with regard to disease
and treatment response.
The "Some Things Only a Woman
Can Do" campaign materials are available in English and Spanish.
They offer information about medical research, types of studies
available, what women need to know about taking part in studies,
and how to find disease-specific studies.
There's also a brochure created
specifically for older women.
More information
You can get the "Some Things
Only a Woman Can Do" materials by calling 1-877-332-2636
or by going to the organization's Web
site.
Reference
Source 101
For more information on how to prevent other diseases, use
PreventDisease.com's "Quick
Prevention Resources".
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