A classical depiction of Queen Niobe grieving her child, intertwined with symbolic antibodies and red blood cells to represent Rh incompatibility. Credit: Amin Mohajeri In Greek mythology, Queen Niobe’s pride led to her children’s death, and her endless grief turned her into stone. The human body, too, can be undone by its own devotion: A … Continue reading Protecting Pregnancy When Blood Types Differ
Women’s Health
Why Do You Need Protein (And How Much) In Menopause?
Credit: iStock Protein is the building block for all the muscles in our body. We rely on protein to maintain structural support and aid in nearly all cellular processes. Our muscles are necessary for breathing, walking and balance, all of which allow us to maintain our normal activities. Loss of muscle mass (called sarcopenia) is … Continue reading Why Do You Need Protein (And How Much) In Menopause?
Addressing the Gender Gap in Sports Science
Credit: iStock Whether your favorite sport is swimming, track and field, fencing, field hockey or another of the 33 sports with competitions in Tokyo this summer, watching elite athletes perform is often an awe-inspiring event. You may ask yourself “how do they do that?” as you watch the incredible feats. However, more and more scientists … Continue reading Addressing the Gender Gap in Sports Science
Spotlight On: Menopause
Credit: iStock Menopause is a stage in a person’s life when their menstrual cycle stops. The average age in the U.S. is 52. During this time, the ovaries stop producing estrogen and progesterone—hormones that regulate the reproductive cycle and support pregnancy—marking the end of reproductive function. After going without a period for 12 consecutive months, … Continue reading Spotlight On: Menopause
COVID-19 and Pregnancy: Disease Prevention May Be the Cure
Credit: iStock The COVID-19 pandemic continues to change our everyday lives while we await the progress of new treatments and vaccines to combat the risks of the illness. People who are pregnant and nursing are more susceptible to severe infections from respiratory viruses, such as the flu. This susceptibility may also put pregnant people at … Continue reading COVID-19 and Pregnancy: Disease Prevention May Be the Cure
Mild Symptoms, Major Impact: How Getting COVID-19 Changed One Student’s Perspective
Kelsey Bayles has fully recovered from COVID-19. Credit: Kelsey Bayles APS member Anberitha Matthews, PhD, recently spoke to Kelsey Bayles, a senior in the bachelor of science in nursing program at the Mississippi University for Women, who became infected with the coronavirus in the summer of 2020. APS thanks Bayles for giving us permission to … Continue reading Mild Symptoms, Major Impact: How Getting COVID-19 Changed One Student’s Perspective
It’s Not Your Imagination: Women Have a Harder Time Losing Weight
Credit: iStock Obesity is a major health concern in the U.S. It is predicted that more than half of all adults living in the U.S. will be obese by the year 2030. A major problem with weight loss is that most people regain lost weight over the next year. Exercise has been shown to be … Continue reading It’s Not Your Imagination: Women Have a Harder Time Losing Weight
Spotlight On: Preeclampsia
Lady Sybil Crawley—the feisty youngest sister of a wealthy British family on the PBS television series “Downton Abbey”—made her way into viewers’ hearts. Devotees of the show were shocked when, in a surprise twist, she died soon after giving birth. Lady Sybil died from high blood pressure during pregnancy (preeclampsia) that developed into a more … Continue reading Spotlight On: Preeclampsia
Do Caffeine and Menstrual Cycles Affect Athletic Performance?
Menstruation and its effect on athletic performance is not often discussed in athletics, even though most female athletes deal with it in their daily lives. However, more researchers have begun to look at this subject, and some are observing how other factors, such as caffeine consumption, could influence a female’s performance during sports. A recent … Continue reading Do Caffeine and Menstrual Cycles Affect Athletic Performance?
In Heart Disease, Women and Men Are Not Created Equal
It may seem as if heart disease affects mostly men, but in fact it’s the No. 1 cause of death for both genders—more people die from heart disease than all cancers combined. Perhaps even more surprising is that more women than men will develop heart failure or die within a year of a heart attack. … Continue reading In Heart Disease, Women and Men Are Not Created Equal