Making The Most Of Medication (NAPSA)—Scientists are taking a new look at some old health problems and that is good news for women. At the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for example, they’ve discovered that women who suffer from heart disease—the leading cause of death in the United States—may experience very different symptoms than men. Also, conditions such as osteoarthritis, obesity and depression can be more common among women than men. Health scientists and doctors are now more aware than ever before of how treating women effectively differs from treating men. In addition, according to studies in the Journal of the American Medical Association, there is growing awareness among health care professionals that women sometimes neglect their own health and instead focus on that of their partners or their children. Fortunately, help is on the way for millions of women suffering from a wide spectrum of diseases and health problems. America’s pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies are now developing and testing nearly 1,000 new medicinesto fight diseases and health conditions that disproportionately affect women. These medicines are either in the development pipeline or are awaiting approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These new treatments include: 163 for female-specific cancers, including 123 for breast cancer, 62 for ovarian cancer and 14 for cervical cancer; 131 for arthritis/musculoskeletal disorders. Arthritis affects nearly 41 million women, Researchers are discovering that certain medications can be more effective for women and women’s conditions. who account for 70 percent of all rheumatoid arthritis sufferers and nearly 59 percent of Americans with osteoarthritis; and 86 for obstetric and gynecological conditions. “The more scientists understand about basic biology,” says Billy Tauzin, president and CEO of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), “the more they understand how diseases affect men and women differently and how to create medicines better able to respond to those differences. Medicines now being tested will give women and their doctors more options when it comes to finding the best treatments for each case.” For more information about women’s health, visit the National Library of Medicine at the NIH, www.nih.gov, and the National Women’s Health Information Center at www.womenshealth.gov. For information about new medicines being developed to fight diseases and health conditions that disproportionately affect women, visit the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America at www.PhRMA.org.
