Women of Wearables (wearables, health tech & femtech)

A common antimalarial drug could also be used to treat polycystic ovarian syndrome, an endocrine disorder that affects hundreds of millions of people of reproductive age worldwide. After receiving repeated doses of artemisinin, a small group of women with PCOS had lower blood testosterone levels and healthier-looking ovaries, researchers report in the June 14 Science. The results suggest artemisinin compounds, which are already known to be effective against malaria, lupus and cancer, could also be used to alleviate symptoms of PCOS. The discovery could “potentially change the landscape of PCOS treatment,” Elisabet Stener-Victorin, an endocrinologist at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm who was not involved in the research, writes in a perspective in the same issue of Science. “Although further studies will be needed … the discovery of artemisinins as effective remedies for PCOS nonetheless represents a promising new approach.” Despite the prevalence of PCOS, what causes the disorder is not known. Doctors diagnose it based on elevated levels of hormones called androgens, which includes testosterone, and a plethora of small cysts on patients’ ovaries. Treatments tend to target specific symptoms, such as acne, excess hair growth, irregular menstruation or infertility. People with PCOS are also at higher risk of metabolic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, and researchers now think that underlying changes to the systems controlling our metabolism, like the one involving insulin, are to blame for both. #womenshealth #femtech #healthtech #digitalhealth #healthcare #healthcareinnovation #startups #innovation #health #medtech #healthcareresearch #femalehealth #genderhealthgap #reproductivehealth #venturecapital #vc #funding #investment #grants #maternalhealth #periods #menstruation #sexualhealth #sextech #menopause #fertility #pregnancy #postpartum #eggfreezing #IVF #healthequity #pelvicfloor #pelvicfloorhealth #hormonehealth

We at Women of Wearables (wearables, health tech & femtech) are excited to partner with BioTechX for their BioTechX USA and BioTechX Europe events this year! 🔥 BioTechX USA (17-18 September) is a 2-day event taking place in Philadelphia, a thriving hub of innovation. Aiming to bring 1500 global executives, 300 speakers and 50 start-ups. WoW members and guests who work in pharma, academics, or health systems can apply for a free ticket using the link below 👇🏽 https://lnkd.in/dxJBWkDu BioTechX EU (9 - 10 October) will return to Basel, the pharma hub of Europe, this time with 3500 global executives, 400 speakers and 50 start-ups all under one roof. WoW members and guests who work in pharma, academics, or health systems can apply for a free ticket using the link below 👇🏽 https://lnkd.in/dkDnYMNc #biotech #pharma #events #conferences #wowcommunity

Our friends from the Women's Health Innovation Series are delighted to invite you to Always Raising, a brand-new, exclusive, invite-only event focussing on driving innovation in women's health in the UK and beyond, gathering top investors, pioneering startups, and influential industry stakeholders for dynamic, high-level discussions. Always Raising is powered by the Women’s Health Innovation Series, the premier, industry-led platform dedicated to uniting the entire women’s health landscape across Europe and the US. Taking place on 2 October in London, the event promises to accelerate the growth of the women’s health market. Spaces for start-ups are complimentary but limited. You can apply for your ticket here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/d82e_Ens Startups and investors already confirmed include: 📌 Michelle Tempest, Angel Investor, Author, Future of the NHS 📌 Dr Mridula Pore, Co-Founder, Peppy 📌 Kristine Erwin, Director, Natwest 📌 Valentina Milanova 🇺🇦, Founder & CEO, Daye 📌 Molly Gilmartin, Investor, Albion VC 📌 Chantal Cox, Early Stage Investor, Octopus Ventures 📌 Carole du Fretay, VC, Eurozeo 📌 Sarita Stefani, Founder, Amilis And many more! #womenshealth #femtech #healthtech #digitalhealth #healthcare #healthcareinnovation #startups #innovation #health #medtech #healthcareresearch #femalehealth #genderhealthgap #reproductivehealth #venturecapital #vc #funding #investment #grants #maternalhealth #periods #menstruation #sexualhealth #sextech #menopause #fertility #pregnancy #postpartum #eggfreezing #IVF #healthequity #pelvicfloor #pelvicfloorhealth #hormonehealth 

Women of Wearables (wearables, health tech & femtech) interviewed our CCO, Katie Higgins, about her background in the healthcare industry, her role at Progyny and what the future of #FemTech looks like. "I could not be prouder of the way we’ve set the standard in terms of creating an actively managed network of specialists, pushing the envelope on top tier outcomes, and betting on an efficient payment model that leaves both patients and providers with a great experience. That is the holy grail of innovation within healthcare, and I can’t wait to apply it to other aspects of women’s health." Read the full interview here: https://bit.ly/3xN3Zdk

AVeta Medical is a Galway-based medical device start-up focused on developing innovative, pharma-free treatments for Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM), a condition that affects many of the 1.1 billion postmenopausal women and breast cancer survivors globally. The company was founded by Paula Newell, who identified a significant need for safer, more effective, and affordable treatments for this condition during her participation in the BioInnovate Ireland program at the University of Galway, which is affiliated with the prestigious Stanford BioDesign program. The company has successfully completed pre-clinical trials and a First in Human clinical trial with excellent results and is working towards FDA approval, with plans to launch the product in Europe and the US. AVeta Medical has also secured significant funding, including a €2.5 million grant from the European Innovation Council Accelerator, to support its development and market launch efforts. AVeta is now opening a unique fundraising round to offer members of the public the opportunity to join AVeta Medical in bringing this innovative and disruptive solution to market. The funds will be used to complete the Randomized control clinical trials ahead of FDA and MDR submissions for market release. You can support their campaign on Spark Crowdfunding. https://lnkd.in/dqhPVwYr #crowdfunding #womenshealth #femtech #healthtech #digitalhealth #healthcare #healthcareinnovation #startups #innovation #health #medtech #healthcareresearch #femalehealth #genderhealthgap #reproductivehealth #venturecapital #vc #funding #investment #grants #maternalhealth #periods #menstruation #sexualhealth #sextech #menopause #fertility #pregnancy #postpartum #eggfreezing #IVF #healthequity #pelvicfloor #pelvicfloorhealth #hormonehealth 

If you've been paying attention to ever evolving world of gut health science over the past few years, you'll be well aware that your digestive system does far more than simply break down food. That there is a dialogue between your brain and your intestines, for example, is now widely known: with the gut:brain connection responsible for managing stress, mood and motility. There's other curious links between the system and other parts of your body, too, though. One is the gut:hormone axis. Ever experienced changes to your digestion around your menstrual cycle? If so, that's the connection in action. 'The gut hormone axis refers to the two-way relationship between your gut microbiome and your hormones, which can include everything including the female sex hormone oestrogen, the stress hormone cortisol and your hunger and fullness hormones ghrelin and leptin,' Dr Emily Leeming, a microbiome scientist and author of Genius Gut, tells WH. #womenshealth #femtech #healthtech #digitalhealth #healthcare #healthcareinnovation #startups #innovation #health #medtech #healthcareresearch #femalehealth #genderhealthgap #reproductivehealth #venturecapital #vc #funding #investment #grants #maternalhealth #periods #menstruation #sexualhealth #sextech #menopause #fertility #pregnancy #postpartum #eggfreezing #IVF #healthequity #pelvicfloor #pelvicfloorhealth #hormonehealth

The Health and Social Care Secretary has named problem periods, women’s health research and support for domestic and sexual abuse victims among the government’s priorities for women’s health in 2024. Speaking at the Women’s Health Summit in central London to mark the second year of the landmark Women’s Health Strategy for England, Victoria Atkins said it would also prioritise improving maternity care and support for mothers who suffer birth trauma. This follows a raft of successes over the strategy’s first 12 months, including reducing the cost of HRT for nearly half a million women, and the rollout of specialist women’s health hubs in every local health area. The strategy also championed the creation of a new dedicated women’s health section of the NHS website, providing updated information, advice and practical resources for women’s health across the life course. #womenshealth #femtech #healthtech #digitalhealth #healthcare #healthcareinnovation #startups #innovation #health #medtech #healthcareresearch #femalehealth #genderhealthgap #reproductivehealth #venturecapital #vc #funding #investment #grants #maternalhealth #periods #menstruation #sexualhealth #sextech #menopause #fertility #pregnancy #postpartum #eggfreezing #IVF #healthequity #pelvicfloor #pelvicfloorhealth #hormonehealth

The hardest part about being on the waiting list for endometriosis services isn't the clapping pressure on my spine and pubic bone every time I have a period. It's that given the average eight-year waiting time from initial symptoms to diagnosis, I can only see things getting more painful before they get better. That sentiment was confirmed when, after 10 years of pain and begging for a referral, I saw a gynaecologist. Delivered alongside a preliminary diagnosis was a reminder that we can't truly know without a laparoscopy. That's the type of keyhole surgery that can find endometrial tissue similar to the lining of the uterus growing outside of the womb (causing symptoms including pain, disabling bowel issues and infertility) and remove it. And so, it's from here that I write to you at the bottom of another waiting list. It feels archaic that a condition as common as diabetes calls for such invasive procedures. I oscillate between exhaustion (from trying to get answers, via a diagnosis) and fury that I have to experience more pain to be, if not pain-free, then more knowledgeable about the agony I experience. And I’m not alone: 84% of women felt that they haven’t been listened to by healthcare professionals, according to the government’s Women’s Health Strategy for England, while research commissioned by Nurofen also found that less than half of the women surveyed received a diagnosis for their pain within 11 months, compared with two-thirds of men. #womenshealth #femtech #healthtech #digitalhealth #healthcare #healthcareinnovation #startups #innovation #health #medtech #healthcareresearch #femalehealth #genderhealthgap #reproductivehealth #venturecapital #vc #funding #investment #grants #maternalhealth #periods #menstruation #sexualhealth #sextech #menopause #fertility #pregnancy #postpartum #eggfreezing #IVF #healthequity #pelvicfloor #pelvicfloorhealth #hormonehealth

Menopause is widely known to be a marker of the end of a woman's reproductive life, designated 12 months after her last period, said the National Institute on Aging (NIA). However, many people are less aware that perimenopause comes before it, and can cause symptoms like declining bone and muscle mass, wrinkles, sagging skin, graying hair, irregular periods, decreased fertility, vaginal dryness and hot flashes. Many of these symptoms echo those that crop up for 90% of women during menopause. A study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders last month also links perimenopause to a significant increase in the likelihood of depression. According to the study, "women in this stage are about 40% more likely to experience the mental health condition than premenopausal women," said CNN. This is partly because levels of estrogen, the main female hormone, rise and fall "unevenly" during perimenopause, said Mayo Clinic. Estrogen, in turn, has "been found to affect the metabolism of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, norepinephrine, β-endorphin and serotonin, all of which have a role in emotional states," said the Journal's study authors to CNN. Although approximately 2 million women reach menopause every year, "fewer than 1 in 10 physicians treating these individuals feel prepared to do so," said CNN, citing a study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Healthcare providers often fail to make their female patients aware of medications that could help alleviate perimenopause and menopause symptoms. "Even lifestyle changes [can] help, like healthier eating, avoiding alcohol, regular exercise and stress reduction," Pinkerton said. #womenshealth #femtech #healthtech #digitalhealth #healthcare #healthcareinnovation #startups #innovation #health #medtech #healthcareresearch #femalehealth #genderhealthgap #reproductivehealth #venturecapital #vc #funding #investment #grants #maternalhealth #periods #menstruation #sexualhealth #sextech #menopause #fertility #pregnancy #postpartum #eggfreezing #IVF #healthequity #pelvicfloor #pelvicfloorhealth #hormonehealth

As women enter their 30s, most major health concerns are like those they faced in their 20s. But prioritizing health becomes more challenging since thirtysomethings are often taking on more life responsibilities and working harder to balance career and family. That makes it more important to maintain or work toward the healthiest lifestyle in terms of nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and stress management. “The reason they call them the basics is that if you do all those things, you’re going to help yourself maximize your health,” Jill Rabin, an OBGYN at Northwell Health in New York, says. Of those basics, the one that often slips through the cracks most easily is sleep, but it’s also the one that can have the most profound effects on the rest of your health. #womenshealth #femtech #healthtech #digitalhealth #healthcare #healthcareinnovation #startups #innovation #health #medtech #healthcareresearch #femalehealth #genderhealthgap #reproductivehealth #venturecapital #vc #funding #investment #grants #maternalhealth #periods #menstruation #sexualhealth #sextech #menopause #fertility #pregnancy #postpartum #eggfreezing #IVF #healthequity #pelvicfloor #pelvicfloorhealth #hormonehealth