Featured Blog – Dr. Marianne J. Legato

Dear Friends, My interest in studying the biology of the diverse nature of human sexuality is a natural extension of my thirty-year effort to persuade the academic community to include biological sex as a variable in scientific research. Until the 1990’s, the “bikini-view” of women looked only at their reproductive function. We assumed that what
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Shattering the Myths: Women and Heart Disease

Dear friends, Be sure to view the prize-winning documentary we made about women and coronary artery disease that marked the beginning of our awareness of the unique ways in which women experienced this illness. “Shattering the Myths: The Truth About Women and Coronary Artery Disease” features real women, real stories, and real remedies! Let us know what
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Pregnancy During the Pandemic: What’s lost when women are left out

Dr. Marianne Legato spoke on the importance of including women in clinical research for an NPR article on The Coronavirus Crisis. She commented on the dearth of clinical research on women because of the concerns about taking into account the impact of hormonal fluctuations in the female body. Click here for the full article:  “Protect Pregnant Women
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COVID-19 Update: When is a vaccine coming?  How effective will it be?

Two comprehensive review papers in this week’s issue of NATURE magazine have encouraging news for us.[1],[2]  One summarized the extent of this pandemic: 30 million people in 215 countries are affected, with a death rate of almost a million as of September of this year. Experts pointed to several animal models available for testing vaccines
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Varicose Veins

I hate wearing shorts in the summer because I have varicose veins. They also hurt! What’s the best way to get rid of them? Varicose veins are not only unsightly and in some cases painful, but they can also be dangerous. Varicosities come from a weakness in the wall of the vein, or in the
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Split Ends

Split Ends
My hair is full of split ends. Are there any shampoos that can help damaged hair? What about vitamin treatments? Can anything help my hair grow faster? A. A split end is a sign that the hair cuticle – the outer layer of the hair shaft – is damaged and it is one of the
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Are Hair Dyes Safe?

Q. Are hair dyes safe? Can they cause cancer? A. About one-third of all American women use permanent hair dyes, and through the years, there has been debate over whether the chemicals used in hair dye are carcinogenic. In particular, two compounds formerly used in dark hair dyes – 4 MMPD or 4 MMPD sulfate
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Fainting

Q. Sometimes I faint after eating a very big meal. Why does this happen? Why do some people faint after hearing bad news? A. Fainting is the loss of consciousness, or the complete unawareness of the surrounding world and a lack of any response to stimuli. Fainting is caused by an inadequate blood supply to
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I wear an underwire bra, am I increasing my risk of cancer?

breast pimple illustration
While browsing through a bookstore, I came across a book that claimed that underwire bras can cause breast cancer. I wear an underwire bra, am I increasing my risk of cancer? I searched the medical literature for studies on underwire bras and a possible link to cancer, and I did not find any. I also
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When Your Plastic Heart Changes It’s Structure and Function to Produce What You Need

Doctors stethoscope
A recent report from the National Academy of Science documents (not for the first time!) that we humans have a unique ability to develop our heart’s capacity for stress. The investigators compare us with our relatives, the apes and chimpanzees, and say that these animals, unlike us, don’t have this resource: they are only equipped
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