Ob.Gyn. News

The number of chest reconstruction surgeries performed for adolescents rose nearly fourfold between 2016 and 2019, researchers report in a study published in JAMA Pediatrics.

“To our knowledge, this study is the largest investigation to date of gender-affirming chest reconstruction in a pediatric population. The results demonstrate substantial increases in gender-affirming chest reconstruction for adolescents,” the authors report.

The researchers, from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tenn., used the Nationwide Ambulatory Surgery Sample to identify youth with gender dysphoria who underwent top surgery to remove, or, in rare cases, to add breasts.

The authors identified 829 chest surgeries. They adjusted the number to a weighted figure of 1,130 patients who underwent chest reconstruction during the study period. Of those, 98.6% underwent masculinizing surgery to remove breasts, and 1.4% underwent feminizing surgery. Roughly 100 individuals received gender-affirming chest surgeries in 2016. In 2019, the number had risen to 489 – a 389% increase, the authors reported.

Approximately 44% of the patients in the study were aged 17 years at the time of surgery, while 5.5% were younger than 14.

Around 78% of the individuals who underwent chest surgeries in 2019 were White, 2.7% were Black, 12.2% were Hispanic, and 2.5% were Asian or Pacific Islander. Half of the patients who underwent surgery had a household income of $82,000 or more, according to the researchers.

“Most transgender adolescents had either public or private health insurance coverage for these procedures, contrasting with the predominance of self-payers reported in earlier studies on transgender adults,” write the researchers, citing a 2018 study of trends in transgender surgery.

Masculinizing chest reconstruction, such as mastectomy, and feminizing chest reconstruction, such as augmentation mammaplasty, can be performed as outpatient procedures or as ambulatory surgeries, according to another study .

The study was supported by a grant from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program. One author has reported receiving grant funding from Merck.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

The number of chest reconstruction surgeries performed for adolescents rose nearly fourfold between 2016 and 2019, researchers report in a study published in JAMA Pediatrics.

“To our knowledge, this study is the largest investigation to date of gender-affirming chest reconstruction in a pediatric population. The results demonstrate substantial increases in gender-affirming chest reconstruction for adolescents,” the authors report.

The researchers, from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tenn., used the Nationwide Ambulatory Surgery Sample to identify youth with gender dysphoria who underwent top surgery to remove, or, in rare cases, to add breasts.

The authors identified 829 chest surgeries. They adjusted the number to a weighted figure of 1,130 patients who underwent chest reconstruction during the study period. Of those, 98.6% underwent masculinizing surgery to remove breasts, and 1.4% underwent feminizing surgery. Roughly 100 individuals received gender-affirming chest surgeries in 2016. In 2019, the number had risen to 489 – a 389% increase, the authors reported.

Approximately 44% of the patients in the study were aged 17 years at the time of surgery, while 5.5% were younger than 14.

Around 78% of the individuals who underwent chest surgeries in 2019 were White, 2.7% were Black, 12.2% were Hispanic, and 2.5% were Asian or Pacific Islander. Half of the patients who underwent surgery had a household income of $82,000 or more, according to the researchers.

“Most transgender adolescents had either public or private health insurance coverage for these procedures, contrasting with the predominance of self-payers reported in earlier studies on transgender adults,” write the researchers, citing a 2018 study of trends in transgender surgery.

Masculinizing chest reconstruction, such as mastectomy, and feminizing chest reconstruction, such as augmentation mammaplasty, can be performed as outpatient procedures or as ambulatory surgeries, according to another study .

The study was supported by a grant from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program. One author has reported receiving grant funding from Merck.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

The number of chest reconstruction surgeries performed for adolescents rose nearly fourfold between 2016 and 2019, researchers report in a study published in JAMA Pediatrics.

“To our knowledge, this study is the largest investigation to date of gender-affirming chest reconstruction in a pediatric population. The results demonstrate substantial increases in gender-affirming chest reconstruction for adolescents,” the authors report.

The researchers, from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tenn., used the Nationwide Ambulatory Surgery Sample to identify youth with gender dysphoria who underwent top surgery to remove, or, in rare cases, to add breasts.

The authors identified 829 chest surgeries. They adjusted the number to a weighted figure of 1,130 patients who underwent chest reconstruction during the study period. Of those, 98.6% underwent masculinizing surgery to remove breasts, and 1.4% underwent feminizing surgery. Roughly 100 individuals received gender-affirming chest surgeries in 2016. In 2019, the number had risen to 489 – a 389% increase, the authors reported.

Approximately 44% of the patients in the study were aged 17 years at the time of surgery, while 5.5% were younger than 14.

Around 78% of the individuals who underwent chest surgeries in 2019 were White, 2.7% were Black, 12.2% were Hispanic, and 2.5% were Asian or Pacific Islander. Half of the patients who underwent surgery had a household income of $82,000 or more, according to the researchers.

“Most transgender adolescents had either public or private health insurance coverage for these procedures, contrasting with the predominance of self-payers reported in earlier studies on transgender adults,” write the researchers, citing a 2018 study of trends in transgender surgery.

Masculinizing chest reconstruction, such as mastectomy, and feminizing chest reconstruction, such as augmentation mammaplasty, can be performed as outpatient procedures or as ambulatory surgeries, according to another study .

The study was supported by a grant from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program. One author has reported receiving grant funding from Merck.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

“How did we miss out on that?” “What?” my physician friend replied as we stood in line at the coffee cart. “Root cause. I mean, we invented this idea and now all these naturopaths and functional medicine quacks are gettin’ rich off it.” “Take it easy,” he says. “Just order a coffee.”

It’s hard not to be indignant. I had a morning clinic with three patients insisting I find the “root cause” of their problem. Now, if one had flagellate dermatitis after eating Asian mushroom soup, I’d have said “Root cause? Shiitake mushrooms!” and walked out like Costanza in Seinfeld, “All right, that’s it for me! Be good everybody!”

Alas no. They had perioral dermatitis, alopecia areata, eczema – no satisfying “roots” for walk-off answers.

There is a universal desire to find the proximal cause for problems. Patients often want to know it so that we address the root of their trouble and not just cut off the branches. This is deeply gratifying for those who want not only to know why, but also to have agency in how to control their disease. For example, if they believe the root cause of perioral dermatitis was excess yeast, then eating a “candida diet’’ should do the trick! Food sensitivities, hormones, and heavy metals round out the top suspects that root cause patients want to talk about.

Of course, patients have been asking about this for a long time, but lately, the root cause visit seems to be on trend. Check out any hip primary care start-up such as One Medical or any hot direct-to-consumer virtual offering such as ParsleyHealth and you will see root-cause everywhere. Our patients are expecting us to address it, or it seems they will find someone cooler who will.

Yet, it wasn’t the slick marketing team at ParsleyHeath who invented the “root cause doctor visit.” We did. It’s an idea that started with our Greek physician ancestors. Breaking from the diviners and priests, we were the first “naturalists” positing that there was a natural, not a divine cause for illness. The cardinal concept in the Hippocratic Corpus was that health was an equilibrium and illness an imbalance. They didn’t have dehydroepiandrosterone tests or mercury levels, but did have bodily fluids. Yellow bile, black bile, blood, and phlegm, were the root of all root causes. A physician simply had to identify which was in excess or deficient and fix that to cure the disease. Interestingly, the word “diagnosis” appears only once in the Corpus. The word “Diagignoskein” appears occasionally but this describes studying thoroughly, not naming a diagnosis as we understand it.

Advances in chemistry in the 17th century meant physicians could add new theories, and new root causes. Now alkaline or other chemical elixirs were added to cure at the source. Since there was no verifiable evidence to prove causes, theories were adopted to provide some rational direction to treatment. In the 18th century, physicians such as Dr. Benjamin Rush, one of the original faculty at the University of Pennsylvania school of medicine, taught that spasms of the arteries were the root cause of illnesses. “Heroic” treatments such as extreme bloodletting were the cure. (Note, those patients who survived us kept coming back to us for more).

Scientific knowledge and diagnostic technologies led to more and more complex and abstruse causes. Yet, as we became more precise and effective, our explanations became less satisfying to our patients. I can diagnose and readily treat perioral dermatitis, yet I’m hard pressed to give an answer to its root cause. “Root cause? Yes. Just apply this pimecrolimus cream for a couple of weeks and it’ll be better! All right, that’s it for me! Be good everybody!”

You’ll have to do better, George.

Dr. Benabio is director of Healthcare Transformation and chief of dermatology at Kaiser Permanente San Diego. The opinions expressed in this column are his own and do not represent those of Kaiser Permanente. Dr. Benabio is @Dermdoc on Twitter. Write to him at dermnews@mdedge.com

“How did we miss out on that?” “What?” my physician friend replied as we stood in line at the coffee cart. “Root cause. I mean, we invented this idea and now all these naturopaths and functional medicine quacks are gettin’ rich off it.” “Take it easy,” he says. “Just order a coffee.”

It’s hard not to be indignant. I had a morning clinic with three patients insisting I find the “root cause” of their problem. Now, if one had flagellate dermatitis after eating Asian mushroom soup, I’d have said “Root cause? Shiitake mushrooms!” and walked out like Costanza in Seinfeld, “All right, that’s it for me! Be good everybody!”

Alas no. They had perioral dermatitis, alopecia areata, eczema – no satisfying “roots” for walk-off answers.

There is a universal desire to find the proximal cause for problems. Patients often want to know it so that we address the root of their trouble and not just cut off the branches. This is deeply gratifying for those who want not only to know why, but also to have agency in how to control their disease. For example, if they believe the root cause of perioral dermatitis was excess yeast, then eating a “candida diet’’ should do the trick! Food sensitivities, hormones, and heavy metals round out the top suspects that root cause patients want to talk about.

Of course, patients have been asking about this for a long time, but lately, the root cause visit seems to be on trend. Check out any hip primary care start-up such as One Medical or any hot direct-to-consumer virtual offering such as ParsleyHealth and you will see root-cause everywhere. Our patients are expecting us to address it, or it seems they will find someone cooler who will.

Yet, it wasn’t the slick marketing team at ParsleyHeath who invented the “root cause doctor visit.” We did. It’s an idea that started with our Greek physician ancestors. Breaking from the diviners and priests, we were the first “naturalists” positing that there was a natural, not a divine cause for illness. The cardinal concept in the Hippocratic Corpus was that health was an equilibrium and illness an imbalance. They didn’t have dehydroepiandrosterone tests or mercury levels, but did have bodily fluids. Yellow bile, black bile, blood, and phlegm, were the root of all root causes. A physician simply had to identify which was in excess or deficient and fix that to cure the disease. Interestingly, the word “diagnosis” appears only once in the Corpus. The word “Diagignoskein” appears occasionally but this describes studying thoroughly, not naming a diagnosis as we understand it.

Advances in chemistry in the 17th century meant physicians could add new theories, and new root causes. Now alkaline or other chemical elixirs were added to cure at the source. Since there was no verifiable evidence to prove causes, theories were adopted to provide some rational direction to treatment. In the 18th century, physicians such as Dr. Benjamin Rush, one of the original faculty at the University of Pennsylvania school of medicine, taught that spasms of the arteries were the root cause of illnesses. “Heroic” treatments such as extreme bloodletting were the cure. (Note, those patients who survived us kept coming back to us for more).

Scientific knowledge and diagnostic technologies led to more and more complex and abstruse causes. Yet, as we became more precise and effective, our explanations became less satisfying to our patients. I can diagnose and readily treat perioral dermatitis, yet I’m hard pressed to give an answer to its root cause. “Root cause? Yes. Just apply this pimecrolimus cream for a couple of weeks and it’ll be better! All right, that’s it for me! Be good everybody!”

You’ll have to do better, George.

Dr. Benabio is director of Healthcare Transformation and chief of dermatology at Kaiser Permanente San Diego. The opinions expressed in this column are his own and do not represent those of Kaiser Permanente. Dr. Benabio is @Dermdoc on Twitter. Write to him at dermnews@mdedge.com

“How did we miss out on that?” “What?” my physician friend replied as we stood in line at the coffee cart. “Root cause. I mean, we invented this idea and now all these naturopaths and functional medicine quacks are gettin’ rich off it.” “Take it easy,” he says. “Just order a coffee.”

It’s hard not to be indignant. I had a morning clinic with three patients insisting I find the “root cause” of their problem. Now, if one had flagellate dermatitis after eating Asian mushroom soup, I’d have said “Root cause? Shiitake mushrooms!” and walked out like Costanza in Seinfeld, “All right, that’s it for me! Be good everybody!”

Alas no. They had perioral dermatitis, alopecia areata, eczema – no satisfying “roots” for walk-off answers.

There is a universal desire to find the proximal cause for problems. Patients often want to know it so that we address the root of their trouble and not just cut off the branches. This is deeply gratifying for those who want not only to know why, but also to have agency in how to control their disease. For example, if they believe the root cause of perioral dermatitis was excess yeast, then eating a “candida diet’’ should do the trick! Food sensitivities, hormones, and heavy metals round out the top suspects that root cause patients want to talk about.

Of course, patients have been asking about this for a long time, but lately, the root cause visit seems to be on trend. Check out any hip primary care start-up such as One Medical or any hot direct-to-consumer virtual offering such as ParsleyHealth and you will see root-cause everywhere. Our patients are expecting us to address it, or it seems they will find someone cooler who will.

Yet, it wasn’t the slick marketing team at ParsleyHeath who invented the “root cause doctor visit.” We did. It’s an idea that started with our Greek physician ancestors. Breaking from the diviners and priests, we were the first “naturalists” positing that there was a natural, not a divine cause for illness. The cardinal concept in the Hippocratic Corpus was that health was an equilibrium and illness an imbalance. They didn’t have dehydroepiandrosterone tests or mercury levels, but did have bodily fluids. Yellow bile, black bile, blood, and phlegm, were the root of all root causes. A physician simply had to identify which was in excess or deficient and fix that to cure the disease. Interestingly, the word “diagnosis” appears only once in the Corpus. The word “Diagignoskein” appears occasionally but this describes studying thoroughly, not naming a diagnosis as we understand it.

Advances in chemistry in the 17th century meant physicians could add new theories, and new root causes. Now alkaline or other chemical elixirs were added to cure at the source. Since there was no verifiable evidence to prove causes, theories were adopted to provide some rational direction to treatment. In the 18th century, physicians such as Dr. Benjamin Rush, one of the original faculty at the University of Pennsylvania school of medicine, taught that spasms of the arteries were the root cause of illnesses. “Heroic” treatments such as extreme bloodletting were the cure. (Note, those patients who survived us kept coming back to us for more).

Scientific knowledge and diagnostic technologies led to more and more complex and abstruse causes. Yet, as we became more precise and effective, our explanations became less satisfying to our patients. I can diagnose and readily treat perioral dermatitis, yet I’m hard pressed to give an answer to its root cause. “Root cause? Yes. Just apply this pimecrolimus cream for a couple of weeks and it’ll be better! All right, that’s it for me! Be good everybody!”

You’ll have to do better, George.

Dr. Benabio is director of Healthcare Transformation and chief of dermatology at Kaiser Permanente San Diego. The opinions expressed in this column are his own and do not represent those of Kaiser Permanente. Dr. Benabio is @Dermdoc on Twitter. Write to him at dermnews@mdedge.com

Does Instagram make new moms feel inadequate? Yes, suggests a new study that warns images of new mothers on social media may drive body dissatisfaction and feelings of not being good enough. 

Lead researcher Megan Gow, PhD, a National Health and Medical Research Council early career fellow at the University of Sydney Children’s Hospital Westmead Clinical School, says she wanted to find out if Instagram images reflected the actual population of postpartum women. 

“We were concerned images would be idealized, placing postpartum women, who are already a vulnerable group, at increased risk,” she says.  

The findings, published recently in the journal Healthcare, suggest social media may not be the right platform to target health messages to new moms.
 

A vulnerable time

The months after an infant’s birth are a vulnerable time for new moms. Women contend with huge hormone shifts, sleep deprivation, and a major life change – all while caring for a new child.

A 2021 Nestle study found 32% of parents feel isolated, while a 2017 online poll in the United Kingdom found 54% of new moms felt “friendless.” And according to the American Psychological Association, up to one in seven new mothers will face postpartum depression, while 9% will have posttraumatic stress disorder, according to Postpartum Support International. 

The pandemic may have worsened the isolation new mothers feel. A May 2022 study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research found U.S. rates of postpartum depression rose in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While new motherhood was stressful enough in the analog age, women today must contend with social media, which increases feelings of isolation. A June 2021 study published in Frontiers in Psychology said social media users between the ages of 26 and 35 reported higher rates of loneliness. That’s in line with Dr. Gow’s study, which noted 39% of Instagram’s monthly active users are women between the ages of 18 and 44. And nearly two-thirds of them – 63% – log onto the platform daily.

“The postpartum phase can feel very isolated, and being vocal about the postpartum shifts that all mothers go through helps set expectations and normalize the experience for those of us who are post partum,” says Catie de Montille, 36, a mother of two in Washington, D.C. 
 

Instagram sets the wrong expectations

Instagram sets unreasonable expectations for new mothers, Dr. Gow and her colleagues found in their study. 

She and her fellow researchers analyzed 600 posts that used #postpartumbody, a hashtag that had been posted on Instagram more than 2 million times by October 2022. Other hashtags like #mombod and #postbabybody have been used 1.9 million and 320,000 times, respectively.

Of the 600 posts, 409 (68%) focused on a woman as the central image. The researchers analyzed those 409 posts to find out if they reflected women’s post-childbirth reality.

They found that more than 9 in 10 posts (91%) showed women who appeared to have low body fat (37%) or average body fat (54%). Only 9% showed women who seemed to be overweight. And the researchers also found just 5% of images showed features commonly associated with a postpartum body, like stretch marks or scars from cesarean sections. 

Women need to be aware that “what is posted on Instagram may not be realistic and is not representative of the vast majority of women in the postpartum period,” Dr. Gow says. 

The images also did not portray women as physically strong.

Dr. Gow’s team examined 250 images for signs of muscularity. More than half, 52%, showed few or no defined muscles. That finding came even though more than half of the original 409 images showed women in fitness attire (40%), underwear (8%), or a bathing suit (5%).

According to Emily Fortney, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist in Sacramento, Calif., the study shows that health care workers must work harder to set expectations for new moms. 

“This is a deeper issue of how women are overall portrayed in the media and the pressure we face to return to some unrealistic size,” she says. “We need to be encouraging women to not focus on photos, but to focus on the postpartum experience in an all-encompassing way that includes both physical and mental health.”
 

Childbirth as an illness to overcome? 

While retail brands from Nike to Versace have begun to show a wider range of female shapes in advertisements and on the runway, postpartum women seem to be left out of this movement. Dr. Gow and her fellow researchers referred to a 2012 study that examined images in popular Australian magazines and concluded these photos likened the pregnant body to an illness from which women needed to recover. 

The images posted on Instagram indicate that belief is still pervasive. The images of postpartum women in fitness clothes suggest “that women want to be seen to be exercising as a means of breaking the ‘hold’ that pregnancy had on them or ‘repairing’ their postpartum body,” Dr. Gow and her fellow researchers say. 

New Orleans resident Sydney Neal, 32, a mother of two who gave birth to her youngest child in November 2021, said social media helped shape her view of what “recovery” would be like.

While Ms. Neal said some celebrities like Chrissy Teigen, a mother of two, have “kept it very real” on Instagram, she also “saw a lot of women on social media drop [their weight] quickly and post as if they were back to normal much faster than 6 months.”
 

Body-positive tools for new moms 

Dr. Gow is continuing to study this topic. Her team is currently doing a study that will ask women about social media use, how they feel about their bodies, and how their beliefs change after viewing images tagged with #postpartumbody. (Women with children under the age of 2 can access the survey here.) 

Because of the unrealistic images, Dr. Gow and her team said Instagram may not be a good tool for sharing health information with new moms.

But there are other options. 

Ms. de Montille, whose children were born in 2020 and 2022, used apps like Back to You and Expectful, and she follows Karrie Locher, a postpartum and neonatal nurse and certified lactation counselor, on Instagram. She said these tools focus on the mind/body connection, which “is better than focusing on the size of your jeans.” 

Women also should be able to turn to trusted health care professionals.

“Providers can start speaking about the romanticization of pregnancy and motherhood starting in prenatal care, and they can start speaking more about social media use and the pros and cons of use specifically in the perinatal period,” says Dr. Fortney. “This opens the door to a discussion on a wide range of issues that can actually help assess, prevent, and treat perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.”

Ms. Neal, the mother of two in New Orleans, said she wished her doctor had talked to her more about what to expect after giving birth. 

“I don’t really know how to crack the body image nut, but I think starting in a medical setting might be helpful,” she says.

A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.

Does Instagram make new moms feel inadequate? Yes, suggests a new study that warns images of new mothers on social media may drive body dissatisfaction and feelings of not being good enough. 

Lead researcher Megan Gow, PhD, a National Health and Medical Research Council early career fellow at the University of Sydney Children’s Hospital Westmead Clinical School, says she wanted to find out if Instagram images reflected the actual population of postpartum women. 

“We were concerned images would be idealized, placing postpartum women, who are already a vulnerable group, at increased risk,” she says.  

The findings, published recently in the journal Healthcare, suggest social media may not be the right platform to target health messages to new moms.
 

A vulnerable time

The months after an infant’s birth are a vulnerable time for new moms. Women contend with huge hormone shifts, sleep deprivation, and a major life change – all while caring for a new child.

A 2021 Nestle study found 32% of parents feel isolated, while a 2017 online poll in the United Kingdom found 54% of new moms felt “friendless.” And according to the American Psychological Association, up to one in seven new mothers will face postpartum depression, while 9% will have posttraumatic stress disorder, according to Postpartum Support International. 

The pandemic may have worsened the isolation new mothers feel. A May 2022 study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research found U.S. rates of postpartum depression rose in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While new motherhood was stressful enough in the analog age, women today must contend with social media, which increases feelings of isolation. A June 2021 study published in Frontiers in Psychology said social media users between the ages of 26 and 35 reported higher rates of loneliness. That’s in line with Dr. Gow’s study, which noted 39% of Instagram’s monthly active users are women between the ages of 18 and 44. And nearly two-thirds of them – 63% – log onto the platform daily.

“The postpartum phase can feel very isolated, and being vocal about the postpartum shifts that all mothers go through helps set expectations and normalize the experience for those of us who are post partum,” says Catie de Montille, 36, a mother of two in Washington, D.C. 
 

Instagram sets the wrong expectations

Instagram sets unreasonable expectations for new mothers, Dr. Gow and her colleagues found in their study. 

She and her fellow researchers analyzed 600 posts that used #postpartumbody, a hashtag that had been posted on Instagram more than 2 million times by October 2022. Other hashtags like #mombod and #postbabybody have been used 1.9 million and 320,000 times, respectively.

Of the 600 posts, 409 (68%) focused on a woman as the central image. The researchers analyzed those 409 posts to find out if they reflected women’s post-childbirth reality.

They found that more than 9 in 10 posts (91%) showed women who appeared to have low body fat (37%) or average body fat (54%). Only 9% showed women who seemed to be overweight. And the researchers also found just 5% of images showed features commonly associated with a postpartum body, like stretch marks or scars from cesarean sections. 

Women need to be aware that “what is posted on Instagram may not be realistic and is not representative of the vast majority of women in the postpartum period,” Dr. Gow says. 

The images also did not portray women as physically strong.

Dr. Gow’s team examined 250 images for signs of muscularity. More than half, 52%, showed few or no defined muscles. That finding came even though more than half of the original 409 images showed women in fitness attire (40%), underwear (8%), or a bathing suit (5%).

According to Emily Fortney, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist in Sacramento, Calif., the study shows that health care workers must work harder to set expectations for new moms. 

“This is a deeper issue of how women are overall portrayed in the media and the pressure we face to return to some unrealistic size,” she says. “We need to be encouraging women to not focus on photos, but to focus on the postpartum experience in an all-encompassing way that includes both physical and mental health.”
 

Childbirth as an illness to overcome? 

While retail brands from Nike to Versace have begun to show a wider range of female shapes in advertisements and on the runway, postpartum women seem to be left out of this movement. Dr. Gow and her fellow researchers referred to a 2012 study that examined images in popular Australian magazines and concluded these photos likened the pregnant body to an illness from which women needed to recover. 

The images posted on Instagram indicate that belief is still pervasive. The images of postpartum women in fitness clothes suggest “that women want to be seen to be exercising as a means of breaking the ‘hold’ that pregnancy had on them or ‘repairing’ their postpartum body,” Dr. Gow and her fellow researchers say. 

New Orleans resident Sydney Neal, 32, a mother of two who gave birth to her youngest child in November 2021, said social media helped shape her view of what “recovery” would be like.

While Ms. Neal said some celebrities like Chrissy Teigen, a mother of two, have “kept it very real” on Instagram, she also “saw a lot of women on social media drop [their weight] quickly and post as if they were back to normal much faster than 6 months.”
 

Body-positive tools for new moms 

Dr. Gow is continuing to study this topic. Her team is currently doing a study that will ask women about social media use, how they feel about their bodies, and how their beliefs change after viewing images tagged with #postpartumbody. (Women with children under the age of 2 can access the survey here.) 

Because of the unrealistic images, Dr. Gow and her team said Instagram may not be a good tool for sharing health information with new moms.

But there are other options. 

Ms. de Montille, whose children were born in 2020 and 2022, used apps like Back to You and Expectful, and she follows Karrie Locher, a postpartum and neonatal nurse and certified lactation counselor, on Instagram. She said these tools focus on the mind/body connection, which “is better than focusing on the size of your jeans.” 

Women also should be able to turn to trusted health care professionals.

“Providers can start speaking about the romanticization of pregnancy and motherhood starting in prenatal care, and they can start speaking more about social media use and the pros and cons of use specifically in the perinatal period,” says Dr. Fortney. “This opens the door to a discussion on a wide range of issues that can actually help assess, prevent, and treat perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.”

Ms. Neal, the mother of two in New Orleans, said she wished her doctor had talked to her more about what to expect after giving birth. 

“I don’t really know how to crack the body image nut, but I think starting in a medical setting might be helpful,” she says.

A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.

Does Instagram make new moms feel inadequate? Yes, suggests a new study that warns images of new mothers on social media may drive body dissatisfaction and feelings of not being good enough. 

Lead researcher Megan Gow, PhD, a National Health and Medical Research Council early career fellow at the University of Sydney Children’s Hospital Westmead Clinical School, says she wanted to find out if Instagram images reflected the actual population of postpartum women. 

“We were concerned images would be idealized, placing postpartum women, who are already a vulnerable group, at increased risk,” she says.  

The findings, published recently in the journal Healthcare, suggest social media may not be the right platform to target health messages to new moms.
 

A vulnerable time

The months after an infant’s birth are a vulnerable time for new moms. Women contend with huge hormone shifts, sleep deprivation, and a major life change – all while caring for a new child.

A 2021 Nestle study found 32% of parents feel isolated, while a 2017 online poll in the United Kingdom found 54% of new moms felt “friendless.” And according to the American Psychological Association, up to one in seven new mothers will face postpartum depression, while 9% will have posttraumatic stress disorder, according to Postpartum Support International. 

The pandemic may have worsened the isolation new mothers feel. A May 2022 study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research found U.S. rates of postpartum depression rose in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While new motherhood was stressful enough in the analog age, women today must contend with social media, which increases feelings of isolation. A June 2021 study published in Frontiers in Psychology said social media users between the ages of 26 and 35 reported higher rates of loneliness. That’s in line with Dr. Gow’s study, which noted 39% of Instagram’s monthly active users are women between the ages of 18 and 44. And nearly two-thirds of them – 63% – log onto the platform daily.

“The postpartum phase can feel very isolated, and being vocal about the postpartum shifts that all mothers go through helps set expectations and normalize the experience for those of us who are post partum,” says Catie de Montille, 36, a mother of two in Washington, D.C. 
 

Instagram sets the wrong expectations

Instagram sets unreasonable expectations for new mothers, Dr. Gow and her colleagues found in their study. 

She and her fellow researchers analyzed 600 posts that used #postpartumbody, a hashtag that had been posted on Instagram more than 2 million times by October 2022. Other hashtags like #mombod and #postbabybody have been used 1.9 million and 320,000 times, respectively.

Of the 600 posts, 409 (68%) focused on a woman as the central image. The researchers analyzed those 409 posts to find out if they reflected women’s post-childbirth reality.

They found that more than 9 in 10 posts (91%) showed women who appeared to have low body fat (37%) or average body fat (54%). Only 9% showed women who seemed to be overweight. And the researchers also found just 5% of images showed features commonly associated with a postpartum body, like stretch marks or scars from cesarean sections. 

Women need to be aware that “what is posted on Instagram may not be realistic and is not representative of the vast majority of women in the postpartum period,” Dr. Gow says. 

The images also did not portray women as physically strong.

Dr. Gow’s team examined 250 images for signs of muscularity. More than half, 52%, showed few or no defined muscles. That finding came even though more than half of the original 409 images showed women in fitness attire (40%), underwear (8%), or a bathing suit (5%).

According to Emily Fortney, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist in Sacramento, Calif., the study shows that health care workers must work harder to set expectations for new moms. 

“This is a deeper issue of how women are overall portrayed in the media and the pressure we face to return to some unrealistic size,” she says. “We need to be encouraging women to not focus on photos, but to focus on the postpartum experience in an all-encompassing way that includes both physical and mental health.”
 

Childbirth as an illness to overcome? 

While retail brands from Nike to Versace have begun to show a wider range of female shapes in advertisements and on the runway, postpartum women seem to be left out of this movement. Dr. Gow and her fellow researchers referred to a 2012 study that examined images in popular Australian magazines and concluded these photos likened the pregnant body to an illness from which women needed to recover. 

The images posted on Instagram indicate that belief is still pervasive. The images of postpartum women in fitness clothes suggest “that women want to be seen to be exercising as a means of breaking the ‘hold’ that pregnancy had on them or ‘repairing’ their postpartum body,” Dr. Gow and her fellow researchers say. 

New Orleans resident Sydney Neal, 32, a mother of two who gave birth to her youngest child in November 2021, said social media helped shape her view of what “recovery” would be like.

While Ms. Neal said some celebrities like Chrissy Teigen, a mother of two, have “kept it very real” on Instagram, she also “saw a lot of women on social media drop [their weight] quickly and post as if they were back to normal much faster than 6 months.”
 

Body-positive tools for new moms 

Dr. Gow is continuing to study this topic. Her team is currently doing a study that will ask women about social media use, how they feel about their bodies, and how their beliefs change after viewing images tagged with #postpartumbody. (Women with children under the age of 2 can access the survey here.) 

Because of the unrealistic images, Dr. Gow and her team said Instagram may not be a good tool for sharing health information with new moms.

But there are other options. 

Ms. de Montille, whose children were born in 2020 and 2022, used apps like Back to You and Expectful, and she follows Karrie Locher, a postpartum and neonatal nurse and certified lactation counselor, on Instagram. She said these tools focus on the mind/body connection, which “is better than focusing on the size of your jeans.” 

Women also should be able to turn to trusted health care professionals.

“Providers can start speaking about the romanticization of pregnancy and motherhood starting in prenatal care, and they can start speaking more about social media use and the pros and cons of use specifically in the perinatal period,” says Dr. Fortney. “This opens the door to a discussion on a wide range of issues that can actually help assess, prevent, and treat perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.”

Ms. Neal, the mother of two in New Orleans, said she wished her doctor had talked to her more about what to expect after giving birth. 

“I don’t really know how to crack the body image nut, but I think starting in a medical setting might be helpful,” she says.

A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.

Do doctors, who typically earn a high salary, focus on living in the moment or saving for the future, or a financially healthy combination of both? In a poll that ran from August 30 to Sept. 21, conducted by Medscape, physicians were asked if they lived within their means. They were asked whether they pay their bills on time, save at least 20% of their monthly income toward retirement, pay down student loan debt, and contribute to their kids’ college savings or a rainy-day emergency fund.

Medscape polled 468 U.S. physicians and 159 living outside of the United States. Eighty-nine percent of U.S. respondents report living within their means, while only 11% said they don’t.

Medscape’s Physician Wealth & Debt Report 2022 similarly reported that of 13,000 physicians in more than 29 specialties, 94% said they live at or below their means.

For example, over half of physicians have a net worth above $1 million. In contrast, according to Credit Suisse’s Global Wealth Report, less than 7% of the general population has a seven-figure net worth.

So just how do physicians stack up financially?
 

Habits of physician super savers

Physicians who consider themselves savers likely have money habits that correlate. They buy things on sale, are DIYers for home projects and maintenance, and wait to buy luxury or large expenses when the timing is right, an item is on sale, or they’ve saved for it.

For example, when it comes to life’s luxuries like buying a new car or dining out, overall, physicians seem to be more frugal, as 43% of those who buy cars said they only buy a new car every 10 years; 30% said they buy a new vehicle every 6-7 years, and 22% said every 4-5 years.

When asked about weekly dine-out or delivery habits, 82% of those polled who said they dine out, or order takeout, do so a nominal 1-2 times per week. That’s on par with the Centers for Disease Control, which reports that 3 in 5 Americans eat out once weekly. Another 14% of polled physicians said they dine out 3-5 nights per week. Only 4% revealed they eat out or grab to-go food more than 5 nights a week.

When hiring for essential home maintenance, like house cleaning and pool or lawn service, almost a third of physicians we polled who require such maintenance employ a service for these tasks, and 23% hire out often while 21% hire out only sometimes. However, 14% say they rarely hire out for home maintenance, and 11% never do.

Since physicians are typically tight on time, they tend to favor outsourcing things like housecleaning, lawn service, landscaping, maintenance, and even cooking. So, the fact that a quarter of physicians polled rarely or never hire out for household help is somewhat surprising.

Most physicians also prioritize saving. When asked how important it is to save money consistently, 93% think it’s either extremely or very important, while only 6% think it’s somewhat important.
 

Barriers to wealth

When asked what barriers prevent them from saving at least 20% of their monthly income, physician respondents who said they live within their means and encountered barriers reported that family necessities (35%), student loan debt (19%), and mortgage sizes (18%) were the top reasons. The average doctor earns five times as much as the average American, according to the Global Wealth Report.

“What prevents me from saving is holding too much debt, responsibilities at home, bills, being unprepared for what is coming, and making excuses to spend even when it’s not necessary,” says Sean Ormond, MD, a dual board-certified physician in Anesthesiology and Pain Management in Phoenix.

When physician respondents who said they didn’t live within their means were asked about the barriers preventing them from saving at least 20% of their monthly income, they cited the cost of family necessities (49%), the size of their mortgage (47%), credit card debt (30%), student loan debt (21%), other loans (15%), and car lease/loan (13%).

“My most significant financial splurge is vacation, since I always choose the best, and the best comes at an extra cost,” says Dr. Ormond.
 

What’s your financial grade?

Finally, physicians were asked who they considered better at saving money, themselves or their spouse/domestic partner. Forty-four percent think they are the better saver, whereas 41% said that both they and their partner were equally good at saving. Thirteen percent credited their partner with better saving habits, and 2% said neither themselves nor their partner were good at saving money.

More than half (63%) of physicians polled pay off their credit card balance monthly, but 18% carry a $1,000-$5,000 balance, 10% have $5,000-$10,000 in credit card debt, and 6% hold more than $10,000 of credit card debt.

“I would grade myself with a B, because however much I love having the best, I still have a budget, and I always ensure that I follow it to the dot,” says Dr. Ormond.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Do doctors, who typically earn a high salary, focus on living in the moment or saving for the future, or a financially healthy combination of both? In a poll that ran from August 30 to Sept. 21, conducted by Medscape, physicians were asked if they lived within their means. They were asked whether they pay their bills on time, save at least 20% of their monthly income toward retirement, pay down student loan debt, and contribute to their kids’ college savings or a rainy-day emergency fund.

Medscape polled 468 U.S. physicians and 159 living outside of the United States. Eighty-nine percent of U.S. respondents report living within their means, while only 11% said they don’t.

Medscape’s Physician Wealth & Debt Report 2022 similarly reported that of 13,000 physicians in more than 29 specialties, 94% said they live at or below their means.

For example, over half of physicians have a net worth above $1 million. In contrast, according to Credit Suisse’s Global Wealth Report, less than 7% of the general population has a seven-figure net worth.

So just how do physicians stack up financially?
 

Habits of physician super savers

Physicians who consider themselves savers likely have money habits that correlate. They buy things on sale, are DIYers for home projects and maintenance, and wait to buy luxury or large expenses when the timing is right, an item is on sale, or they’ve saved for it.

For example, when it comes to life’s luxuries like buying a new car or dining out, overall, physicians seem to be more frugal, as 43% of those who buy cars said they only buy a new car every 10 years; 30% said they buy a new vehicle every 6-7 years, and 22% said every 4-5 years.

When asked about weekly dine-out or delivery habits, 82% of those polled who said they dine out, or order takeout, do so a nominal 1-2 times per week. That’s on par with the Centers for Disease Control, which reports that 3 in 5 Americans eat out once weekly. Another 14% of polled physicians said they dine out 3-5 nights per week. Only 4% revealed they eat out or grab to-go food more than 5 nights a week.

When hiring for essential home maintenance, like house cleaning and pool or lawn service, almost a third of physicians we polled who require such maintenance employ a service for these tasks, and 23% hire out often while 21% hire out only sometimes. However, 14% say they rarely hire out for home maintenance, and 11% never do.

Since physicians are typically tight on time, they tend to favor outsourcing things like housecleaning, lawn service, landscaping, maintenance, and even cooking. So, the fact that a quarter of physicians polled rarely or never hire out for household help is somewhat surprising.

Most physicians also prioritize saving. When asked how important it is to save money consistently, 93% think it’s either extremely or very important, while only 6% think it’s somewhat important.
 

Barriers to wealth

When asked what barriers prevent them from saving at least 20% of their monthly income, physician respondents who said they live within their means and encountered barriers reported that family necessities (35%), student loan debt (19%), and mortgage sizes (18%) were the top reasons. The average doctor earns five times as much as the average American, according to the Global Wealth Report.

“What prevents me from saving is holding too much debt, responsibilities at home, bills, being unprepared for what is coming, and making excuses to spend even when it’s not necessary,” says Sean Ormond, MD, a dual board-certified physician in Anesthesiology and Pain Management in Phoenix.

When physician respondents who said they didn’t live within their means were asked about the barriers preventing them from saving at least 20% of their monthly income, they cited the cost of family necessities (49%), the size of their mortgage (47%), credit card debt (30%), student loan debt (21%), other loans (15%), and car lease/loan (13%).

“My most significant financial splurge is vacation, since I always choose the best, and the best comes at an extra cost,” says Dr. Ormond.
 

What’s your financial grade?

Finally, physicians were asked who they considered better at saving money, themselves or their spouse/domestic partner. Forty-four percent think they are the better saver, whereas 41% said that both they and their partner were equally good at saving. Thirteen percent credited their partner with better saving habits, and 2% said neither themselves nor their partner were good at saving money.

More than half (63%) of physicians polled pay off their credit card balance monthly, but 18% carry a $1,000-$5,000 balance, 10% have $5,000-$10,000 in credit card debt, and 6% hold more than $10,000 of credit card debt.

“I would grade myself with a B, because however much I love having the best, I still have a budget, and I always ensure that I follow it to the dot,” says Dr. Ormond.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Do doctors, who typically earn a high salary, focus on living in the moment or saving for the future, or a financially healthy combination of both? In a poll that ran from August 30 to Sept. 21, conducted by Medscape, physicians were asked if they lived within their means. They were asked whether they pay their bills on time, save at least 20% of their monthly income toward retirement, pay down student loan debt, and contribute to their kids’ college savings or a rainy-day emergency fund.

Medscape polled 468 U.S. physicians and 159 living outside of the United States. Eighty-nine percent of U.S. respondents report living within their means, while only 11% said they don’t.

Medscape’s Physician Wealth & Debt Report 2022 similarly reported that of 13,000 physicians in more than 29 specialties, 94% said they live at or below their means.

For example, over half of physicians have a net worth above $1 million. In contrast, according to Credit Suisse’s Global Wealth Report, less than 7% of the general population has a seven-figure net worth.

So just how do physicians stack up financially?
 

Habits of physician super savers

Physicians who consider themselves savers likely have money habits that correlate. They buy things on sale, are DIYers for home projects and maintenance, and wait to buy luxury or large expenses when the timing is right, an item is on sale, or they’ve saved for it.

For example, when it comes to life’s luxuries like buying a new car or dining out, overall, physicians seem to be more frugal, as 43% of those who buy cars said they only buy a new car every 10 years; 30% said they buy a new vehicle every 6-7 years, and 22% said every 4-5 years.

When asked about weekly dine-out or delivery habits, 82% of those polled who said they dine out, or order takeout, do so a nominal 1-2 times per week. That’s on par with the Centers for Disease Control, which reports that 3 in 5 Americans eat out once weekly. Another 14% of polled physicians said they dine out 3-5 nights per week. Only 4% revealed they eat out or grab to-go food more than 5 nights a week.

When hiring for essential home maintenance, like house cleaning and pool or lawn service, almost a third of physicians we polled who require such maintenance employ a service for these tasks, and 23% hire out often while 21% hire out only sometimes. However, 14% say they rarely hire out for home maintenance, and 11% never do.

Since physicians are typically tight on time, they tend to favor outsourcing things like housecleaning, lawn service, landscaping, maintenance, and even cooking. So, the fact that a quarter of physicians polled rarely or never hire out for household help is somewhat surprising.

Most physicians also prioritize saving. When asked how important it is to save money consistently, 93% think it’s either extremely or very important, while only 6% think it’s somewhat important.
 

Barriers to wealth

When asked what barriers prevent them from saving at least 20% of their monthly income, physician respondents who said they live within their means and encountered barriers reported that family necessities (35%), student loan debt (19%), and mortgage sizes (18%) were the top reasons. The average doctor earns five times as much as the average American, according to the Global Wealth Report.

“What prevents me from saving is holding too much debt, responsibilities at home, bills, being unprepared for what is coming, and making excuses to spend even when it’s not necessary,” says Sean Ormond, MD, a dual board-certified physician in Anesthesiology and Pain Management in Phoenix.

When physician respondents who said they didn’t live within their means were asked about the barriers preventing them from saving at least 20% of their monthly income, they cited the cost of family necessities (49%), the size of their mortgage (47%), credit card debt (30%), student loan debt (21%), other loans (15%), and car lease/loan (13%).

“My most significant financial splurge is vacation, since I always choose the best, and the best comes at an extra cost,” says Dr. Ormond.
 

What’s your financial grade?

Finally, physicians were asked who they considered better at saving money, themselves or their spouse/domestic partner. Forty-four percent think they are the better saver, whereas 41% said that both they and their partner were equally good at saving. Thirteen percent credited their partner with better saving habits, and 2% said neither themselves nor their partner were good at saving money.

More than half (63%) of physicians polled pay off their credit card balance monthly, but 18% carry a $1,000-$5,000 balance, 10% have $5,000-$10,000 in credit card debt, and 6% hold more than $10,000 of credit card debt.

“I would grade myself with a B, because however much I love having the best, I still have a budget, and I always ensure that I follow it to the dot,” says Dr. Ormond.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

The emerging COVID-19 variant BQ.1 and one of its descendants now account for more than 1 in 10 cases in the United States, according to the CDC’s latest data.

Just 1 month ago, the variant accounted for less than 1% of cases.

“When you get variants like that, you look at what their rate of increase is as a relative proportion of the variants, and this has a pretty troublesome doubling time,” Anthony Fauci, MD, said in an interview with CBS News. Dr. Fauci is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and also the chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden.

There are also concerning features of the BQ.1 variant, which include mutations that could potentially escape vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. 

Currently, the most widespread variant in the U.S. is the Omicron subvariant known as BA.5, which accounts for 68% of all infections. One of the go-to treatments for BA.5 infections is monoclonal antibodies, which may not be as effective when fighting the up-and-coming strains of BQ.1 and its descendant BQ.1.1, according to experts.  

“That’s the reason why people are concerned about BQ.1.1, for the double reason of its doubling time and the fact that it seems to elude important monoclonal antibodies,” Dr. Fauci told CBS News. 

Currently, BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 appear most widespread in the New York and New Jersey region, accounting for nearly 20% of infections there, according to the CDC. 

But because the new variant is a descendant of Omicron, Dr. Fauci said the currently available booster shots are still the best first line of protection against this up-and-coming threat.

“The bad news is that there’s a new variant that’s emerging and that has qualities or characteristics that could evade some of the interventions we have. But, the somewhat encouraging news is that it’s a BA.5 sub-lineage, so there is almost certainly going to be some cross-protection that you can boost up,” he said.

A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.

The emerging COVID-19 variant BQ.1 and one of its descendants now account for more than 1 in 10 cases in the United States, according to the CDC’s latest data.

Just 1 month ago, the variant accounted for less than 1% of cases.

“When you get variants like that, you look at what their rate of increase is as a relative proportion of the variants, and this has a pretty troublesome doubling time,” Anthony Fauci, MD, said in an interview with CBS News. Dr. Fauci is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and also the chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden.

There are also concerning features of the BQ.1 variant, which include mutations that could potentially escape vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. 

Currently, the most widespread variant in the U.S. is the Omicron subvariant known as BA.5, which accounts for 68% of all infections. One of the go-to treatments for BA.5 infections is monoclonal antibodies, which may not be as effective when fighting the up-and-coming strains of BQ.1 and its descendant BQ.1.1, according to experts.  

“That’s the reason why people are concerned about BQ.1.1, for the double reason of its doubling time and the fact that it seems to elude important monoclonal antibodies,” Dr. Fauci told CBS News. 

Currently, BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 appear most widespread in the New York and New Jersey region, accounting for nearly 20% of infections there, according to the CDC. 

But because the new variant is a descendant of Omicron, Dr. Fauci said the currently available booster shots are still the best first line of protection against this up-and-coming threat.

“The bad news is that there’s a new variant that’s emerging and that has qualities or characteristics that could evade some of the interventions we have. But, the somewhat encouraging news is that it’s a BA.5 sub-lineage, so there is almost certainly going to be some cross-protection that you can boost up,” he said.

A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.

The emerging COVID-19 variant BQ.1 and one of its descendants now account for more than 1 in 10 cases in the United States, according to the CDC’s latest data.

Just 1 month ago, the variant accounted for less than 1% of cases.

“When you get variants like that, you look at what their rate of increase is as a relative proportion of the variants, and this has a pretty troublesome doubling time,” Anthony Fauci, MD, said in an interview with CBS News. Dr. Fauci is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and also the chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden.

There are also concerning features of the BQ.1 variant, which include mutations that could potentially escape vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. 

Currently, the most widespread variant in the U.S. is the Omicron subvariant known as BA.5, which accounts for 68% of all infections. One of the go-to treatments for BA.5 infections is monoclonal antibodies, which may not be as effective when fighting the up-and-coming strains of BQ.1 and its descendant BQ.1.1, according to experts.  

“That’s the reason why people are concerned about BQ.1.1, for the double reason of its doubling time and the fact that it seems to elude important monoclonal antibodies,” Dr. Fauci told CBS News. 

Currently, BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 appear most widespread in the New York and New Jersey region, accounting for nearly 20% of infections there, according to the CDC. 

But because the new variant is a descendant of Omicron, Dr. Fauci said the currently available booster shots are still the best first line of protection against this up-and-coming threat.

“The bad news is that there’s a new variant that’s emerging and that has qualities or characteristics that could evade some of the interventions we have. But, the somewhat encouraging news is that it’s a BA.5 sub-lineage, so there is almost certainly going to be some cross-protection that you can boost up,” he said.

A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.

MADRID – Because of the hormone changes that occur throughout their lives, women experience sleep problems that differ significantly from those experienced by men. Indeed, 75%-84% of pregnant women don’t sleep well during the third trimester, and up to 80% of women in menopause have symptoms that prevent them from getting a good night’s rest. For those seeking a precision medicine approach, the challenge is to identify the relationship between the different sex-related phenotypes and the sleep conditions.

Irene Cano, MD, PhD, is the coordinator of the sleep department at the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery. She spoke with this news organization about the significant impact of hormones on sleep disorders in women.

“Reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone play a meaningful role in brain functions – not only those linked to the regulation of reproduction but also other physiological processes related to the regulation of circadian rhythms, cognitive performance, mood, and sleep. In addition, other hormones – for example, prolactin, growth hormone, cortisol, and melatonin – have sex-dependent effects on sleep,” Dr. Cano said.

Girls start puberty at a younger age than boys. As girls enter adolescence, they go to bed later and waking up earlier. So, girls are getting less than the 10 hours of sleep that they should be getting at this stage of life. The result is sleep debt, which gives rise to various problems: poor academic performance, ADHD, obesity, and metabolic problems, to name a few. As Ariadna Farré, RN, a sleep unit nurse, noted at SEPAR’s Joint Winter Meeting, “schools would have to start morning classes later to get adolescents to perform well academically. As the situation is now, half of the kids are falling asleep at their desks.”
 

Influencing sleep quality

Dr. Cano explained the issue as follows: “In adolescence, along with changes in young women’s hormone levels, we begin to see differences between the sexes. The changes in levels of estrogens and progesterone are what’s responsible for the changes that, to some extent, cause those disturbances in the quality of our sleep and in the stages of our sleep.”

Thus, sleep can be affected by the changes in hormone level that occur during a menstrual cycle. Estrogens, which increase during the follicular phase, are associated with REM sleep, while progesterone, which increases during the luteal phase, increases non-REM sleep. “In the 3-6 days prior to menstruation, it’s quite common for a woman to report difficulties falling asleep and staying asleep, in connection with a decline in the percentage of time she spends in REM sleep, in the context of premenstrual syndrome. In addition,” Dr. Cano pointed out, “menstrual bleeding, that loss of blood, is associated with a drop in iron levels, making it more likely that the woman will experience restless legs syndrome.”
 

Cardiovascular system

This news organization also spoke with Milagros Merino, MD, PhD, president of the Spanish Sleep Society. “The consequences that lack of sleep have on the cardiovascular system – we’re essentially talking about certain arrhythmias, high blood pressure, thrombosis in some cases, stroke, and heart attack. Lack of sleep also gives rise to endocrine and metabolic issues, like overweight and being at a greater risk of developing diabetes. And as for mental health, we see, among other things, attention and memory problems, emotional lability, and irascibility. Numerous studies have confirmed all of this.”

Sleep apnea also deserves mention, Dr. Merino added. “Although this disorder is more common in men, we’re seeing it more and more now in women, along with the cardiovascular issues that it brings about.”

Another cardiovascular risk factor is insomnia, said Dr. Merino. “This sleep disorder is more prevalent in women. As hormones constantly change, the ways women sleep constantly change, from one stage of life to the next. They sleep one way in childhood, another way in adolescence, and yet another way in menopause.”
 

Sleep in pregnancy

During pregnancy, hormone changes are much more pronounced. During the first trimester, progesterone levels increase, making the woman drowsy. On top of that, her sleep is interrupted by more frequent visits to the bathroom as well as greater general discomfort.

In the second trimester, sleep interruptions persist but are not as bad as they were during the first 3 months. In the third trimester, 75%-84% of pregnant women find it difficult to sleep because of aches and pains, the need to urinate during the night, cramps, and heartburn.

“Major physical changes are happening. When the bladder gets compressed, the woman has to get up and go to the bathroom. There’s an interruption in her sleep,” Ms. Farré explained. In addition, as the pregnancy progresses, the woman gains weight and her body mass index (BMI) increases, which can bring on obstructive sleep apnea, high blood pressure, preeclampsia, and diabetes, if not closely monitored.

Other factors include concomitant treatments, such as contraceptives, and the stages of life, such as pregnancy and lactation. “When a woman of childbearing age has restless legs syndrome, more often than not, this means that she has an iron deficiency that needs to be treated with oral iron supplements,” said Dr. Merino. “However, there are few medications that can be given to a pregnant woman – and RLS is relatively common during pregnancy. So, we have to turn to oral or intravenous iron supplements. Yet another matter is narcolepsy. In these cases, all medications have to be stopped during pregnancy and lactation, as they can be harmful to the baby.”
 

Sleep apnea

While one in five menopausal women are asymptomatic, the others experience mild to severe symptoms of apnea that frequently interrupt their sleep. In this stage of life, which begins around age 50 years, the hormones that had provided protection against sleep disruptions start to decrease. As a result, there is a rise in sleep problems, especially insomnia, breathing-related sleep disorders (for example, apnea), and restless legs syndrome.

The prevalence of breathing-related sleep disorders during menopause is attributable to weight gain, the drop in levels of estrogens, and the redistribution of adipose tissue in the body. Other factors also increase a woman’s risk of experiencing apnea. They range from stress, depression, and other psychological and psychiatric conditions to health status, medication use, and simply the fact of getting older. “Sleep apnea is more common in men than in premenopausal women. The numbers even out, though, when we compare men against menopausal women,” Dr. Cano noted.

In women, symptoms of sleep apnea are frequently attributed to menopause. There is some overlap: insomnia, headache, irritability, low mood, decreased libido, fatigue during the day, and feeling sleepy. Only much later is the woman’s condition correctly diagnosed as sleep apnea. So, even though presenting with the same complaints, a man will be diagnosed with sleep apnea sooner than a woman will – in some cases, around 10 years sooner.

“On the other hand, we’d always thought that, in menopause, insomnia was characterized by awakenings occurring throughout the second half of the night. But perhaps what happens more often is that women are regularly waking up repeatedly over the course of the entire night, as opposed to experiencing a wakefulness that starts early and lasts throughout the night or having a problem falling asleep to begin with,” said Dr. Merino. “The good news is that hormone replacement therapy can get things back to the way they were. And getting better sleep will help to overcome insomnia.”
 

Socioeconomic status

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. It affects 10%-20% of people, mostly women. “The fact that sleep problems are more prevalent in women can be explained by the fact that among women, there is a higher incidence of conditions that disrupt sleep, such as depression,” said Dr. Cano.

“Insomnia is much more common in adult women than adult men. And at menopause, women find that the insomnia only gets worse,” Dr. Merino added. “But around that same age, 50 years old, what we start to see more frequently in men is REM sleep behavior disorder, a type of parasomnia that’s a risk marker of degenerative nerve diseases.”

Dr. Cano emphasized one finding that, though basic, is not well known. “After adjusting for socioeconomic characteristics, the difference between the sexes in reporting sleep problems is cut in half. This suggests that an important factor that explains why there are differences in sleep problems between the sexes is that women’s socioeconomic status is generally lower than men’s.

“As for sleep apnea in particular,” Dr. Cano continued, “the kinds of symptoms that women have can be different from the classic ones seen in men – snoring, pauses in breathing, and daytime sleepiness; women are being underdiagnosed, and when they are diagnosed, that’s happening at a later age and at a higher BMI.”

So, it’s alarming that, as reported by SEPAR, 90% of women with obstructive sleep apnea are not being diagnosed.
 

Precision medicine approach

“The majority of research studies on sleep apnea have focused on men – given the prevalence of cases – and the results have been extrapolated to women. This is why there’s still a lot of work to be done in terms of better defining the characteristics specific to each sleep disorder and how they relate to each sex,” said Dr. Cano. “Being able to identify the relationship between the different sex-related phenotypes and each condition will allow us to take a precision medicine approach tailored to a patient’s particular characteristics.”

As Dr. Merino put it: “The approach to sleep disorders is always personalized. The patient’s sex, in and of itself, doesn’t have that great of an impact on this approach. What does have a great impact are women’s life stages. There are some subtle differences here and there, such as types of continuous positive airway pressure machines. The ones that are designed for women have masks that are better suited to their facial features, which differ from men’s.”

A precision medicine approach can be taken to treat any sleep disorder. For insomnia, the approach allows healthcare professionals to employ an appropriate cognitive-behavioral therapy plan or to determine which drugs would be more effective – all on the basis of symptoms and the characteristics of the particular case. Regarding sleep apnea, Dr. Cano explained, “taking into account the different anatomical characteristics or the higher prevalence of positional apnea will also allow us to offer different therapeutic alternatives to continuous positive airway pressure, such as mandibular advancement devices or positional therapy devices.”

Women should be encouraged to develop good sleep habits. These include taking circadian rhythms into account and aligning lifestyles accordingly. It also means going to bed earlier than the men in the household. For menopausal women, recommended sleep habits range from keeping their bedroom at an ideal temperature, following a diet rich in vegetables to avoid becoming overweight, and exercising daily. While this advice may be more applicable to teenagers, adults can benefit from it as well: Electronic devices should be turned off well before bedtime. Whether from a phone screen, a tablet screen, or a TV screen, the light emitted can keep one awake, which can be harmful to one’s health.

Dr. Cano and Dr. Merino disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com. This article was translated from the Medscape Spanish edition.

MADRID – Because of the hormone changes that occur throughout their lives, women experience sleep problems that differ significantly from those experienced by men. Indeed, 75%-84% of pregnant women don’t sleep well during the third trimester, and up to 80% of women in menopause have symptoms that prevent them from getting a good night’s rest. For those seeking a precision medicine approach, the challenge is to identify the relationship between the different sex-related phenotypes and the sleep conditions.

Irene Cano, MD, PhD, is the coordinator of the sleep department at the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery. She spoke with this news organization about the significant impact of hormones on sleep disorders in women.

“Reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone play a meaningful role in brain functions – not only those linked to the regulation of reproduction but also other physiological processes related to the regulation of circadian rhythms, cognitive performance, mood, and sleep. In addition, other hormones – for example, prolactin, growth hormone, cortisol, and melatonin – have sex-dependent effects on sleep,” Dr. Cano said.

Girls start puberty at a younger age than boys. As girls enter adolescence, they go to bed later and waking up earlier. So, girls are getting less than the 10 hours of sleep that they should be getting at this stage of life. The result is sleep debt, which gives rise to various problems: poor academic performance, ADHD, obesity, and metabolic problems, to name a few. As Ariadna Farré, RN, a sleep unit nurse, noted at SEPAR’s Joint Winter Meeting, “schools would have to start morning classes later to get adolescents to perform well academically. As the situation is now, half of the kids are falling asleep at their desks.”
 

Influencing sleep quality

Dr. Cano explained the issue as follows: “In adolescence, along with changes in young women’s hormone levels, we begin to see differences between the sexes. The changes in levels of estrogens and progesterone are what’s responsible for the changes that, to some extent, cause those disturbances in the quality of our sleep and in the stages of our sleep.”

Thus, sleep can be affected by the changes in hormone level that occur during a menstrual cycle. Estrogens, which increase during the follicular phase, are associated with REM sleep, while progesterone, which increases during the luteal phase, increases non-REM sleep. “In the 3-6 days prior to menstruation, it’s quite common for a woman to report difficulties falling asleep and staying asleep, in connection with a decline in the percentage of time she spends in REM sleep, in the context of premenstrual syndrome. In addition,” Dr. Cano pointed out, “menstrual bleeding, that loss of blood, is associated with a drop in iron levels, making it more likely that the woman will experience restless legs syndrome.”
 

Cardiovascular system

This news organization also spoke with Milagros Merino, MD, PhD, president of the Spanish Sleep Society. “The consequences that lack of sleep have on the cardiovascular system – we’re essentially talking about certain arrhythmias, high blood pressure, thrombosis in some cases, stroke, and heart attack. Lack of sleep also gives rise to endocrine and metabolic issues, like overweight and being at a greater risk of developing diabetes. And as for mental health, we see, among other things, attention and memory problems, emotional lability, and irascibility. Numerous studies have confirmed all of this.”

Sleep apnea also deserves mention, Dr. Merino added. “Although this disorder is more common in men, we’re seeing it more and more now in women, along with the cardiovascular issues that it brings about.”

Another cardiovascular risk factor is insomnia, said Dr. Merino. “This sleep disorder is more prevalent in women. As hormones constantly change, the ways women sleep constantly change, from one stage of life to the next. They sleep one way in childhood, another way in adolescence, and yet another way in menopause.”
 

Sleep in pregnancy

During pregnancy, hormone changes are much more pronounced. During the first trimester, progesterone levels increase, making the woman drowsy. On top of that, her sleep is interrupted by more frequent visits to the bathroom as well as greater general discomfort.

In the second trimester, sleep interruptions persist but are not as bad as they were during the first 3 months. In the third trimester, 75%-84% of pregnant women find it difficult to sleep because of aches and pains, the need to urinate during the night, cramps, and heartburn.

“Major physical changes are happening. When the bladder gets compressed, the woman has to get up and go to the bathroom. There’s an interruption in her sleep,” Ms. Farré explained. In addition, as the pregnancy progresses, the woman gains weight and her body mass index (BMI) increases, which can bring on obstructive sleep apnea, high blood pressure, preeclampsia, and diabetes, if not closely monitored.

Other factors include concomitant treatments, such as contraceptives, and the stages of life, such as pregnancy and lactation. “When a woman of childbearing age has restless legs syndrome, more often than not, this means that she has an iron deficiency that needs to be treated with oral iron supplements,” said Dr. Merino. “However, there are few medications that can be given to a pregnant woman – and RLS is relatively common during pregnancy. So, we have to turn to oral or intravenous iron supplements. Yet another matter is narcolepsy. In these cases, all medications have to be stopped during pregnancy and lactation, as they can be harmful to the baby.”
 

Sleep apnea

While one in five menopausal women are asymptomatic, the others experience mild to severe symptoms of apnea that frequently interrupt their sleep. In this stage of life, which begins around age 50 years, the hormones that had provided protection against sleep disruptions start to decrease. As a result, there is a rise in sleep problems, especially insomnia, breathing-related sleep disorders (for example, apnea), and restless legs syndrome.

The prevalence of breathing-related sleep disorders during menopause is attributable to weight gain, the drop in levels of estrogens, and the redistribution of adipose tissue in the body. Other factors also increase a woman’s risk of experiencing apnea. They range from stress, depression, and other psychological and psychiatric conditions to health status, medication use, and simply the fact of getting older. “Sleep apnea is more common in men than in premenopausal women. The numbers even out, though, when we compare men against menopausal women,” Dr. Cano noted.

In women, symptoms of sleep apnea are frequently attributed to menopause. There is some overlap: insomnia, headache, irritability, low mood, decreased libido, fatigue during the day, and feeling sleepy. Only much later is the woman’s condition correctly diagnosed as sleep apnea. So, even though presenting with the same complaints, a man will be diagnosed with sleep apnea sooner than a woman will – in some cases, around 10 years sooner.

“On the other hand, we’d always thought that, in menopause, insomnia was characterized by awakenings occurring throughout the second half of the night. But perhaps what happens more often is that women are regularly waking up repeatedly over the course of the entire night, as opposed to experiencing a wakefulness that starts early and lasts throughout the night or having a problem falling asleep to begin with,” said Dr. Merino. “The good news is that hormone replacement therapy can get things back to the way they were. And getting better sleep will help to overcome insomnia.”
 

Socioeconomic status

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. It affects 10%-20% of people, mostly women. “The fact that sleep problems are more prevalent in women can be explained by the fact that among women, there is a higher incidence of conditions that disrupt sleep, such as depression,” said Dr. Cano.

“Insomnia is much more common in adult women than adult men. And at menopause, women find that the insomnia only gets worse,” Dr. Merino added. “But around that same age, 50 years old, what we start to see more frequently in men is REM sleep behavior disorder, a type of parasomnia that’s a risk marker of degenerative nerve diseases.”

Dr. Cano emphasized one finding that, though basic, is not well known. “After adjusting for socioeconomic characteristics, the difference between the sexes in reporting sleep problems is cut in half. This suggests that an important factor that explains why there are differences in sleep problems between the sexes is that women’s socioeconomic status is generally lower than men’s.

“As for sleep apnea in particular,” Dr. Cano continued, “the kinds of symptoms that women have can be different from the classic ones seen in men – snoring, pauses in breathing, and daytime sleepiness; women are being underdiagnosed, and when they are diagnosed, that’s happening at a later age and at a higher BMI.”

So, it’s alarming that, as reported by SEPAR, 90% of women with obstructive sleep apnea are not being diagnosed.
 

Precision medicine approach

“The majority of research studies on sleep apnea have focused on men – given the prevalence of cases – and the results have been extrapolated to women. This is why there’s still a lot of work to be done in terms of better defining the characteristics specific to each sleep disorder and how they relate to each sex,” said Dr. Cano. “Being able to identify the relationship between the different sex-related phenotypes and each condition will allow us to take a precision medicine approach tailored to a patient’s particular characteristics.”

As Dr. Merino put it: “The approach to sleep disorders is always personalized. The patient’s sex, in and of itself, doesn’t have that great of an impact on this approach. What does have a great impact are women’s life stages. There are some subtle differences here and there, such as types of continuous positive airway pressure machines. The ones that are designed for women have masks that are better suited to their facial features, which differ from men’s.”

A precision medicine approach can be taken to treat any sleep disorder. For insomnia, the approach allows healthcare professionals to employ an appropriate cognitive-behavioral therapy plan or to determine which drugs would be more effective – all on the basis of symptoms and the characteristics of the particular case. Regarding sleep apnea, Dr. Cano explained, “taking into account the different anatomical characteristics or the higher prevalence of positional apnea will also allow us to offer different therapeutic alternatives to continuous positive airway pressure, such as mandibular advancement devices or positional therapy devices.”

Women should be encouraged to develop good sleep habits. These include taking circadian rhythms into account and aligning lifestyles accordingly. It also means going to bed earlier than the men in the household. For menopausal women, recommended sleep habits range from keeping their bedroom at an ideal temperature, following a diet rich in vegetables to avoid becoming overweight, and exercising daily. While this advice may be more applicable to teenagers, adults can benefit from it as well: Electronic devices should be turned off well before bedtime. Whether from a phone screen, a tablet screen, or a TV screen, the light emitted can keep one awake, which can be harmful to one’s health.

Dr. Cano and Dr. Merino disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com. This article was translated from the Medscape Spanish edition.

MADRID – Because of the hormone changes that occur throughout their lives, women experience sleep problems that differ significantly from those experienced by men. Indeed, 75%-84% of pregnant women don’t sleep well during the third trimester, and up to 80% of women in menopause have symptoms that prevent them from getting a good night’s rest. For those seeking a precision medicine approach, the challenge is to identify the relationship between the different sex-related phenotypes and the sleep conditions.

Irene Cano, MD, PhD, is the coordinator of the sleep department at the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery. She spoke with this news organization about the significant impact of hormones on sleep disorders in women.

“Reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone play a meaningful role in brain functions – not only those linked to the regulation of reproduction but also other physiological processes related to the regulation of circadian rhythms, cognitive performance, mood, and sleep. In addition, other hormones – for example, prolactin, growth hormone, cortisol, and melatonin – have sex-dependent effects on sleep,” Dr. Cano said.

Girls start puberty at a younger age than boys. As girls enter adolescence, they go to bed later and waking up earlier. So, girls are getting less than the 10 hours of sleep that they should be getting at this stage of life. The result is sleep debt, which gives rise to various problems: poor academic performance, ADHD, obesity, and metabolic problems, to name a few. As Ariadna Farré, RN, a sleep unit nurse, noted at SEPAR’s Joint Winter Meeting, “schools would have to start morning classes later to get adolescents to perform well academically. As the situation is now, half of the kids are falling asleep at their desks.”
 

Influencing sleep quality

Dr. Cano explained the issue as follows: “In adolescence, along with changes in young women’s hormone levels, we begin to see differences between the sexes. The changes in levels of estrogens and progesterone are what’s responsible for the changes that, to some extent, cause those disturbances in the quality of our sleep and in the stages of our sleep.”

Thus, sleep can be affected by the changes in hormone level that occur during a menstrual cycle. Estrogens, which increase during the follicular phase, are associated with REM sleep, while progesterone, which increases during the luteal phase, increases non-REM sleep. “In the 3-6 days prior to menstruation, it’s quite common for a woman to report difficulties falling asleep and staying asleep, in connection with a decline in the percentage of time she spends in REM sleep, in the context of premenstrual syndrome. In addition,” Dr. Cano pointed out, “menstrual bleeding, that loss of blood, is associated with a drop in iron levels, making it more likely that the woman will experience restless legs syndrome.”
 

Cardiovascular system

This news organization also spoke with Milagros Merino, MD, PhD, president of the Spanish Sleep Society. “The consequences that lack of sleep have on the cardiovascular system – we’re essentially talking about certain arrhythmias, high blood pressure, thrombosis in some cases, stroke, and heart attack. Lack of sleep also gives rise to endocrine and metabolic issues, like overweight and being at a greater risk of developing diabetes. And as for mental health, we see, among other things, attention and memory problems, emotional lability, and irascibility. Numerous studies have confirmed all of this.”

Sleep apnea also deserves mention, Dr. Merino added. “Although this disorder is more common in men, we’re seeing it more and more now in women, along with the cardiovascular issues that it brings about.”

Another cardiovascular risk factor is insomnia, said Dr. Merino. “This sleep disorder is more prevalent in women. As hormones constantly change, the ways women sleep constantly change, from one stage of life to the next. They sleep one way in childhood, another way in adolescence, and yet another way in menopause.”
 

Sleep in pregnancy

During pregnancy, hormone changes are much more pronounced. During the first trimester, progesterone levels increase, making the woman drowsy. On top of that, her sleep is interrupted by more frequent visits to the bathroom as well as greater general discomfort.

In the second trimester, sleep interruptions persist but are not as bad as they were during the first 3 months. In the third trimester, 75%-84% of pregnant women find it difficult to sleep because of aches and pains, the need to urinate during the night, cramps, and heartburn.

“Major physical changes are happening. When the bladder gets compressed, the woman has to get up and go to the bathroom. There’s an interruption in her sleep,” Ms. Farré explained. In addition, as the pregnancy progresses, the woman gains weight and her body mass index (BMI) increases, which can bring on obstructive sleep apnea, high blood pressure, preeclampsia, and diabetes, if not closely monitored.

Other factors include concomitant treatments, such as contraceptives, and the stages of life, such as pregnancy and lactation. “When a woman of childbearing age has restless legs syndrome, more often than not, this means that she has an iron deficiency that needs to be treated with oral iron supplements,” said Dr. Merino. “However, there are few medications that can be given to a pregnant woman – and RLS is relatively common during pregnancy. So, we have to turn to oral or intravenous iron supplements. Yet another matter is narcolepsy. In these cases, all medications have to be stopped during pregnancy and lactation, as they can be harmful to the baby.”
 

Sleep apnea

While one in five menopausal women are asymptomatic, the others experience mild to severe symptoms of apnea that frequently interrupt their sleep. In this stage of life, which begins around age 50 years, the hormones that had provided protection against sleep disruptions start to decrease. As a result, there is a rise in sleep problems, especially insomnia, breathing-related sleep disorders (for example, apnea), and restless legs syndrome.

The prevalence of breathing-related sleep disorders during menopause is attributable to weight gain, the drop in levels of estrogens, and the redistribution of adipose tissue in the body. Other factors also increase a woman’s risk of experiencing apnea. They range from stress, depression, and other psychological and psychiatric conditions to health status, medication use, and simply the fact of getting older. “Sleep apnea is more common in men than in premenopausal women. The numbers even out, though, when we compare men against menopausal women,” Dr. Cano noted.

In women, symptoms of sleep apnea are frequently attributed to menopause. There is some overlap: insomnia, headache, irritability, low mood, decreased libido, fatigue during the day, and feeling sleepy. Only much later is the woman’s condition correctly diagnosed as sleep apnea. So, even though presenting with the same complaints, a man will be diagnosed with sleep apnea sooner than a woman will – in some cases, around 10 years sooner.

“On the other hand, we’d always thought that, in menopause, insomnia was characterized by awakenings occurring throughout the second half of the night. But perhaps what happens more often is that women are regularly waking up repeatedly over the course of the entire night, as opposed to experiencing a wakefulness that starts early and lasts throughout the night or having a problem falling asleep to begin with,” said Dr. Merino. “The good news is that hormone replacement therapy can get things back to the way they were. And getting better sleep will help to overcome insomnia.”
 

Socioeconomic status

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. It affects 10%-20% of people, mostly women. “The fact that sleep problems are more prevalent in women can be explained by the fact that among women, there is a higher incidence of conditions that disrupt sleep, such as depression,” said Dr. Cano.

“Insomnia is much more common in adult women than adult men. And at menopause, women find that the insomnia only gets worse,” Dr. Merino added. “But around that same age, 50 years old, what we start to see more frequently in men is REM sleep behavior disorder, a type of parasomnia that’s a risk marker of degenerative nerve diseases.”

Dr. Cano emphasized one finding that, though basic, is not well known. “After adjusting for socioeconomic characteristics, the difference between the sexes in reporting sleep problems is cut in half. This suggests that an important factor that explains why there are differences in sleep problems between the sexes is that women’s socioeconomic status is generally lower than men’s.

“As for sleep apnea in particular,” Dr. Cano continued, “the kinds of symptoms that women have can be different from the classic ones seen in men – snoring, pauses in breathing, and daytime sleepiness; women are being underdiagnosed, and when they are diagnosed, that’s happening at a later age and at a higher BMI.”

So, it’s alarming that, as reported by SEPAR, 90% of women with obstructive sleep apnea are not being diagnosed.
 

Precision medicine approach

“The majority of research studies on sleep apnea have focused on men – given the prevalence of cases – and the results have been extrapolated to women. This is why there’s still a lot of work to be done in terms of better defining the characteristics specific to each sleep disorder and how they relate to each sex,” said Dr. Cano. “Being able to identify the relationship between the different sex-related phenotypes and each condition will allow us to take a precision medicine approach tailored to a patient’s particular characteristics.”

As Dr. Merino put it: “The approach to sleep disorders is always personalized. The patient’s sex, in and of itself, doesn’t have that great of an impact on this approach. What does have a great impact are women’s life stages. There are some subtle differences here and there, such as types of continuous positive airway pressure machines. The ones that are designed for women have masks that are better suited to their facial features, which differ from men’s.”

A precision medicine approach can be taken to treat any sleep disorder. For insomnia, the approach allows healthcare professionals to employ an appropriate cognitive-behavioral therapy plan or to determine which drugs would be more effective – all on the basis of symptoms and the characteristics of the particular case. Regarding sleep apnea, Dr. Cano explained, “taking into account the different anatomical characteristics or the higher prevalence of positional apnea will also allow us to offer different therapeutic alternatives to continuous positive airway pressure, such as mandibular advancement devices or positional therapy devices.”

Women should be encouraged to develop good sleep habits. These include taking circadian rhythms into account and aligning lifestyles accordingly. It also means going to bed earlier than the men in the household. For menopausal women, recommended sleep habits range from keeping their bedroom at an ideal temperature, following a diet rich in vegetables to avoid becoming overweight, and exercising daily. While this advice may be more applicable to teenagers, adults can benefit from it as well: Electronic devices should be turned off well before bedtime. Whether from a phone screen, a tablet screen, or a TV screen, the light emitted can keep one awake, which can be harmful to one’s health.

Dr. Cano and Dr. Merino disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com. This article was translated from the Medscape Spanish edition.

In the decade since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, the United States has experienced more than 3,300 mass shootings, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

The latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll shows that that the margin of public opinion in the United States is the widest that it has been during the past 10 years in favor of taking steps to control gun violence; 59% of U.S. adults said it’s more important to control gun violence than to protect gun rights, and 35% said the opposite.

Have physicians’ opinions about gun issues in our country shifted meaningfully during that period? That’s a complex question that can be informed with the basic snapshot provided by doctors› comments to New York University (and Medscape blogger) bioethicist Arthur L. Caplan’s four video blogs on whether physicians should discuss gun safety with their patients. Dr. Caplan’s video blogs appeared on the Medscape website in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2022.

Hundreds of physicians have posted comments to Dr. Caplan’s arguments that doctors should bring up gun safety when talking to their patients. The great majority of comments opposed his position in 2014, and that remained the case through 2022, regardless of incidents of gun-related violence. Supportive comments have been a small minority that has grown only slightly over his four video blogs.
 

Physicians’ lack of qualifications

The most prevalent counterarguments expressed against Dr. Caplan’s position are that physicians lack the proper knowledge to discuss gun safety with patients; and the responsibility falls on family members, certified firearms instructors, teachers, and others – but not doctors – to educate people about firearm safety.

“Then there’s a third group that says, ‘I don’t want to do this because I am too busy trying to figure out what is wrong with the patient,’ ” Dr. Caplan says.

Here are a few on-point comments that were posted to his video blogs:

• “Unless physicians become certified firearms instructors like myself, they are not qualified to talk to patients on the subject and should advise patients to find a program and take a course.” – Dr. Ken Long, March 31, 2014
• “Gun safety should be taught in school, just like health and sex education.” – Patricia L., Feb. 11, 2016
• “None of my medical or surgical training or experience qualifies me as a policy expert on gun laws or regulations.” – Dr. Kelly Hyde, Dec. 23, 2018
• “I have the Constitution hanging in my office with an NRA plaque next to it. Most MDs can’t mow their own yard.” – Dr. Brian Anseeuw, June 21, 2022

Do mental health issues trump gun talks?

Another counterargument to discussing gun safety with patients involves mental health issues that many physicians may not be trained to address. Mental health entered comments to Dr. Caplan’s video blogs in 2016 and has shaped much of the discussion since.

• “First of all, two-thirds of gun deaths are suicides. It is foolish to talk about counseling patients about gun safety, etc, and ignore the mental health issues.” – Dr. Jeffrey Jennings, Jan. 25, 2016
• “Suicide victims and those committing mass shootings are mentally ill. ... Blame society, drugs, mental illness, easy access to illegal firearms, and poor recognition of SOS (signs of suicide).” – Dr. Alan DeCarlo, Dec. 24, 2018
• “Yes, we have gun violence, but what is the underlying problem? Bullying? Mental issues? Not enough parental supervision? These and others are the issues I feel need to be discussed.” – T. Deese, June 24, 2022
• “The causes of increased gun violence are mental health, problems with bullying, social media, and normalization of deviant behavior.” – Julie Johng, 2022

Added responsibility is too much

Another theme that has grown over time is that talks of gun safety just heap issues onto physicians’ treatment plates that are already too full.

• “Oh, for God’s sake, is there anything else I can do while I›m at it? Primary care has gotten to be more headache than it’s worth. Thanks for another reason to think about retiring.” – Dr. Kathleen Collins, March 31, 2014
• “THE JOB OF POLICE, COURTS, AND LAW-EDUCATED PROSECUTORS SHOULD NOT BE HANDLED BY PHYSICIANS.” – Dr. Sudarshan Singla, Jan. 25, 2016
• “This is a debate that only those at the academic/ivory tower–level of medicine even have time to lament. The frontline medical providers barely have enough time to adequately address the pertinent.” – Tobin Purslow, Jan. 15, 2016

Other ways to communicate

For his part, Dr. Caplan believes there is a variety of ways physicians can effectively discuss gun safety with patients to help minimize the potential of injury or death.

Acknowledging that other aspects of treatment are often more pressing, he suggested that the gun safety education could be done through educational videos that are shown in waiting rooms, through pamphlets available at the front desk, or throuigh a newsletter sent to patients.

“Everything doesn’t have to happen in conversation. The doctor’s office should become more of an educational site.

“I am 100% more passionate about this than when I first started down this road.”

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

In the decade since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, the United States has experienced more than 3,300 mass shootings, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

The latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll shows that that the margin of public opinion in the United States is the widest that it has been during the past 10 years in favor of taking steps to control gun violence; 59% of U.S. adults said it’s more important to control gun violence than to protect gun rights, and 35% said the opposite.

Have physicians’ opinions about gun issues in our country shifted meaningfully during that period? That’s a complex question that can be informed with the basic snapshot provided by doctors› comments to New York University (and Medscape blogger) bioethicist Arthur L. Caplan’s four video blogs on whether physicians should discuss gun safety with their patients. Dr. Caplan’s video blogs appeared on the Medscape website in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2022.

Hundreds of physicians have posted comments to Dr. Caplan’s arguments that doctors should bring up gun safety when talking to their patients. The great majority of comments opposed his position in 2014, and that remained the case through 2022, regardless of incidents of gun-related violence. Supportive comments have been a small minority that has grown only slightly over his four video blogs.
 

Physicians’ lack of qualifications

The most prevalent counterarguments expressed against Dr. Caplan’s position are that physicians lack the proper knowledge to discuss gun safety with patients; and the responsibility falls on family members, certified firearms instructors, teachers, and others – but not doctors – to educate people about firearm safety.

“Then there’s a third group that says, ‘I don’t want to do this because I am too busy trying to figure out what is wrong with the patient,’ ” Dr. Caplan says.

Here are a few on-point comments that were posted to his video blogs:

• “Unless physicians become certified firearms instructors like myself, they are not qualified to talk to patients on the subject and should advise patients to find a program and take a course.” – Dr. Ken Long, March 31, 2014
• “Gun safety should be taught in school, just like health and sex education.” – Patricia L., Feb. 11, 2016
• “None of my medical or surgical training or experience qualifies me as a policy expert on gun laws or regulations.” – Dr. Kelly Hyde, Dec. 23, 2018
• “I have the Constitution hanging in my office with an NRA plaque next to it. Most MDs can’t mow their own yard.” – Dr. Brian Anseeuw, June 21, 2022

Do mental health issues trump gun talks?

Another counterargument to discussing gun safety with patients involves mental health issues that many physicians may not be trained to address. Mental health entered comments to Dr. Caplan’s video blogs in 2016 and has shaped much of the discussion since.

• “First of all, two-thirds of gun deaths are suicides. It is foolish to talk about counseling patients about gun safety, etc, and ignore the mental health issues.” – Dr. Jeffrey Jennings, Jan. 25, 2016
• “Suicide victims and those committing mass shootings are mentally ill. ... Blame society, drugs, mental illness, easy access to illegal firearms, and poor recognition of SOS (signs of suicide).” – Dr. Alan DeCarlo, Dec. 24, 2018
• “Yes, we have gun violence, but what is the underlying problem? Bullying? Mental issues? Not enough parental supervision? These and others are the issues I feel need to be discussed.” – T. Deese, June 24, 2022
• “The causes of increased gun violence are mental health, problems with bullying, social media, and normalization of deviant behavior.” – Julie Johng, 2022

Added responsibility is too much

Another theme that has grown over time is that talks of gun safety just heap issues onto physicians’ treatment plates that are already too full.

• “Oh, for God’s sake, is there anything else I can do while I›m at it? Primary care has gotten to be more headache than it’s worth. Thanks for another reason to think about retiring.” – Dr. Kathleen Collins, March 31, 2014
• “THE JOB OF POLICE, COURTS, AND LAW-EDUCATED PROSECUTORS SHOULD NOT BE HANDLED BY PHYSICIANS.” – Dr. Sudarshan Singla, Jan. 25, 2016
• “This is a debate that only those at the academic/ivory tower–level of medicine even have time to lament. The frontline medical providers barely have enough time to adequately address the pertinent.” – Tobin Purslow, Jan. 15, 2016

Other ways to communicate

For his part, Dr. Caplan believes there is a variety of ways physicians can effectively discuss gun safety with patients to help minimize the potential of injury or death.

Acknowledging that other aspects of treatment are often more pressing, he suggested that the gun safety education could be done through educational videos that are shown in waiting rooms, through pamphlets available at the front desk, or throuigh a newsletter sent to patients.

“Everything doesn’t have to happen in conversation. The doctor’s office should become more of an educational site.

“I am 100% more passionate about this than when I first started down this road.”

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

In the decade since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, the United States has experienced more than 3,300 mass shootings, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

The latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll shows that that the margin of public opinion in the United States is the widest that it has been during the past 10 years in favor of taking steps to control gun violence; 59% of U.S. adults said it’s more important to control gun violence than to protect gun rights, and 35% said the opposite.

Have physicians’ opinions about gun issues in our country shifted meaningfully during that period? That’s a complex question that can be informed with the basic snapshot provided by doctors› comments to New York University (and Medscape blogger) bioethicist Arthur L. Caplan’s four video blogs on whether physicians should discuss gun safety with their patients. Dr. Caplan’s video blogs appeared on the Medscape website in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2022.

Hundreds of physicians have posted comments to Dr. Caplan’s arguments that doctors should bring up gun safety when talking to their patients. The great majority of comments opposed his position in 2014, and that remained the case through 2022, regardless of incidents of gun-related violence. Supportive comments have been a small minority that has grown only slightly over his four video blogs.
 

Physicians’ lack of qualifications

The most prevalent counterarguments expressed against Dr. Caplan’s position are that physicians lack the proper knowledge to discuss gun safety with patients; and the responsibility falls on family members, certified firearms instructors, teachers, and others – but not doctors – to educate people about firearm safety.

“Then there’s a third group that says, ‘I don’t want to do this because I am too busy trying to figure out what is wrong with the patient,’ ” Dr. Caplan says.

Here are a few on-point comments that were posted to his video blogs:

• “Unless physicians become certified firearms instructors like myself, they are not qualified to talk to patients on the subject and should advise patients to find a program and take a course.” – Dr. Ken Long, March 31, 2014
• “Gun safety should be taught in school, just like health and sex education.” – Patricia L., Feb. 11, 2016
• “None of my medical or surgical training or experience qualifies me as a policy expert on gun laws or regulations.” – Dr. Kelly Hyde, Dec. 23, 2018
• “I have the Constitution hanging in my office with an NRA plaque next to it. Most MDs can’t mow their own yard.” – Dr. Brian Anseeuw, June 21, 2022

Do mental health issues trump gun talks?

Another counterargument to discussing gun safety with patients involves mental health issues that many physicians may not be trained to address. Mental health entered comments to Dr. Caplan’s video blogs in 2016 and has shaped much of the discussion since.

• “First of all, two-thirds of gun deaths are suicides. It is foolish to talk about counseling patients about gun safety, etc, and ignore the mental health issues.” – Dr. Jeffrey Jennings, Jan. 25, 2016
• “Suicide victims and those committing mass shootings are mentally ill. ... Blame society, drugs, mental illness, easy access to illegal firearms, and poor recognition of SOS (signs of suicide).” – Dr. Alan DeCarlo, Dec. 24, 2018
• “Yes, we have gun violence, but what is the underlying problem? Bullying? Mental issues? Not enough parental supervision? These and others are the issues I feel need to be discussed.” – T. Deese, June 24, 2022
• “The causes of increased gun violence are mental health, problems with bullying, social media, and normalization of deviant behavior.” – Julie Johng, 2022

Added responsibility is too much

Another theme that has grown over time is that talks of gun safety just heap issues onto physicians’ treatment plates that are already too full.

• “Oh, for God’s sake, is there anything else I can do while I›m at it? Primary care has gotten to be more headache than it’s worth. Thanks for another reason to think about retiring.” – Dr. Kathleen Collins, March 31, 2014
• “THE JOB OF POLICE, COURTS, AND LAW-EDUCATED PROSECUTORS SHOULD NOT BE HANDLED BY PHYSICIANS.” – Dr. Sudarshan Singla, Jan. 25, 2016
• “This is a debate that only those at the academic/ivory tower–level of medicine even have time to lament. The frontline medical providers barely have enough time to adequately address the pertinent.” – Tobin Purslow, Jan. 15, 2016

Other ways to communicate

For his part, Dr. Caplan believes there is a variety of ways physicians can effectively discuss gun safety with patients to help minimize the potential of injury or death.

Acknowledging that other aspects of treatment are often more pressing, he suggested that the gun safety education could be done through educational videos that are shown in waiting rooms, through pamphlets available at the front desk, or throuigh a newsletter sent to patients.

“Everything doesn’t have to happen in conversation. The doctor’s office should become more of an educational site.

“I am 100% more passionate about this than when I first started down this road.”

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Gregory A. Hood, MD, remembers a patient of his who was perpetually dubious about COVID-19 – and then couldn’t be saved.

“I spoke to him on many occasions about the dangers of COVID, but he just didn’t believe me,” said Dr. Hood, an internist in Lexington, Ky. “He just didn’t give me enough time to help him. He waited to let me know he was ill with COVID and took days to pick up the medicine. Unfortunately, he then passed away.”
 

The rise of the skeptical patient

It can be extremely frustrating for doctors when patients question or disbelieve their physician’s medical advice and explanations. And many physicians resent the amount of time they spend trying to explain or make their case, especially during a busy day. But patients’ skepticism about the validity of some treatments seems to be increasing.

“Patients are now more likely to have their own medical explanation for their complaint than they used to, and that can be bad for their health,” Dr. Hood said.

Dr. Hood sees medical cynicism as part of Americans’ growing distrust of experts, leveraged by easy access to the internet. “When people Google, they tend to look for support of their opinions, rather than arrive at a fully educated decision.”

Only about half of patients believe their physicians “provide fair and accurate treatment information all or most of the time,” according to a 2019 survey by the Pew Research Center.

Patients’ distrust has become more obvious during the COVID-19 pandemic, said John Schumann, MD, an internist with Oak Street Health, a practice with more than 500 physicians and other providers in 20 states, treating almost exclusively Medicare patients.

“The skeptics became more entrenched during the pandemic,” said Dr. Schumann, who is based in Tulsa, Okla. “They may think the COVID vaccines were approved too quickly, or believe the pandemic itself is a hoax.”

“There’s a lot of antiscience rhetoric now,” Dr. Schumann added. “I’d say about half of my patients are comfortable with science-based decisions and the other half are not.”
 

What are patients mistrustful about?

Patients’ suspicions of certain therapies began long before the pandemic. In dermatology, for example, some patients refuse to take topical steroids, said Steven R. Feldman, MD, a dermatologist in Winston-Salem, N.C.

“Their distrust is usually based on anecdotal stories they read about,” he noted. “Patients in other specialties are dead set against vaccinations.”

In addition to refusing treatments and inoculations, some patients ask for questionable regimens mentioned in the news. “Some patients have demanded hydroxychloroquine or Noromectin, drugs that are unproven in the treatment of COVID,” Dr. Schumann said. “We refuse to prescribe them.”

Dr. Hood said patients’ reluctance to follow medical advice can often be based on cost. “I have a patient who was more willing to save $20 than to save his life. But when the progression of his test results fit my predictions, he became more willing to take treatments. I had to wait for the opportune moment to convince him.”

Many naysayer patients keep their views to themselves, and physicians may be unaware that the patients are stonewalling. A 2006 study estimated that about 10%-16% of primary care patients actively resist medical authority.

Dr. Schumann cited patients who don’t want to hear an upsetting diagnosis. “Some patients might refuse to take a biopsy to see if they have cancer because they don’t want to know,” he said. “In many cases, they simply won’t get the biopsy and won’t tell the doctor that they didn’t.”
 

Sometimes skeptics’ arguments have merit

Some patients’ concerns can be valid, such as when they refuse to go on statins, said Zain Hakeem, DO, a physician in Austin, Tex.

“In some cases, I feel that statins are not necessary,” he said. “The science on statins for primary prevention is not strong, although they should be used for exceedingly high-risk patients.”

Certain patients, especially those with chronic conditions, do a great deal of research, using legitimate sources on the Web, and their research is well supported.

However, these patients can be overconfident in their conclusions. Several studies have shown that with just a little experience, people can replace beginners’ caution with a false sense of competence.

For example, “Patients may not weigh the risks correctly,” Dr. Hakeem said. “They can be more concerned about the risk of having their colon perforated during a colonoscopy, while the risk of cancer if they don’t have a colonoscopy is much higher.”

Some highly successful people may be more likely to trust their own medical instincts. When Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003, he put off surgery for 9 months while he tried to cure his disease with a vegan diet, acupuncture, herbs, bowel cleansings, and other remedies he read about. He died in 2011. Some experts believe that delay hastened his death.

Of course, not all physicians’ diagnoses or treatments are correct. One study indicated doctors’ diagnostic error rate could be as high as 15%. And just as patients can be overconfident in their conclusions, so can doctors. Another study found that physicians’ stated confidence in their diagnosis was only slightly affected by the inaccuracy of that diagnosis or the difficulty of the case.
 

Best ways to deal with cynical patients

Patients’ skepticism can frustrate doctors, reduce the efficiency of care delivery, and interfere with recovery. What can doctors do to deal with these problems?

1. Build the patient’s trust in you. “Getting patients to adhere to your advice involves making sure they feel they have a caring doctor whom they trust,” Dr. Feldman said.

“I want to show patients that I am entirely focused on them,” he added. “For example, I may rush to the door of the exam room from my last appointment, but I open the door very slowly and deliberately, because I want the patient to see that I won’t hurry with them.”

2. Spend time with the patient. Familiarity builds trust. Dr. Schumann said doctors at Oak Street Health see their patients an average of six to eight times a year, an unusually high number. “The more patients see their physicians, the more likely they are to trust them.”

3. Keep up to date. “I make sure I’m up to date with the literature, and I try to present a truthful message,” Dr. Hood said. “For instance, my research showed that inflammation played a strong role in developing complications from COVID, so I wrote a detailed treatment protocol aimed at the inflammation and the immune response, which has been very effective.”

4. Confront patients tactfully. Patients who do research on the Web don’t want to be scolded, Dr. Feldman said. In fact, he praises them, even if he doesn’t agree with their findings. “I might say: ‘What a relief to finally find patients who’ve taken the time to educate themselves before coming here.’ ”

Dr. Feldman is careful not to dispute patients’ conclusions. “Debating the issues is not an effective approach to get patients to trust you. The last thing you want to tell a patient is: ‘Listen to me! I’m an expert.’ People just dig in.”

However, it does help to give patients feedback. “I’m a big fan of patients arguing with me,” Dr. Hakeem said. “It means you can straighten out misunderstandings and improve decision-making.”

5. Explain your reasoning. “You need to communicate clearly and show them your thinking,” Dr. Hood said. “For instance, I’ll explain why a patient has a strong risk for heart attack.”

6. Acknowledge uncertainties. “The doctor may present the science as far more certain than it is,” Dr. Hakeem said. “If you don’t acknowledge the uncertainties, you could break the patient’s trust in you.”

7. Don’t use a lot of numbers. “Data is not a good tool to convince patients,” Dr. Feldman said. “The human brain isn’t designed to work that way.”

If you want to use numbers to show clinical risk, Dr. Hakeem advisd using natural frequencies, such as 10 out of 10,000, which is less confusing to the patient than the equivalent percentage of 0.1%.

It can be helpful to refer to familiar concepts. One way to understand a risk is to compare it with risks in daily life, such as the dangers of driving or falling in the shower, Dr. Hakeem added.

Dr. Feldman often refers to another person’s experience when presenting his medical advice. “I might say to the patient: ‘You remind me of another patient I had. They were sitting in the same chair you’re sitting in. They did really well on this drug, and I think it’s probably the best choice for you, too.’ ”

8. Adopt shared decision-making. This approach involves empowering the patient to become an equal partner in medical decisions. The patient is given information through portals and is encouraged to do research. Critics, however, say that most patients don’t want this degree of empowerment and would rather depend on the doctor’s advice.

Conclusion

It’s often impossible to get through to a skeptical patient, which can be disheartening for doctors. “Physicians want to do what is best for the patient, so when the patient doesn’t listen, they may take it personally,” Dr. Hood said. “But you always have to remember, the patient is the one with disease, and it’s up to the patient to open the door.”

Still, some skeptical patients ultimately change their minds. Dr. Schumann said patients who initially declined the COVID vaccine eventually decided to get it. “It often took them more than a year. but it’s never too late.”

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Gregory A. Hood, MD, remembers a patient of his who was perpetually dubious about COVID-19 – and then couldn’t be saved.

“I spoke to him on many occasions about the dangers of COVID, but he just didn’t believe me,” said Dr. Hood, an internist in Lexington, Ky. “He just didn’t give me enough time to help him. He waited to let me know he was ill with COVID and took days to pick up the medicine. Unfortunately, he then passed away.”
 

The rise of the skeptical patient

It can be extremely frustrating for doctors when patients question or disbelieve their physician’s medical advice and explanations. And many physicians resent the amount of time they spend trying to explain or make their case, especially during a busy day. But patients’ skepticism about the validity of some treatments seems to be increasing.

“Patients are now more likely to have their own medical explanation for their complaint than they used to, and that can be bad for their health,” Dr. Hood said.

Dr. Hood sees medical cynicism as part of Americans’ growing distrust of experts, leveraged by easy access to the internet. “When people Google, they tend to look for support of their opinions, rather than arrive at a fully educated decision.”

Only about half of patients believe their physicians “provide fair and accurate treatment information all or most of the time,” according to a 2019 survey by the Pew Research Center.

Patients’ distrust has become more obvious during the COVID-19 pandemic, said John Schumann, MD, an internist with Oak Street Health, a practice with more than 500 physicians and other providers in 20 states, treating almost exclusively Medicare patients.

“The skeptics became more entrenched during the pandemic,” said Dr. Schumann, who is based in Tulsa, Okla. “They may think the COVID vaccines were approved too quickly, or believe the pandemic itself is a hoax.”

“There’s a lot of antiscience rhetoric now,” Dr. Schumann added. “I’d say about half of my patients are comfortable with science-based decisions and the other half are not.”
 

What are patients mistrustful about?

Patients’ suspicions of certain therapies began long before the pandemic. In dermatology, for example, some patients refuse to take topical steroids, said Steven R. Feldman, MD, a dermatologist in Winston-Salem, N.C.

“Their distrust is usually based on anecdotal stories they read about,” he noted. “Patients in other specialties are dead set against vaccinations.”

In addition to refusing treatments and inoculations, some patients ask for questionable regimens mentioned in the news. “Some patients have demanded hydroxychloroquine or Noromectin, drugs that are unproven in the treatment of COVID,” Dr. Schumann said. “We refuse to prescribe them.”

Dr. Hood said patients’ reluctance to follow medical advice can often be based on cost. “I have a patient who was more willing to save $20 than to save his life. But when the progression of his test results fit my predictions, he became more willing to take treatments. I had to wait for the opportune moment to convince him.”

Many naysayer patients keep their views to themselves, and physicians may be unaware that the patients are stonewalling. A 2006 study estimated that about 10%-16% of primary care patients actively resist medical authority.

Dr. Schumann cited patients who don’t want to hear an upsetting diagnosis. “Some patients might refuse to take a biopsy to see if they have cancer because they don’t want to know,” he said. “In many cases, they simply won’t get the biopsy and won’t tell the doctor that they didn’t.”
 

Sometimes skeptics’ arguments have merit

Some patients’ concerns can be valid, such as when they refuse to go on statins, said Zain Hakeem, DO, a physician in Austin, Tex.

“In some cases, I feel that statins are not necessary,” he said. “The science on statins for primary prevention is not strong, although they should be used for exceedingly high-risk patients.”

Certain patients, especially those with chronic conditions, do a great deal of research, using legitimate sources on the Web, and their research is well supported.

However, these patients can be overconfident in their conclusions. Several studies have shown that with just a little experience, people can replace beginners’ caution with a false sense of competence.

For example, “Patients may not weigh the risks correctly,” Dr. Hakeem said. “They can be more concerned about the risk of having their colon perforated during a colonoscopy, while the risk of cancer if they don’t have a colonoscopy is much higher.”

Some highly successful people may be more likely to trust their own medical instincts. When Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003, he put off surgery for 9 months while he tried to cure his disease with a vegan diet, acupuncture, herbs, bowel cleansings, and other remedies he read about. He died in 2011. Some experts believe that delay hastened his death.

Of course, not all physicians’ diagnoses or treatments are correct. One study indicated doctors’ diagnostic error rate could be as high as 15%. And just as patients can be overconfident in their conclusions, so can doctors. Another study found that physicians’ stated confidence in their diagnosis was only slightly affected by the inaccuracy of that diagnosis or the difficulty of the case.
 

Best ways to deal with cynical patients

Patients’ skepticism can frustrate doctors, reduce the efficiency of care delivery, and interfere with recovery. What can doctors do to deal with these problems?

1. Build the patient’s trust in you. “Getting patients to adhere to your advice involves making sure they feel they have a caring doctor whom they trust,” Dr. Feldman said.

“I want to show patients that I am entirely focused on them,” he added. “For example, I may rush to the door of the exam room from my last appointment, but I open the door very slowly and deliberately, because I want the patient to see that I won’t hurry with them.”

2. Spend time with the patient. Familiarity builds trust. Dr. Schumann said doctors at Oak Street Health see their patients an average of six to eight times a year, an unusually high number. “The more patients see their physicians, the more likely they are to trust them.”

3. Keep up to date. “I make sure I’m up to date with the literature, and I try to present a truthful message,” Dr. Hood said. “For instance, my research showed that inflammation played a strong role in developing complications from COVID, so I wrote a detailed treatment protocol aimed at the inflammation and the immune response, which has been very effective.”

4. Confront patients tactfully. Patients who do research on the Web don’t want to be scolded, Dr. Feldman said. In fact, he praises them, even if he doesn’t agree with their findings. “I might say: ‘What a relief to finally find patients who’ve taken the time to educate themselves before coming here.’ ”

Dr. Feldman is careful not to dispute patients’ conclusions. “Debating the issues is not an effective approach to get patients to trust you. The last thing you want to tell a patient is: ‘Listen to me! I’m an expert.’ People just dig in.”

However, it does help to give patients feedback. “I’m a big fan of patients arguing with me,” Dr. Hakeem said. “It means you can straighten out misunderstandings and improve decision-making.”

5. Explain your reasoning. “You need to communicate clearly and show them your thinking,” Dr. Hood said. “For instance, I’ll explain why a patient has a strong risk for heart attack.”

6. Acknowledge uncertainties. “The doctor may present the science as far more certain than it is,” Dr. Hakeem said. “If you don’t acknowledge the uncertainties, you could break the patient’s trust in you.”

7. Don’t use a lot of numbers. “Data is not a good tool to convince patients,” Dr. Feldman said. “The human brain isn’t designed to work that way.”

If you want to use numbers to show clinical risk, Dr. Hakeem advisd using natural frequencies, such as 10 out of 10,000, which is less confusing to the patient than the equivalent percentage of 0.1%.

It can be helpful to refer to familiar concepts. One way to understand a risk is to compare it with risks in daily life, such as the dangers of driving or falling in the shower, Dr. Hakeem added.

Dr. Feldman often refers to another person’s experience when presenting his medical advice. “I might say to the patient: ‘You remind me of another patient I had. They were sitting in the same chair you’re sitting in. They did really well on this drug, and I think it’s probably the best choice for you, too.’ ”

8. Adopt shared decision-making. This approach involves empowering the patient to become an equal partner in medical decisions. The patient is given information through portals and is encouraged to do research. Critics, however, say that most patients don’t want this degree of empowerment and would rather depend on the doctor’s advice.

Conclusion

It’s often impossible to get through to a skeptical patient, which can be disheartening for doctors. “Physicians want to do what is best for the patient, so when the patient doesn’t listen, they may take it personally,” Dr. Hood said. “But you always have to remember, the patient is the one with disease, and it’s up to the patient to open the door.”

Still, some skeptical patients ultimately change their minds. Dr. Schumann said patients who initially declined the COVID vaccine eventually decided to get it. “It often took them more than a year. but it’s never too late.”

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Gregory A. Hood, MD, remembers a patient of his who was perpetually dubious about COVID-19 – and then couldn’t be saved.

“I spoke to him on many occasions about the dangers of COVID, but he just didn’t believe me,” said Dr. Hood, an internist in Lexington, Ky. “He just didn’t give me enough time to help him. He waited to let me know he was ill with COVID and took days to pick up the medicine. Unfortunately, he then passed away.”
 

The rise of the skeptical patient

It can be extremely frustrating for doctors when patients question or disbelieve their physician’s medical advice and explanations. And many physicians resent the amount of time they spend trying to explain or make their case, especially during a busy day. But patients’ skepticism about the validity of some treatments seems to be increasing.

“Patients are now more likely to have their own medical explanation for their complaint than they used to, and that can be bad for their health,” Dr. Hood said.

Dr. Hood sees medical cynicism as part of Americans’ growing distrust of experts, leveraged by easy access to the internet. “When people Google, they tend to look for support of their opinions, rather than arrive at a fully educated decision.”

Only about half of patients believe their physicians “provide fair and accurate treatment information all or most of the time,” according to a 2019 survey by the Pew Research Center.

Patients’ distrust has become more obvious during the COVID-19 pandemic, said John Schumann, MD, an internist with Oak Street Health, a practice with more than 500 physicians and other providers in 20 states, treating almost exclusively Medicare patients.

“The skeptics became more entrenched during the pandemic,” said Dr. Schumann, who is based in Tulsa, Okla. “They may think the COVID vaccines were approved too quickly, or believe the pandemic itself is a hoax.”

“There’s a lot of antiscience rhetoric now,” Dr. Schumann added. “I’d say about half of my patients are comfortable with science-based decisions and the other half are not.”
 

What are patients mistrustful about?

Patients’ suspicions of certain therapies began long before the pandemic. In dermatology, for example, some patients refuse to take topical steroids, said Steven R. Feldman, MD, a dermatologist in Winston-Salem, N.C.

“Their distrust is usually based on anecdotal stories they read about,” he noted. “Patients in other specialties are dead set against vaccinations.”

In addition to refusing treatments and inoculations, some patients ask for questionable regimens mentioned in the news. “Some patients have demanded hydroxychloroquine or Noromectin, drugs that are unproven in the treatment of COVID,” Dr. Schumann said. “We refuse to prescribe them.”

Dr. Hood said patients’ reluctance to follow medical advice can often be based on cost. “I have a patient who was more willing to save $20 than to save his life. But when the progression of his test results fit my predictions, he became more willing to take treatments. I had to wait for the opportune moment to convince him.”

Many naysayer patients keep their views to themselves, and physicians may be unaware that the patients are stonewalling. A 2006 study estimated that about 10%-16% of primary care patients actively resist medical authority.

Dr. Schumann cited patients who don’t want to hear an upsetting diagnosis. “Some patients might refuse to take a biopsy to see if they have cancer because they don’t want to know,” he said. “In many cases, they simply won’t get the biopsy and won’t tell the doctor that they didn’t.”
 

Sometimes skeptics’ arguments have merit

Some patients’ concerns can be valid, such as when they refuse to go on statins, said Zain Hakeem, DO, a physician in Austin, Tex.

“In some cases, I feel that statins are not necessary,” he said. “The science on statins for primary prevention is not strong, although they should be used for exceedingly high-risk patients.”

Certain patients, especially those with chronic conditions, do a great deal of research, using legitimate sources on the Web, and their research is well supported.

However, these patients can be overconfident in their conclusions. Several studies have shown that with just a little experience, people can replace beginners’ caution with a false sense of competence.

For example, “Patients may not weigh the risks correctly,” Dr. Hakeem said. “They can be more concerned about the risk of having their colon perforated during a colonoscopy, while the risk of cancer if they don’t have a colonoscopy is much higher.”

Some highly successful people may be more likely to trust their own medical instincts. When Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003, he put off surgery for 9 months while he tried to cure his disease with a vegan diet, acupuncture, herbs, bowel cleansings, and other remedies he read about. He died in 2011. Some experts believe that delay hastened his death.

Of course, not all physicians’ diagnoses or treatments are correct. One study indicated doctors’ diagnostic error rate could be as high as 15%. And just as patients can be overconfident in their conclusions, so can doctors. Another study found that physicians’ stated confidence in their diagnosis was only slightly affected by the inaccuracy of that diagnosis or the difficulty of the case.
 

Best ways to deal with cynical patients

Patients’ skepticism can frustrate doctors, reduce the efficiency of care delivery, and interfere with recovery. What can doctors do to deal with these problems?

1. Build the patient’s trust in you. “Getting patients to adhere to your advice involves making sure they feel they have a caring doctor whom they trust,” Dr. Feldman said.

“I want to show patients that I am entirely focused on them,” he added. “For example, I may rush to the door of the exam room from my last appointment, but I open the door very slowly and deliberately, because I want the patient to see that I won’t hurry with them.”

2. Spend time with the patient. Familiarity builds trust. Dr. Schumann said doctors at Oak Street Health see their patients an average of six to eight times a year, an unusually high number. “The more patients see their physicians, the more likely they are to trust them.”

3. Keep up to date. “I make sure I’m up to date with the literature, and I try to present a truthful message,” Dr. Hood said. “For instance, my research showed that inflammation played a strong role in developing complications from COVID, so I wrote a detailed treatment protocol aimed at the inflammation and the immune response, which has been very effective.”

4. Confront patients tactfully. Patients who do research on the Web don’t want to be scolded, Dr. Feldman said. In fact, he praises them, even if he doesn’t agree with their findings. “I might say: ‘What a relief to finally find patients who’ve taken the time to educate themselves before coming here.’ ”

Dr. Feldman is careful not to dispute patients’ conclusions. “Debating the issues is not an effective approach to get patients to trust you. The last thing you want to tell a patient is: ‘Listen to me! I’m an expert.’ People just dig in.”

However, it does help to give patients feedback. “I’m a big fan of patients arguing with me,” Dr. Hakeem said. “It means you can straighten out misunderstandings and improve decision-making.”

5. Explain your reasoning. “You need to communicate clearly and show them your thinking,” Dr. Hood said. “For instance, I’ll explain why a patient has a strong risk for heart attack.”

6. Acknowledge uncertainties. “The doctor may present the science as far more certain than it is,” Dr. Hakeem said. “If you don’t acknowledge the uncertainties, you could break the patient’s trust in you.”

7. Don’t use a lot of numbers. “Data is not a good tool to convince patients,” Dr. Feldman said. “The human brain isn’t designed to work that way.”

If you want to use numbers to show clinical risk, Dr. Hakeem advisd using natural frequencies, such as 10 out of 10,000, which is less confusing to the patient than the equivalent percentage of 0.1%.

It can be helpful to refer to familiar concepts. One way to understand a risk is to compare it with risks in daily life, such as the dangers of driving or falling in the shower, Dr. Hakeem added.

Dr. Feldman often refers to another person’s experience when presenting his medical advice. “I might say to the patient: ‘You remind me of another patient I had. They were sitting in the same chair you’re sitting in. They did really well on this drug, and I think it’s probably the best choice for you, too.’ ”

8. Adopt shared decision-making. This approach involves empowering the patient to become an equal partner in medical decisions. The patient is given information through portals and is encouraged to do research. Critics, however, say that most patients don’t want this degree of empowerment and would rather depend on the doctor’s advice.

Conclusion

It’s often impossible to get through to a skeptical patient, which can be disheartening for doctors. “Physicians want to do what is best for the patient, so when the patient doesn’t listen, they may take it personally,” Dr. Hood said. “But you always have to remember, the patient is the one with disease, and it’s up to the patient to open the door.”

Still, some skeptical patients ultimately change their minds. Dr. Schumann said patients who initially declined the COVID vaccine eventually decided to get it. “It often took them more than a year. but it’s never too late.”

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Geographic location within the United States appears to have an impact on the specific symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) that any one particular woman will develop, according to a new prospective cohort study.

Women in California were more likely to exhibit high levels of testosterone (hyperandrogenism), while women in Alabama with PCOS had more metabolic dysfunction and hirsutism.

And although the women in Alabama were younger and had a higher body mass index (BMI), even after adjusting for these factors, the clinical differences were still present between the geographic locations, the authors said.

“This study suggests there are regional differences in hormonal and metabolic parameters in women with PCOS in California and Alabama, highlighting the impact of differing genetic and environmental modulators on PCOS development,” Katherine VanHise, MD, of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, and colleagues wrote in their article, published online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
 

Genetic and environmental factors play a role

Prior research has looked at variations in symptoms of PCOS across countries and identified differences in hirsutism and its prevalence, which is greater in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Indian women, noted senior author Margareta D. Pisarska, MD.

And women of some other backgrounds “are at increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, including South Asian, African, and Hispanic women, so they are at a greater risk trajectory of developing manifestations later on in life that can ultimately lead to adverse outcomes in overall health,” Dr. Pisarska, director of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility in obstetrics and gynecology at Cedars-Sinai, told this news organization.

“We do see regional differences in the diagnosis of PCOS [in the United States] as well as the manifestations of PCOS including high andrenoemia, hirsutism, and metabolic parameters ... and we need to better understand it because, at least in the entire population, weight was not the entire factor contributing to these differences,” she explained.

“So there are definitely environmental factors and possibly genetic factors that we need to take into consideration as we try to study these women and try to help them decrease their risk of metabolic syndrome later in life,” she noted.
 

Differences not attributable to race either

PCOS is a common endocrine disorder affecting women and female adolescents worldwide. Diagnosis usually requires at least two of the following to be present: ovulatory dysfunction, hyperandrogenism, and/or polycystic ovarian morphology.

Because of the prior work that had identified differences in symptoms among women with PCOS in different countries, the investigators set out to determine if women of the same race would have distinct hormonal and metabolic traits of PCOS in two geographical locations in the United States, suggesting geo-epidemiologic contributors of the disease

They evaluated 889 women at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and 721 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Participants in Birmingham were a mean age of 28 years, had a mean BMI of 33.1 kg/m2, a mean waist-to-hip ratio of 0.8, and a mean hirsute rate of 84.6%. Participants in California were a mean age of 29.5 years, had an average BMI of 30.1 kg/m2, a mean waist-to-hip ratio of 0.9, and a mean hirsute rate of 72.8%.

The study team gathered data on menstrual cycle history, metabolic and hormonal parameters, and demographic data for each participant. They assessed hirsutism based on modified Ferriman-Gallwey scores of four or more. Patients were classified as having hyperandrogenemia if they had elevated androgen values greater than the 95th percentile of all values or androgen values that exceeded laboratory reference ranges.

The findings showed that Alabama women with PCOS had elevated homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance scores (adjusted beta coefficient, 3.6; P < .001) and were more likely to be hirsute (adjusted odds ratio, 1.8; P < .001) after adjustment for BMI and age than those in California.

In contrast, women with PCOS in California were more likely to have elevated free testosterone and total testosterone values than women in Alabama (both P < .001). These findings persisted after adjusting for age and BMI.

When stratified by White race, these findings were similar. Notably, BMI and waist-to-hip ratio did not vary between regions in Black women with PCOS, although variations in metabolic dysfunction and androgen profiles persisted.

“This study supports regional differences in hormonal and metabolic parameters in women with PCOS in the United States, highlighting the impact of the environment on PCOS phenotype. Individuals of the same race in different geographical locations of the United States may have differing genetic predispositions for developing diseases such as PCOS,” the researchers said.

“Ongoing research is needed to identify modifiable environmental risk factors for PCOS that may be race and ethnic specific to bring precision medicine to the management of PCOS,” they conclude.

This work was supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health and an endowment of the Helping Hand of Los Angeles. Dr. VanHise reported no relevant financial relationships.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Geographic location within the United States appears to have an impact on the specific symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) that any one particular woman will develop, according to a new prospective cohort study.

Women in California were more likely to exhibit high levels of testosterone (hyperandrogenism), while women in Alabama with PCOS had more metabolic dysfunction and hirsutism.

And although the women in Alabama were younger and had a higher body mass index (BMI), even after adjusting for these factors, the clinical differences were still present between the geographic locations, the authors said.

“This study suggests there are regional differences in hormonal and metabolic parameters in women with PCOS in California and Alabama, highlighting the impact of differing genetic and environmental modulators on PCOS development,” Katherine VanHise, MD, of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, and colleagues wrote in their article, published online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
 

Genetic and environmental factors play a role

Prior research has looked at variations in symptoms of PCOS across countries and identified differences in hirsutism and its prevalence, which is greater in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Indian women, noted senior author Margareta D. Pisarska, MD.

And women of some other backgrounds “are at increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, including South Asian, African, and Hispanic women, so they are at a greater risk trajectory of developing manifestations later on in life that can ultimately lead to adverse outcomes in overall health,” Dr. Pisarska, director of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility in obstetrics and gynecology at Cedars-Sinai, told this news organization.

“We do see regional differences in the diagnosis of PCOS [in the United States] as well as the manifestations of PCOS including high andrenoemia, hirsutism, and metabolic parameters ... and we need to better understand it because, at least in the entire population, weight was not the entire factor contributing to these differences,” she explained.

“So there are definitely environmental factors and possibly genetic factors that we need to take into consideration as we try to study these women and try to help them decrease their risk of metabolic syndrome later in life,” she noted.
 

Differences not attributable to race either

PCOS is a common endocrine disorder affecting women and female adolescents worldwide. Diagnosis usually requires at least two of the following to be present: ovulatory dysfunction, hyperandrogenism, and/or polycystic ovarian morphology.

Because of the prior work that had identified differences in symptoms among women with PCOS in different countries, the investigators set out to determine if women of the same race would have distinct hormonal and metabolic traits of PCOS in two geographical locations in the United States, suggesting geo-epidemiologic contributors of the disease

They evaluated 889 women at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and 721 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Participants in Birmingham were a mean age of 28 years, had a mean BMI of 33.1 kg/m2, a mean waist-to-hip ratio of 0.8, and a mean hirsute rate of 84.6%. Participants in California were a mean age of 29.5 years, had an average BMI of 30.1 kg/m2, a mean waist-to-hip ratio of 0.9, and a mean hirsute rate of 72.8%.

The study team gathered data on menstrual cycle history, metabolic and hormonal parameters, and demographic data for each participant. They assessed hirsutism based on modified Ferriman-Gallwey scores of four or more. Patients were classified as having hyperandrogenemia if they had elevated androgen values greater than the 95th percentile of all values or androgen values that exceeded laboratory reference ranges.

The findings showed that Alabama women with PCOS had elevated homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance scores (adjusted beta coefficient, 3.6; P < .001) and were more likely to be hirsute (adjusted odds ratio, 1.8; P < .001) after adjustment for BMI and age than those in California.

In contrast, women with PCOS in California were more likely to have elevated free testosterone and total testosterone values than women in Alabama (both P < .001). These findings persisted after adjusting for age and BMI.

When stratified by White race, these findings were similar. Notably, BMI and waist-to-hip ratio did not vary between regions in Black women with PCOS, although variations in metabolic dysfunction and androgen profiles persisted.

“This study supports regional differences in hormonal and metabolic parameters in women with PCOS in the United States, highlighting the impact of the environment on PCOS phenotype. Individuals of the same race in different geographical locations of the United States may have differing genetic predispositions for developing diseases such as PCOS,” the researchers said.

“Ongoing research is needed to identify modifiable environmental risk factors for PCOS that may be race and ethnic specific to bring precision medicine to the management of PCOS,” they conclude.

This work was supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health and an endowment of the Helping Hand of Los Angeles. Dr. VanHise reported no relevant financial relationships.