Elizabeth Warren vows fight for gender equality in medical studies [View all]

Sen. Elizabeth Warren vowed yesterday to push for a new federal law to cut the gender bias from medical research if federal agencies such as the National Institutues of Health don’t take steps to address the issue.

Medical studies need to include more data about the effects that diseases and drugs have specifically on women, Warren said at a women’s health conference in Boston.

“If the NIH puts new regulations in place that demand better parity in research, that will be a big step forward and we don’t have to wait for legislation,” the Democratic senator told reporters. “If the NIH is reluctant, then it’s appropriate for Congress to step in.”

A report from Brigham and Women’s Hospital released yesterday found women are routinely bypassed as medical research subjects — starting at the selection of male lab mice over females — which means women end up with health recommendations that are really meant for men.

more

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_politics/2014/03/elizabeth_warren_vows_fight_for_gender_equality_in_medical