The study, published Oct. 1 in JAMA, is among the first to document a surge in new prescriptions for the popular diabetes and weight-loss medications, such as Ozempic and Zepbound, among postpartum women in the United States. It is the first to identify which clinical groups — women with diabetes, gestational diabetes, obesity, or no documented diagnosis — are driving this growth.

Researchers examined private insurance claims data for just over 1 million births during a seven-year period. The share of new mothers starting a GLP-1 prescription within six months of giving birth increased from .08% in the first half of 2018 to 1.9% by the first quarter of 2025—a 24-fold increase.

Women with type 2 diabetes had the highest rate of prescriptions. Among this group, the share starting a GLP-1 prescription increased from 2.3% to 16.9% (or about 1 in 6) over the same period.

The share of those with gestational diabetes who started a GLP-1 prescription also rose substantially, from 0.4% in mid-2021 to 2.7% in first quarter of 2025. Gestational diabetes, which develops during pregnancy among women who previously did not have diabetes, affects about 5% to 9% of pregnancies and greatly increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Prescribing increased fastest in relative terms among those diagnosed as obese or overweight before pregnancy, from 0.4% in the second half of 2021 to 3.9% in the first quarter of 2025.

More recently, women with diagnosed obesity or overweight have represented a greater share of postpartum GLP-1 users. Since the second half of 2024, this group accounted for 40% of new prescriptions among postpartum women, followed by 21% who lacked a documented qualifying diagnosis before giving birth. Most who did not have a pre-pregnancy diagnosis did receive one—usually obesity or overweight—before starting a GLP-1.

Patients are advised to stop using GLP-1s during pregnancy, and most postpartum women who started a GLP-1 did so at least three months after giving birth.

“Postpartum is a critical window for addressing metabolic risk after pregnancy, and we’re seeing GLP-1 use explode in this population. Because evidence on GLP-1 exposure during breastfeeding remains limited, rising postpartum initiation warrants further study,” said lead author and Schaeffer scholar Sih-Ting Cai.

Despite differences in healthcare systems, the overall prescription start rate among new U.S. mothers was similar to the rate among postpartum women in Denmark, as reported in in a JAMA study last year. The new study does not include mothers enrolled in Medicaid, which covers about 40% of U.S. births.

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Obesity, a chronic progressive disease, is exacerbated by oestrogen deficiency during menopause. Orforglipron, an oral small-molecule, non-peptide GLP-1 receptor agonist, was associated with significant body weight (BW) reductions in ATTAIN-1 and -2 studies, one of which looked at people living with overweight or obesity but not diabetes (ATTAIN-1) and the other with both conditions (ATTAIN-2). This additional analysis evaluates orforglipron‘s effect on BW in women by menopausal stage.

Female participants with obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m²) or overweight (BMI ≥27 kg/m²) with at least one weight-related medical condition in ATTAIN-1 and -2 were analysed by menopausal status: pre-, peri-, or post-menopause, with the number of women in each category receiving orforglipron or placebo ranging from 142 to 225. BW, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio changes and the proportion achieving BW reduction thresholds (≥5%, ≥10%, ≥15%, ≥20%) vs placebo (PBO) were assessed at 72 weeks.

For women given orforglipron, significant and similar reductions in body weight up to 14% were experienced for pre-menopausal, peri-menopausal and post-menopausal women in ATTAIN-1, and in ATTAIN-2. (see results table full abstract)

Significant reductions in waist circumference of up to 12.5 cm were observed across subgroups with orforglipron for both studies. With orforglipron, up to 83% experienced at least 5% body weight reduction vs 30% with placebo. More orforglipron-treated participants experienced a shift to lower waist-to-height ratio categories than placebo.

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For the review, 7 meta-analyses were included, encompassing more than 3 million participants. Unrestricted assessments showed small positive associations between prenatal paracetamol exposure and both autism and ADHD, but after restricting assessments to higher-quality meta-analyses and studies, effect estimates were substantially attenuated and approached null. No robust epidemiological evidence supported a causal association.

“A widely debated question deserves more than headlines—it deserves robust evidence. Our findings show that the apparent association between prenatal paracetamol exposure and autism or ADHD weakens as methodological quality improves, challenging the interpretation of a causal link and supporting evidence-based decisions during pregnancy,” said first author Hoda Tayebi Hillali, DDS, MSc, of the University of Santiago de Compostela, in Spain.

URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dmcn.70512

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Emergency contraception is used to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. It can be used when no contraception was used or if a contraceptive method fails, as with a broken condom, or in the event of sexual assault.

Common methods of emergency contraception include copper intrauterine devices and pills. The most widely used pill is levonorgestrel, a progestin-only medication sold in many countries as “Plan B,” “Next Choice,” or similar brand names. An alternative is the Yuzpe regimen, an older method that combines estrogen and progestin.

More effective, fewer side effects

The review, led by researchers from Oregon Health & Science University, USA, pooled data from 87 randomized controlled trials involving approximately 36,000 women of reproductive age. The majority of studies (79 trials) were conducted in China, with additional trials from the UK, Cuba, and multi-country settings. The authors compared mifepristone against levonorgestrel, the Yuzpe regimen, and copper intrauterine devices.

Compared with levonorgestrel, both low-dose (under 25 mg) and mid-dose mifepristone (25-50 mg) prevented more pregnancies and were associated with fewer overall side effects. Low-dose mifepristone showed a 27% relative reduction in pregnancies compared with levonorgestrel. This was rated as high-certainty evidence, meaning that further research is very unlikely to change the result.

When compared with the Yuzpe regimen, mifepristone showed an even larger advantage, cutting pregnancy risk substantially while also sharply reducing rates of nausea and vomiting. Evidence comparing mifepristone with copper intrauterine devices remained too limited to draw firm conclusions, based on only two included trials.

“Mifepristone in low-to-mid doses is a highly effective emergency contraceptive option that clinicians should know about,” explains Dr Shaalini Ramanadhan, lead author of the review. “As an anti-progestin, it works differently than the other steroid hormone-based methods like levonorgestrel and combined estrogen and progestin pills to delay or block ovulation. This different mechanism is part of why it has a different side-effect profile compared to the other two methods.”

The main trade-off identified across nearly all comparisons was a lower risk of nausea and vomiting with mifepristone, but a higher likelihood of delayed menstruation compared with other types of emergency contraception. Given that a delay in menstruation could be interpreted as a sign of treatment failure or pregnancy, the authors explain that this side effect could be a potential source of stress and anxiety for individuals seeking emergency contraception.

Where reported, however, treatment satisfaction was equal to or higher among those who received mifepristone versus alternative methods.

Political and legal barriers limit access

Despite the strong evidence behind the drug’s effectiveness as emergency contraception, the authors note there are still many barriers to access.

In some countries, drug authorities have approved mifepristone at higher doses (typically 200 mg) in combination with misoprostol specifically for medical termination of early pregnancy, not as emergency contraception. Scientific evidence is growing around the potential use of mifepristone and other anti-progestins as a routine method of contraception, for treating fibroids, for preventing and treating breast cancer, and for treating abnormal bleeding. However, because mifepristone is widely associated with abortion, it also faces intense political scrutiny, legal restrictions, and targeted bans and barriers in various countries.

“Expanding options for emergency contraception is important,” says Dr Ramanadhan. “The evidence shows that mifepristone has benefits beyond abortion care, including as an effective form of emergency contraception. In some countries, recognition of this additional use may help expand access, increase familiarity with the medication, and create new opportunities for people to benefit from it.”

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Drawing from a large retrospective dataset collected between 2016 and 2025 and leveraging extensive support from the South Carolina Clinical & Translational Research (SCTR) Institute, including biostatistical and regulatory guidance, clinical research infrastructure, laboratory services and Nexus data resources, Wagner and Borsum identified a strong association between profound vitamin D deficiency and earlier gestational age at delivery. Wagner credited SCTR’s comprehensive support as instrumental to the study’s success.

Without SCTR, we as a team would never have been able to accomplish what we did. It’s a phenomenal infrastructure and an incredible gift to any researcher.”

While the team has not yet established a definitive causal relationship, the findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that optimizing a patient’s vitamin D status before and during pregnancy may improve both maternal and fetal health outcomes.

Why vitamin D might matter in pregnancy

Vitamin D is a vital nutrient that is known primarily for helping the body to absorb calcium and maintain normal bone, muscle, nerve and immune health. But as Wagner and fellow MUSC basic and translational scientist Bruce W. Hollis, Ph.D., discovered in earlier randomized controlled trials, vitamin D acts as a building block for hormones that play an important role in pregnancy.

“Vitamin D impacts literally thousands of genes in the body,” said Wagner. Research suggests that vitamin D helps the development of the placenta, the temporary organ that grows in a pregnant woman to nourish the fetus. It also appears to help support healthy immune function and may reduce the risk of serious complications like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.

One crucial function vitamin D seems to serve is helping the mother’s immune system to adapt to pregnancy. Because a baby in utero contains genetic material from both parents, the mother’s body must learn to tolerate something that is partially foreign. Vitamin D may help to regulate that process, supporting a healthy pregnancy and fetal development.

Beyond pregnancy: Vitamin D’s broader health role

According to Wagner and Borsum, vitamin D may shape long-term health more than immediate outcomes. Some of the effects of deficiency may begin early in development, altering how genes function and potentially influencing the baby’s health for years, or even decades, to come.

Even outside of pregnancy, vitamin D deficiency is far more common than many people realize. Modern lifestyles often limit time spent outdoors, reducing the body’s ability to produce vitamin D from sunlight. At the same time, food sources provide only a small portion of the vitamin D most people need. As a result, many individuals do not reach healthy vitamin D levels.

Some groups are at higher risk for deficiency, including people with darker skin, those who work indoors, individuals who regularly use sunscreen and people with limited mobility or chronic health conditions that keep them inside.

The team stresses that sunscreen remains essential for protecting against skin cancer. However, people with limited sun exposure may benefit from discussing their vitamin D levels and potential supplementation with their health care provider.

“We have to balance the importance of sunshine and vitamin D with the risk of skin cancer,” said Borsum. “But this further emphasizes the vast role vitamin D plays.”

Emerging research suggests that vitamin D helps to regulate thousands of genes throughout the body, particularly those involved in immune function. Low levels have been associated with autoimmune diseases such as lupus and multiple sclerosis as well as certain cancers.

Challenges of turning research into practice and future directions

Despite growing evidence supporting the importance of vitamin D, Wagner said changing clinical practice can be difficult. Unlike prescription medications, vitamin D is inexpensive, widely available and cannot be patented, which means there is less commercial impetus to promote its use. “No one’s going to make billions off of this,” Wagner explained. “So, it then becomes a public health issue.”

As researchers continue to build evidence about the role of vitamin D in pregnancy and overall health, Wagner and Borsum see the next steps as educating health care providers, continuing to investigate vitamin D’s long-term effects and increasing public awareness.

“We learn about vitamin D’s role in bone health, but no one teaches us about the various roles in pregnancy, especially this relationship with preterm birth we are uncovering,” Borsum explained. “I always tell my friends and family who are thinking about becoming pregnant to make sure they are sufficient!”

As researchers continue to uncover vitamin D’s far-reaching effects, Wagner and Borsum hope the growing body of evidence will encourage more conversations about a nutrient that may shape health across generations.

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Researchers at Semmelweis University analyzed data from 566 women with endometriosis and 447 women without the condition. Using internationally validated questionnaires, they assessed work productivity, absenteeism, and work ability. Women with endometriosis lost an average of 12.7 work hours over a four-week period because of health-related problems, compared with 5.7 hours among women in the control group. Based on the hours missed, the researchers estimated an average annual income loss of €1,757 per affected woman.

“The impact of endometriosis is not only a health issue but also a major social and economic one. The condition affects women during one of the most active stages of their lives, meaning it can influence employment, career development, and long-term financial security,” said Dr. Dóra Balogh, Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Semmelweis University and senior author of the study.

Endometriosis affects about 10% of women of reproductive age worldwide. In this chronic gynecological condition, tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus, causing chronic pelvic pain, painful periods, fatigue, and, in some cases, infertility. Symptoms often persist for many years before the condition is diagnosed.

The study found that 42% of women with endometriosis had poor work ability, compared with 17.9% of women in the control group. Poor work ability means that a person’s health makes it harder to perform their job and increases the risk of prolonged work disability or leaving the workforce.

“The most surprising finding was that nearly half of the women with endometriosis fell into this category. Without appropriate support, the condition may not only make day-to-day work more difficult but also threaten women’s ability to remain in the workforce over the long term,” said Dr. Dominika Miklós, a resident physician in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Semmelweis University and first author of the study.

The researchers also found that many workplaces are not adequately prepared to support employees with endometriosis. Fifty-four percent of respondents said their employer had little or no knowledge of the condition, while only 17% believed their workplace was sufficiently informed about it. Participants said they would most value menstrual leave, flexible work hours, remote or hybrid work options, and greater understanding and support from employers. Some European countries, including Spain and Portugal, already allow menstrual leave under certain circumstances.

Part of a larger research program
The study was conducted as part of the international FEMaLe (Finding Endometriosis with Machine Learning) research program, launched in 2020. At Semmelweis University, the project is led by Dr. Attila Bokor, Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Its aim is to improve understanding of endometriosis, promote earlier diagnosis, and investigate the health, social, and economic impact of the disease.

This is the first comprehensive study in Central and Eastern Europe to examine the effects of endometriosis on work productivity, work ability, and workplace support simultaneously. Its findings are consistent with studies from Western Europe and Australia, suggesting that the impact of endometriosis on working life is similar across regions. The researchers conclude that flexible work arrangements and better-informed employers could help women with endometriosis remain in the workforce.

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In a newly published study, researchers found that high doses of clomiphene citrate – accumulated over multiple fertility treatment cycles – could increase the risk of pregnancy loss.

Supported by the NHMRC and conducted in partnership with Boston University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the study analysed 21,004 IVF embryo transfer cycles in the United States, finding that women receiving cumulative doses of 500-749 mg clomiphene citrate had a 12% higher risk of miscarriage; while women who received 750-999 mg had a 38% higher risk of miscarriage.

Women receiving cumulative doses of 750 mg or more were also more than twice as likely to have twins or other multiple births.

Spontaneous abortion rates increased as dose increased, but the researchers caution that the greater than tripling of stillbirth at the highest dose was not statistically significant as the dose was rare, and larger studies are needed to confirm the association. The observation is, however, consistent with a previous publication from Adelaide University showing a doubling of neonatal death in pregnancies involving clomiphene citrate.

Importantly for the new study, higher cumulative doses of the drug did not improve the chance of a live birth, but did increase twinning, which increases the risk of adverse outcomes for both mother and child.

Clomiphene citrate is one of the world’s most widely prescribed fertility drugs. It has been prescribed to millions of women worldwide since 1967 and remains a recommended first-line treatment for ovulation induction.

Recognised as an essential medicine by the World Health Organization, clomiphene citrate works by stimulating the ovaries to release eggs, thereby increasing the chance of pregnancy.

Women who do not respond to lower doses, or who require multiple treatment cycles, may receive progressively higher cumulative doses over time.

Lead author Associate Professor Sheree Boulet said the findings demonstrated a clear dose-response relationship.

“Women who received higher cumulative doses of clomiphene citrate experienced progressively greater risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes,” Assoc Prof Boulet said.

“We examined more than 21,000 embryo transfer cycles across four cumulative dose categories and found that increasing the dose did not significantly improve the chance of a live birth.

“Our findings suggest there may be a point where increasing the dose offers little additional benefit while exposing women to greater risk, highlighting the importance of carefully balancing effectiveness with safety when making treatment decisions.”

The findings build on a series of studies from Adelaide University’s Robinson Research Institute that linked clomiphene citrate with increased risks of pregnancy loss, stillbirth, perinatal death and some birth defects.

Experimental studies in mice supported these findings, showing that higher doses reduced successful pregnancies and were associated with pregnancy loss, impaired fetal growth and developmental abnormalities.

Senior researcher and co-author of all studies, Professor Michael Davies, said the study builds on more than two decades of Adelaide-led research examining the safety of fertility treatments.

“Clomiphene citrate has been used by many women since 1967, but it has never been comprehensively evaluated in large prospective clinical trials,” Prof Davies said.

“Our studies indicate that women respond differently to clomiphene citrate and that increasing cumulative doses may increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes without improving the likelihood of a live birth.

“The findings confirm and extend our previous studies in both human and mouse models which highlight the need to better understand the dose-response relationship and whether more personalised dosing strategies could improve safety.

“Until we can better understand these differences, it remains important that clinicians rigorously follow manufacturer’s safety recommendations and avoid unnecessarily increasing cumulative doses.

“The same questions are now being asked of newer ovulation-inducing medications, so any move away from clomiphene citrate should also be guided by robust evidence rather than assumptions about safety.”

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The study evaluated a coaching-led intervention for patients who had experienced hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) — a group at elevated risk of chronic hypertension and long-term cardiovascular disease. Alongside care navigation and home BP monitoring, the coaching component was designed to keep patients connected to follow-up care during the postpartum period, when engagement with health services typically falls away.

Participants who received the intervention were more likely to remain engaged with health care and to achieve BP control at the 12-month mark than those who did not, the authors report.

The findings support health coaching as an effective strategy for reducing long-term uncontrolled hypertension among patients with HDP, the researchers conclude — a period increasingly recognised as a critical window for identifying and managing future cardiovascular risk.

The corresponding author is Megan R. Knutson Sinaise, MS, ACSM-CEP, of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Reference: doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.26970

Read the full study

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Midlife women are at increased risk of a number of chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes mellitus as a result of hormone changes caused by menopause. Women in midlife commonly experience weight gain and a redistribution of fat to the midsection resulting in increased belly fat and an elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The global prevalence of diabetes was estimated in 2024 at 10%, and that risk continues to increase with age.

Previous studies have shown a strong reciprocal relationship between menopause and the development of diabetes, identifying early menopause and the postmenopause stages as triggering factors. However, most previous studies have focused on menopause stage, age at menopause, or menopause timing rather than directly assessing menopause symptom burden. A new study involving nearly 300 women aged 40 to 64 years aimed to assess menopause symptoms using the Midlife Women’s Symptom Index and to examine whether type 2 diabetes is associated with the number and severity of menopause symptoms.

Across all menopause stages, women in the diabetic group (diabetes and prediabetes) reported a higher prevalence of menopause symptoms. However, the difference was only statistically significant in the postmenopause stage. Similarly, although symptom severity was consistently higher in the diabetic groups across menopause stages, a statistically significant difference was observed only in the postmenopause stage.

These findings suggest the importance of integrating menopause symptom assessment and management into diabetes care for midlife women to improve quality of life. Additional longitudinal studies are recommended to further clarify the biological and psychosocial mechanisms linking glucose metabolism and menopause symptom burden in this population.

Survey results are published in the article “Association between type 2 diabetes mellitus and menopause symptoms among Korean midlife women.”

“This study demonstrates that women with diabetes may experience a greater burden of menopause symptoms. Prior research has also shown that cardiovascular risk factors, including diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, are associated with more frequent vasomotor symptoms, and women with a higher vasomotor symptom burden tend to have a less favorable cardiometabolic risk profile. Together, these findings not only highlight the need to recognize and address menopause symptoms in women with diabetes but also underscore the menopause transition as an important opportunity to identify and manage cardiovascular risk factors in all women,” says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for The Menopause Society.

For more information about menopause and healthy aging, visit www.menopause.org.

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A new study led by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) found that Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is failing to meet the therapeutic needs of pregnant patients, driving widespread off-label prescribing and perpetuating structural health inequities.

Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP) affects up to 80 percent of pregnant women, yet only 10 to 20 percent of women who suffer from it use conventional medications.

Lead author Dr Hannah Jackson, a recent PhD graduate from the UTS Faculty of Health, said treatment of NVP has a complex history due to the thalidomide tragedy, which has resulted in conservative pharmaceutical regulations and limited therapeutic innovation.

The study explored the significant challenges some women face when trying to treat one of pregnancy’s most common conditions.

“We found that in some cases prescribers were finding alternative ways to get women the medication they need in a community-based setting, which can reduce health system costs by keeping them out of hospital,” Dr Jackson said.

The historical cohort study analysed PBS dispensing records from nearly 300,000 pregnancies over a five-year period to assess how public resources for anti-nausea medications were distributed across different socioeconomic regions.

The findings show that while the PBS successfully performs its intended role of progressively providing affordable access to necessary medications, the narrow range of approved drugs for NVP can create significant disparities in treatment type and cost.

Despite lacking official approval or a specific listing for pregnancy under the PBS framework, the findings show that the drug ondansetron accounted for 54 percent of total PBS expenditure on anti-nausea medications in pregnancy.

“Because official subsidised options are so limited, doctors frequently rely on system workarounds to ensure patients on low incomes can afford necessary treatment,” said Dr Jackson.

Total PBS-funded expenditure across all anti-nausea medications for pregnancy was concentrated most among disadvantaged women, with the rate of ondansetron use rising faster in low-income areas.

Co-author on the paper, Associate Professor Luke Grzeskowiak from Flinders University, said “the observed system workarounds create a kind of ‘Robin Hood’ scenario, where providing medicines outside of PBS restrictions is seen as an acceptable workaround, because it’s helping vulnerable women get necessary treatment they would otherwise not be able to afford.”

“With fewer medications subsidised on the PBS, pregnant women with lower financial capacity must rely on a narrow selection of older therapies, while those with more means can pay out-of-pocket for non-PBS medications which may be more suitable,” said Associate Professor Grzeskowiak.

The authors argue that limited access to anti-nausea medications through the PBS can actually drive inequalities in medication access by seeing disadvantaged women access the limited subsidised medications, while affluent women can self-fund the full suite of guideline-recommended options.

With maternal health designated a national priority, the researchers urge policymakers to update Australia’s medication funding structures by expanding the range of pregnancy relevant medications approved and subsidised under the PBS.

“Without reform, the current policy framework will continue to perpetuate socioeconomic inequalities, incentivise prescribing outside of standard regulatory safeguards, and lead to potential inefficiencies in public spending,” said Dr Jackson.

“Ultimately, expanding PBS access to both new and repurposed existing medications will create a more dynamic, evidence-based health policy system that is truly responsive to pregnant women’s health needs.”

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Researchers found that rates of gestational diabetes – a condition that develops during pregnancy and can cause serious complications for both mother and baby – increased from around eight per cent of pregnancies in 2018 to more than 12 per cent in 2022.

The sharpest rises were seen among some ethnic minority groups and women living in deprived areas.

Experts say the findings highlight an urgent need to strengthen maternity services and improve support for women at highest risk.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most common complication arising during pregnancy. The condition occurs when the body cannot produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar levels during pregnancy.

GDM is associated with an increased risk of complications including preterm birth, emergency Caesarean section and babies being born either larger or smaller than expected for their gestational age. It is also linked to long-term health risks for both mothers and their children.

Researchers analysed routinely collected NHS maternity data covering over 2.3 million mothers and around 2.8 million births across 184 hospitals in England between 2018 and 2022.

The highest increases in gestational diabetes were seen among Asian women, where rates reached around 23 per cent, and among women living in the most deprived areas, where they reached around 14 per cent.

The study also found marked inequalities in pregnancy outcomes across ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Black mothers were more likely to experience an emergency Caesarean birth, women living in deprived areas were more likely to give birth preterm, and Asian mothers were more likely to have babies born small for gestational age.

Among these higher-risk groups, a diagnosis of gestational diabetes was associated with a further increase in the risk of preterm birth.

Researchers say rising maternal age, increasing rates of obesity and improvements in data capture are likely contributors to the growing prevalence of gestational diabetes.

The study also found that changes to gestational diabetes screening introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic did not meaningfully affect overall trends in diagnosis. Experts say the rise in cases reflects broader underlying changes rather than changes in testing practice.

Rebecca Reynolds, Professor of Metabolic Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, said: “This the first time we have managed to estimate the number of women with gestational diabetes in the UK. The rising number of women being diagnosed is concerning and impacts on maternity services delivery which are already challenged. Importantly, gestational diabetes also increases risk of future type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, so better preventative measures are needed to help support these women post partum.”

Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, Clinical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Big data research studies like this, which can now analyse millions of healthcare records, are uncovering a concerning rise in conditions which raise people’s chances of having a future heart attack or stroke. Gestational diabetes often goes away after pregnancy, but it can increase women’s risk of future cardiovascular disease. Healthcare professionals who want to fully understand people’s risk of heart attack and stroke should routinely ask women about risk factors unique to them, such as diabetes or high blood pressure in pregnancy – even if that pregnancy was decades earlier. If you are a woman who has had diabetes or high blood pressure during pregnancy, it is especially important to attend health checks when invited.”

The study is published in the journal BMJ Medicine: https://bmjmedicine.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bmjmed-2025-002412 [URL will become active after embargo lifts]. It involved researchers from King’s College London, University of Glasgow, University of Warwick and researchers within the HDRUK Diabetes Data Catalyst, a partnership between British Heart Foundation Data Science Centre, Diabetes UK and Health Data Research UK. It was funded by the British Heart Foundation.

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The move is an attempt to rebalance historic and ongoing issues in women’s health. Although there are differences in how men and women experience illness, and in the response to treatment, clinical trials recruit disproportionate numbers of men. As a result, some treatments do not fully meet women’s specific needs. Certain conditions, such as preeclampsia, menopausal symptoms, and endometriosis, remain insufficiently recognised or addressed.

Women live longer than men on average but spend more of their lives in poorer health. This disparity is due, in part, to gaps in disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatments, which do not always fully address the specific health needs of women. Now the EMA says it will proactively embed women’s health considerations in medicines development and regulation.

The regulator will broadcast a women’s health workshop on 28-29 September, examining gaps in women’s health needs and identifying priorities for more inclusive clinical research.

The workshop is part of a wider effort to address sex-specific differences in care. The European Clinical Trials Regulation now requires that people enrolled in trials reflect the populations likely to use the medicine; manufacturers are required to list sex-specific differences, such as differences in dosage requirements, on medicine labels; the EMA is seeking to strengthen the evidence on the use of medicines in pregnancy and while breastfeeding; and real-world evidence will have a greater role in reducing regulatory uncertainty regarding the effect of medicines on women.

‘Advancing developments in women’s health is one of my personal priorities,’ said EMA Executive Director, Emer Cooke. ‘This is an area where we are seeing strong momentum at EU and global level, and where EMA is well placed to drive meaningful progress and help shape a clear path ahead. As medicines regulators, we have a role to play to enable the development of products that are better tailored to women’s needs.’

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