Exploring the unique and understudied health concerns of women and children
Compared to men, women have a higher prevalence of chronic health conditions that can be female-specific and can occur at different times of life. There is also a significant health disparity in chronic health conditions among women, with underrepresented racial and ethnic populations, economically disadvantaged groups, rural populations, and sexual and gender minority groups having a larger burden. Health challenges during pregnancy and childbirth can have negative long- term health effects on both mothers and children.
Infancy, childhood and adolescence are crucial stages for physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development. Negative experiences can have a lasting impact on physical and mental health continuing into adulthood.
CINID researchers are attempting to understand the mechanisms that affect a mother and child's physical and mental health their entire lives. Current projects include examining how sleep-disordered breathing during pregnancy affects fetal programming of childhood health and how social isolation and loneliness during early life can impact neurocognitive development and future addictive behavior.
There is growing evidence that diet, exercise, and sleep might affect the progression of heart disease. Sleep problems can affect the immune system and blood vessels, making atherosclerosis happen faster. As we get older, many people have trouble sleeping, and this speeds the progression of atherosclerosis. Women who have gone through menopause often have sleep problems, too.
The Galkina laboratory studies how menopause exacerbates the harmful effects of sleep problems on atherosclerosis development and seeks to identify ways by which estrogen plays a protective role against poor sleep and dangerous plaque formation. Many aging women have sleep issues with menopause, so understanding how these problems link to atherosclerosis is crucial for public health.