Women's health

They comprise more than half of humanity. And at every phase of their lives, women are making individual choices about issues such as contraception, cancer screening, preventing osteoporosis—and whether or not to use hormone therapy. They need health care services and information that will empower them to lead long, healthy lives.

Group Health Research Institute (GHRI) investigators conduct research that focuses on conditions such as breast cancer and osteoporosis that affect more women than men, as well as the more "equal opportunity" conditions including heart disease that are common in both sexes.

In collaboration with colleagues at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC), Kaiser Permanente, Merck & Co., and other research hubs, the scientists' work influences the development of health care services and preventive care programs available to a wide range of women. In addition to improving care for Group Health patients, GHRI findings are influencing the development of models for women's health services nationwide.

"Our research programs address the major experiences and conditions that affect women's lives, including bone health in teens, osteoporosis prevention, new therapies for osteoporosis, and alternative approaches to menopause symptoms," says Katherine M. Newton, PhD, senior investigator at GHRI. "Group Health is an incredibly rich environment, with dedicated patients who generously give of their time to help us address these questions."

Top

GHRI researchers in women's health

Affiliate researchers

Top

Recent publications on women's health

2010

Beasley JM, Ichikawa LE, Ange BA, Spangler L, LaCroix AZ, Ott SM, Scholes D. Is protein intake associated with bone mineral density in young women? The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2010, 91 (5):1311-1316. PubMed

Fishman PA, Bonomi AE, Anderson ML, Reid RJ, Rivara FP. Changes in health care costs over time following the cessation of intimate partner violence. J Gen Intern Med. 2010 Apr 23. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed

Ludman EJ, Ichikawa LE, Simon GE, Rohde P, Arterburn D, Operskalski BH, Linde JA, Jeffery RW. Breast and cervical cancer screening specific effects of depression and obesity. Am J Prev Med. 2010;38(3):303-10. PubMed

Newton KM, Reed SD, Grothaus LC, LaCroix AZ, Nekhlyudov L, Ehrlich K, Ludman EJ. Hormone therapy discontinuation: physician practices after the Women's Health Initiative. Menopause. 2010 Jul;17(4):734-40. Epub 2010 Apr 23. PubMed

Scholes D, Hawn TR, Roberts PL, Li SS, Stapleton AE, Zhao LP, Stamm WE, Hooton TM. Family history and risk of recurrent cystitis and pyelonephritis in women. J Urol. 2010;184(2):564-9. Epub 2010 Jun 19. PubMed

Scholes D, Ichikawa L, LaCroix AZ, Spangler L, Beasley JM, Reed S, Ott SM. Oral contraceptive use and bone density in adolescent and young adult women. Contraception. 2010 Jan;81(1):35-40. PubMed

Taplin SH, Abraham L, Geller BM, Yankaskas BC, Buist DS, Smith-Bindman R, Lehman C, Weaver D, Carney PA, Barlow WE. Effect of previous benign breast biopsy on the interpretive performance of subsequent screening mammography. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2010;102(14):1040-51. Epub 2010 Jul 2. PubMed

2009

Reed SD, Ludman EJ, Newton KM, Grothaus L, LaCroix AZ, Nekhyludov L, Spangler L, Jordan L, Ehrlich K, Bush T. Depressive symptoms and menopausal burden in the midlife. Maturitas. 2009, 62:306-310. PubMed

Albain KS, Barlow WE, Ravdin PM, Farrar WB, Burton GV, Ketchel SJ, Cobau CD, Levine EG, Ingle JN, Pritchard KI, Lichter AS, Schneider DJ, Abeloff MD, Henderson IC, Muss HB, Green SJ, Lew D, Livingston RB, Martino S, Osborne CK. Adjuvant chemotherapy and timing of tamoxifen in postmenopausal patients with endocrine-responsive, node-positive breast cancer: a phase 3, open-label, randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2009;374(9707):2055-63. Epub 2009 Dec 10. PubMed

Bonomi AE, Anderson ML, Reid RJ, Rivara FP, Carrell D, Thompson RS. Medical and psychosocial diagnoses in women with a history of intimate partner violence. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(18):1692-7. PubMed

Buist DS, Anderson ML, Reed SD, Aiello Bowles EJ, Fitzgibbons ED, Gandara JC, Seger D, Newton KM. Short-term hormone therapy suspension and mammography recall: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2009;150(11):752-65. PubMed

Spangler L, Reed SD, Nekhyludov L, Grothaus L, LaCroix AZ, Newton KM. Provider attributes associated with hormone therapy prescribing frequency. Menopause. 2009;16(4):810-16. PubMed

Top

Our major research interests

Top