Research Gaps: Women Left Out

Today's conversation is one I believe every woman deserves to hear - regardless of age, stage, or current health status.

I sat down with Meghan Rabbit, an award-winning health journalist and the author of The New Rules for Women's Health, to talk about something many of us feel but rarely name clearly: modern medicine was not designed with women in mind - especially across midlife.

This isn't about blame. And it isn't about distrust of doctors. It's about understanding the system we are navigating, and learning how to advocate for ourselves within it.

Meghan brings a rare perspective to this conversation. She has spent years interviewing hundreds of clinicians and researchers across women's health, brain health, heart disease, menopause, autoimmune conditions, and longevity. What she uncovered is both sobering and empowering: women have been left out of research, diagnostics, and treatment models for decades, but knowledge changes outcomes.

In this episode, we talk about why women must become active participants in their own healthcare, not passive recipients. We explore what it means to be the "CEO of your health" - tracking symptoms, preparing for appointments, understanding your body, and engaging in true shared decision-making with your clinicians.

We also walk through the body systems where these gaps show up most clearly:

- Why women represent the majority of Alzheimer's cases—and what midlife has to do with brain health

- Why heart disease remains the leading cause of death in women, yet awareness is declining

- How menopause is a neurological transition, not just a hormonal one

- Why autoimmune disease disproportionately affects women—and why answers are still lagging

- How gut health, bone health, hormones, and the brain are deeply interconnected

About Meghan Rabbitt:

Meghan Rabbitt is an award-winning journalist and author of The New Rules of Women's Health: Your Guide to Thriving at Every Age. She specializes in writing about women's health and wellness, and her work has appeared in many national publications, including Women's Health, Oprah Daily, Prevention, Maria Shriver's Sunday Paper, and more. She's known for translating complex medical and scientific topics into clear, actionable information, and for telling stories that help readers better understand their bodies, their health, and themselves.

📘 Book - The New Rules of Women's Health

Your Guide to Thriving at Every Age

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/734289/the-new-rules-of-womens-health-by-meghan-rabbitt-foreword-by-maria-shriver/

Website: https://newrulesofwomenshealth.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meghanrabbitt

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-rabbitt-04b80116/

Substack: https://substack.com/@meghanrabbitt

Timestamp:

00:00:00 Intro

00:01:28 The Origin Story of the Women's Health Manifesto

00:03:58 Challenges in Women's Health Research

00:09:30 Empowering Women to Take Charge of Their Health

00:18:37 The Importance of Tracking Symptoms and Shared Decision Making

00:24:44 Brain Health and the Impact of Estrogen

00:29:53 The Importance of Exercise for Brain Health

00:32:08 The Role of Hormones in Heart Health

00:39:42 Autoimmune Diseases and Women's Health

00:45:40 Empowering Women Through Knowledge

00:50:40 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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About Dr. Vonda Wright:

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Connect with Dr. Vonda Wright:

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Read Dr. Vonda Wright's Substack: https://drvondawright.substack.com/

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