New research shows that a common type of diabetes medication could help cancer patients make a better long-term recovery. Many cancer patients go on to develop heart failure - because of the cancer itself and also due to chemotherapy.  

But a new study shows that a type of diabetes drug, called an SGLT2 inhibitor, may help protect the heart during and after cancer treatment.  

This is the first time that any medication has been shown to be beneficial in reducing heart failure or heart failure hospitalisation in cancer patients and survivors. 

In this Women’s Health-focused Special Issue of Science Advances, 2 Research Articles, 1 Review, and 1 Focus enumerate the impacts of sex differences on genetics, aging, and hormones. In her Introduction, Tali Sharot, Section Editor for Neuroscience at the journal, explains the impetus for the special issue and how such research can rectify current women’s health disparities. “The science of women’s health is at a crossroads,” Sharot writes. “For decades, it has been limited by an underrepresentation of women in clinical trials and research, resulting in diagnostic blind spots, treatment gaps, and inequities in health outcomes.” As part of the Special Issue, a Review by Anna Bonkhoff and colleagues summarizes recent work investigating sex differences related to hormones, genes, and aging in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and stroke. One study by Monika Haoui and colleagues describes how progesterone and progestins target the Kir7.1 channel to regulate the uterus and support placental function in mid- and late pregnancy, by leveraging experiments with mice and data from human postpartum placental tissues. Another study in mice by Jessica Minder and colleagues details how oxytocin can limit embryonic development during nursing. In a Focus, Jellina Prinsen and colleagues spotlight how research into the menstrual cycle can enhance knowledge about how sex hormones impact the brain and heart, with benefits for female-centered medicine.