In the early 20th century, labor movements and demands for better working conditions, voting rights, and equal opportunities rose, highlighting the progress in women's empowerment. Women were now raising their voices against gender disparities, it was all to make a better, a more inclusive society! Thus the day of March 8 came to be known as International Women's Day, wherein each year we celebrate women's achievements. But, has the society really become inclusive? Something as basic as medical needs are still driven by men, based on men, and women are high underrepresented. Their bodies are considered atypical, while men's bodies are the norm, since 1946, notes the Pew Research Center. This is why most of the modern medicine do not take how the medicine reacts on women's body in account.

As per the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), despite the policy and social changes in 1990s which helped turn the tide, women are still underrepresented in research. In fact, a 2019 study published in Author Manuscript, titled Inclusion of female does not increase variability in rodent research studies highlight that even to this date, many medical researcher avoid conducting studies on female mice. The reason being greater costs associated with purchasing and housing both sexes and concerns that the fluctuating hormones and reproductive systems of female mice may confound the study results. However, isn't what they are supposed to find? Don't women's cycles, their hormone and how the body and its hormones react to a medicine deserve to be studied for better administration of medicines.

AAMC also highlights the historical biases, which have been designed to shield unborn children from exposure of drugs and treatments and ongoing challenges to recruiting and retaining women in clinical trials and medical research limit the understanding of women, their experiences, conditions, and more. There is already so many biases surrounding women, more, if you are a woman of color.

A 2022 study published in Nature, Let's Talk About (Biological) Sex, also highlights that women's hormones play a role in physiological, metabolic, hormonal and even cellular differences. All such factors can influence how disease present and effectiveness of the medicine. The biases run deep, despite the proven fact that heart diseases are the leading cause of death in the US for both men and women, the medical field only recognized that women experience a different symptom of the disease than men when the American Heart Association published its Guide to Preventative Cardiology for Woman in 1999.

Martha Gulati, MD, and a cardiologist at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, and director of prevention and associate director of Barbara Streisand Women's Heart Center and president of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology says, "Women shouldn’t be [put] in a ‘special populations’ category. It’s important to study women to find out how to care for [51%] of the population. We are the majority of the population. So, although women are special, we are not a ‘special population'."

Case Studies From When Women Were Ignored From Science

Before the 1970s, women were already underrepresented in medical research. Progress suffered another setback in 1977 when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) implemented a policy barring women of reproductive potential from Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials—unless they had a life-threatening condition—according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Research on Women’s Health. This decision stemmed from the thalidomide tragedy of the previous decade, in which thousands of pregnant women in Europe and Australia took the drug for morning sickness, only to later discover it caused severe birth defects and even infant deaths. Although thalidomide was never approved in the U.S., the FDA’s policy response was sweeping, broadly interpreted to exclude nearly all premenopausal women from clinical trials, even those on birth control, with sterile partners, or abstaining from sex.

The 2016 study published in Pharmacy Practice mentions some of the trials where women have been highly underrepresented. Furthermore, there are many studies that one can look at and read for themselves. Some of these case studies are mentioned below:

1962: In response to the thalidomide tragedy—which caused over 10,000 infant deaths and birth defects in Europe and Australia—the U.S. strengthens the FDA’s authority.

1977: The FDA issues guidelines barring women of reproductive potential from early-phase clinical trials, except in cases of life-threatening conditions. This policy is broadly applied, effectively excluding most women of childbearing age from medical research.

1986: An NIH advisory committee recommends including women in medical research studies.

1990: The NIH establishes the Office of Research on Women’s Health to advance women’s health research and increase female representation in clinical trials—as both participants and investigators.

1991: Bernadine Healy, MD, becomes the first female director of the NIH.

1993: The FDA reverses its 1977 policy, now requiring the inclusion of women in clinical research unless exclusion is justified (e.g., for diseases affecting only men). That same year, Congress passes a law mandating the inclusion of women in NIH-funded clinical trials.

1994: The FDA establishes the Office of Women’s Health to promote women’s participation in clinical trials and improve women’s healthcare.

2001: The Institute of Medicine publishes a report highlighting the biological impact of sex differences and the need to study them in clinical research.

2022: A Harvard Medical School study finds that, as of 2019, women remain significantly underrepresented in clinical trials for major diseases.

Sunscreens are really important for the health and well-being of our skin. Even if you can tolerate extreme heat and do not need extra protection for sunburn, your skin needs a layer of protection from the sun.

It is normal to forget sunscreen every now and then, but as we learn the detrimental effects of UV rays on our body, the prospect of not applying sunscreen is not good. Here is where the new sunscreen supplements come in, many people are opting for these supplements to protect them from the harsh sun rays but are they as effective as sunscreen? The appeal of these supplements are that they are much more hassle free and less time consuming.

What Are These Sunscreen Pills?

Experts explain that oral sunscreen pills usually contain a mix of vitamins, minerals, colorful compounds called carotenoids, and plant-based substances known as polyphenols. Many of these pills include an extract from a fern plant called Polypodium leucotomos (P. leucotomos). Besides this extract, you might also find ingredients like nicotinamide (a type of vitamin B3 that may help fix UV-related damage), astaxanthin (found in algae and thought to fight harmful molecules), and lycopene (which might help your skin's natural defense against the sun).

Do They Work?

There haven’t been many studies done on the matter; however, experts suggest that people should not substitute sunscreen for these tablets. In 2015, US Food & Drug Association (FDA) issued a formal statement on the matter, stating there are no pills or tablets that can replace sunscreen yet.

One of the things in them, the extract from Polypodium leucotomos (PLE), has been looked at more than the others. It might help your skin fight damage from the sun in a way that regular sunscreen doesn't. One small study published in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology showed that people taking PLE had fewer sunburns. However, most of the studies have been small or done on animals, not people. Experts say we need more research to know how much these pills really protect you. What we do know is that these pills alone aren't enough to keep you safe from the sun.

Things to Think About Before Taking Them

The most worrying thing about sunscreen pills is that they might make people think they don't need to use regular sunscreen or take other steps to avoid too much sun exposure. To avoid this misunderstanding, many doctors don't even like to call these pills "oral sunscreen." If you do decide to try a supplement, it's still really important to use your regular sunscreen lotion. Experts recommend using a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. These pills should always be used together with traditional sunscreen, not instead of it.

It's a good idea to talk to a skin doctor before trying a sunscreen pill to see if you might be sensitive to any of the ingredients. While these supplements are generally safe for most people, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, allergic to ferns, or taking certain medications (especially ones that affect the immune system) might not be good candidates. Also, because the FDA doesn't approve these pills, there's no guarantee that they actually work, are safe, or even contain the ingredients listed on the label. Experts strongly emphasize that you should always use regular sunscreen, no matter what supplements you are taking.

With peak summer months fast approaching, one must make the necessary changes to their lifestyle habits to suit the heat. This heat can affect people in many ways. Whether it is what kind of food you eat, your daily commute and other activities.

Another cause of concern for people now is how this heat could affect their heart. A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology April 2025, showed that when it's really hot both during the day and at night, more people die from heart problems. This kind of heat is much more dangerous for your heart than just being hot during the day or just at night. Researchers found that when it's hot all the time, it puts a lot of extra stress on people's hearts, making it more likely for them to have serious problems and even die. This means we need to think differently about how we handle very hot weather to keep people safe, especially those who already have heart issues.

To learn this, the scientists looked at information about almost two and a half million people who died from heart problems in China over several years. They compared when these deaths happened to how hot it was at every hour of the day and night. They found that when there was a compound heatwave, the chance of dying from a heart problem kept going up. However, when it was only hot during the day or only at night, the risk would go up and then come down a bit. This shows that constant heat puts ongoing stress on the heart.

Why Does The Heat Impact The Heart?

When temperatures rise, your body cleverly uses your circulatory system to release heat. Blood vessels near the skin's surface widen, and your heart beats faster, increasing blood flow by two to four times its normal rate, according to Cleveland Clinic.

The study showed that if there's a heatwave that doesn't cool down at night, people are much more likely to die from heart problems. The chance goes up by a huge 86%. This is much higher than if it's only hot during the day, where the risk goes up by only 19%. It's also much higher than if it's only hot at night, which has a 16% higher risk. This clearly shows that when the heat doesn't stop, it's much harder on our hearts and can be deadly for people with heart conditions.

The study also found that certain kinds of heart problems were much more likely to cause death during compound heatwaves. Things like sudden heart stopping, heart attacks, and heart failure were much more dangerous when the heat didn't let up at night. For example, the chance of dying from sudden heart stopping was much higher with constant heat compared to just daytime or nighttime heat. The same was true for heart attacks and heart failure, showing that continuous high temperatures put a huge strain on different parts of the heart.

How Do We Proceed?

Experts say that the usual ways we think about heatwaves don't really show how dangerous these constant hot periods are. We often just look at how hot it gets during the day or how long the heat lasts. However, we don't always think about how important it is for people to cool down at night. Because of this, we might not realize just how much more dangerous it is when the heat stays high all the time, and we might not do enough to protect people.

A lot needs to be done to protect the people from heat that doesn’t quit. This could mean having places where people can go to cool down in cities and helping people keep their homes cooler. These kinds of constant heatwaves are happening more often because of climate change, we need new ways to protect people who are at risk. Researchers are now planning to figure out how many more people might die from heart problems caused by heatwaves as the world gets even warmer.

Oral health is often a brushed off-pun and is intended as basic hygiene. However, Lt Gen Dr Vimal Arora, who is a former Director General of Armed Forces Dental Services and is currently the Chief Clinical Officer (CCO) at Clove Dental, says it is time we reframe how we look at our teeth, gyms, and even our jaws.

In an exclusive interview with Health And Me, he debunks popular myths and draws a compelling link between oral health and broader health issues, especially sleep apnea.

Myth #1: Sugar Is The Only Cause Of Cavities

While it is a common belief that sugar is the main villain when it comes to cavities, Dr Arora explains that poor oral hygiene plays a much bigger role in this. “Even if you’re consuming sugar, rinsing or brushing before bed can significantly reduce your risk,” he says. The problem arises when sugary substances linger in the mouth overnight, feeding bacteria that damage teeth.

Myth #2: Overbrushing Does Not Exist

Is this another misconception? You got that right. Brushing more does not mean cleaner teeth. Dr Arora strongly disagrees with this statement. “You’re not scrubbing tiles—you’re cleaning your own teeth,” he points out. Overbrushing, especially with a hard-bristled brush, can erode enamel—the hardest substance in the human body, but once gone, it never grows back. His advice: use a super soft brush, wet it before use, and apply gentle pressure.

ALSO READ: What Your Mouth Is Trying to Tell You?

Myth #3: Oral Health Is Only Limited To Your Mouth

Perhaps the most overlooked myth is that oral health is disconnected from the rest of the body. "This is not true," Dr Arora asserts. This is especially true when it comes to sleep apnea, a disorder where people often breathe through their mouth while sleeping.

“Sleep apnea isn’t just a sleep problem. It’s connected to how your jaws are aligned, how your airways function, and more,” he says. Dentists can play a pivotal role by fitting patients with oral appliances that reposition the jaw forward. This opens up the air passage and reduces apnea episodes—potentially reducing the need for machines like CPAPs. “Many dentists today are trained to do this,” he adds.

Scientific studies back this up. According to a 2019 paper published in the Journal of Dental Sleep Medicine, oral appliances can be an effective first-line treatment for mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea, especially in patients who are non-compliant with CPAP therapy.

What Can You Do?

Dr Arora recommends to quite literally watch your mouth. He says that one must take a moment every day to examine their own mouth. “Look at your teeth, gums, even your cheeks, in good sunlight. If you see discoloration, redness, or anything unusual—visit a dentist.”

He emphasizes making friends with your dentist, not fearing them. “At least 40% of our mouth can’t be seen directly. That’s why routine check-ups matter.”

Whether it’s protecting enamel, preventing cavities, or managing sleep disorders, oral health is deeply intertwined with overall well-being. And the first step to better health might just start with how gently—and frequently—you brush.