Endocrine Society Response to RFI: Women's Health Consensus Conference

Dear Dr. Clayton,

"The Endocrine Society appreciates this opportunity to comment on the Request for Information (RFI) regarding the upcoming the Women's Health Consensus Conference (WHCC). Founded in 1916, the Endocrine Society is the world’s oldest, largest, and most active organization devoted to research on hormones and the clinical practice of endocrinology. The Society’s membership of over 18,000 includes experts in all research and clinical aspects of hormone health, including specific research areas linked to maternal morbidity and mortality, chronic conditions affecting women, and hormonally influenced cancers—three areas included in the RFI.

We are grateful for the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Office of Research on Women’s Health’s (ORWH) continued commitment to women’s health research and appreciate the need to identify research gaps and clinical pitfalls in the three specific research domains highlighted in the RFI. We note several chronic endocrine disorders are highly prevalent among reproductive age women, including polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, and leiomyomas. Such conditions impact fertility, quality of life, pregnancy outcomes and maternal morbidity and mortality. Moreover, hormonal changes that occur in aging women have key implications for cardiovascular, bone, and metabolic health. As an overarching recommendation, we urge the conference to consider how gaps in our understanding of endocrine science and hormonal signaling contribute to the issues under discussion at the conference."

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