Top in women’s health: Supreme Court ruling on mifepristone; breast cancer mortality

In Food and Drug Administration et al v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine et al, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the FDA, preserving access to mifepristone for medication abortion under rules adopted in 2016.

In a 9-0 verdict, the justices concluded that the plaintiffs did not have standing to challenge the FDA’s approval.

The AMA applauded the decision, stating in a press release that “efforts to second guess the FDA’s scientific judgment and roll back access to mifepristone were based on a sham case that not only lacked standing, but relied on speculative allegations and ideological assertions to undermine decades of rigorous scientific review proving the drug is highly safe and effective for both termination of pregnancy and for medical management of miscarriage.”

It was the top story in women’s health last week.

In another top story, a cohort study revealed that living in the most deprived neighborhoods was linked to a 36% increase in breast cancer mortality among white, but not Black, women.

Read these and more top stories in women’s health below:

US Supreme Court: Mifepristone abortion drug remains legal with no new restrictions

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that access to mifepristone for medication abortion remains legal, including rules adopted since 2016 loosening original dispensing requirements and gestation limits. Read more.

Neighborhood deprivation tied to increased breast cancer mortality for white women

Living in the most deprived neighborhoods was associated with increased breast cancer mortality among white, but not Black, women, according to a cohort study published in JAMA Network Open. Read more.

Mean birth weight at term significantly increased globally since 1950

Worldwide, mean birth weight at term has increased by more than 7 g each year — a total of about 1 lb — since 1950, according to a systematic literature review published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Read more.

Hot flash severity may predict metabolic-associated liver disease

Midlife women reporting bothersome hot flashes are more likely to receive a diagnosis of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease regardless of hormone therapy use, according to a speaker at ENDO 2024. Read more.

Maternal COVID-19 vaccination lowers risks for preterm birth, adverse outcomes

Infants born to mothers vaccinated against COVID-19 during the omicron wave had decreased risks for preterm birth and adverse neonatal outcomes, according to results of the INTERCOVID-2022 study. Read more.