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Time: Monday 4 September 2023, 12:00–13:00
Place: Haukeland University Hospital, Laboratory Building, Meeting Rooms 8.1–2, 8th floor.
Topic: Collaboration on women’s health research between the General Practice Research Unit (AFE) in Bergen and the Center for Research on Heart Disease in Women.

Speakers for the discussion:
Priyanthi Borgen Gjerde, MD, PhD, Head of AFE, NORCE
Professor Eva Gerdts, Center Director, University of Bergen

Priyanthi Borgen Gjerde, MD, PhD, is the Head of AFE Bergen. Her research interests include women’s health, mental health, health services research, and vulnerable groups. She also works one day a week as a general practitioner at Alrek Medical Center. She is a specialist in general practice with clinical experience as a GP, migration health physician, and psychiatrist, and holds a PhD in psychiatry.

Much medical knowledge is based on research conducted primarily in men. This applies to diagnosis, treatment, and follow‑up of cardiovascular disease, infections, autoimmune disorders, mental health conditions, and more. However, recent research clearly demonstrates substantial sex‑related differences that must be taken into account.

In recent years, women’s health has received increasing attention. Although research on women’s health and sex differences is expanding, significant gaps remain. This was highlighted in the Norwegian Official Report “The Great Difference: On Women’s Health and the Importance of Sex for Health.” There are major knowledge gaps regarding how women present with cardiovascular disease, mental health conditions, rheumatological disorders, and other chronic illnesses—differences that influence how quickly women receive an accurate diagnosis and whether they get the treatment they need. Evidence‑based knowledge on treatment and follow‑up that incorporates sex differences is also lacking, particularly within primary care research.

At the General Practice Research Unit (AFE) in Bergen (NORCE), sex differences are observed in research areas including mental health, infections, and working life. In clinical practice, clear differences are seen in symptom presentation and responses to medications such as antidepressants, analgesics, and antihypertensive drugs. Clinical guidelines are largely based on hospital‑based research where men constitute the majority of study participants. More evidence is needed on women’s health, and on how healthcare services can be improved to meet women’s needs. Research is also limited regarding how women are met by the healthcare system and how different services interact. When discussing women’s health, it is essential to consider the many roles women hold—as caregivers and as members of the workforce—and incorporate these dimensions into research.

Can these challenges be addressed more effectively through collaboration between AFE and the Center for Research on Heart Disease in Women?