NPWH Position Statement: Brain Health is Women's Health

Abstract

The National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (NPWH) supports collaborative action to establish brain health as a crucial aspect of women’s healthcare. A comprehensive approach includes promoting brain health, detecting cognitive impairment (CI) to facilitate accurate diagnosis and early intervention, and identifying and addressing the needs of individuals who are caregivers for loved ones with CI. NPWH believes a need exists for extensive research to better understand modifiable factors that influence brain health, improve one’s ability to make an early diagnosis of CI, establish effective therapies to prevent and treat CI, and support families and caregivers of individuals with CI. NPWH endorses federal and state policies that devote resources to finance the needed research and that ensure access to needed diagnostic, care, and treatment resources for individuals with CI, caregivers, families, and healthcare providers.