Why The Five & One?
Health care doesn’t fail women because we lack information. It fails because systems are slow to change and rarely built around women’s bodies, lives, or timelines. The Five & One exists to make those systems visible.
Each week, we share five signals shaping women’s health — across care, policy, research, and access — plus one thing just for you. Not trends. Not tips. The real forces that decide what care women can get, and when.
This week: bipartisan anger over insurance denials, new research on coffee and dementia, smarter health data, realistic longevity advice, and what every woman should know about her heart. The pattern? Systems are starting to shift — but women are still waiting.
01. More Insurers Face Scrutiny on The Hill
As women, it can sometimes feel like we’re screaming into the void about healthcare. About denials, delays, rising premiums, and the exhaustion of fighting for basic care. It’s a relief to see we’re not alone. At a January 22 House hearing on healthcare affordability, Rep. Greg Murphy — a Republican and practicing physician — delivered a blistering critique of the insurance industry and a system where profit too often comes before patients. It’s a reminder that while women often feel the impact first — as patients and caregivers — the system is broken for everyone.
The breakdown
Premium spikes are pricing individuals and families out
Prior authorization delays needed, and sometimes lifesaving, treatment
Rounds of denials are routine, not rare
When one company controls multiple parts of care, competition shrinks
Profit incentives distort access to and delivery of care
Women use more care over a lifetime — and face more friction
The breakthrough
A Republican physician, among other reps, publicly challenged insurer CEOs
Systemic denial was named on the congressional record
Healthcare affordability became a bipartisan accountability issue
Reform was framed as structural, not partisan
02. Data Isn’t Insight, Until It’s Connected
Wearables have exploded in popularity, especially among women tracking sleep, stress, cycles, and recovery. But more data doesn’t automatically mean better health decisions. The new partnership between ŌURA and Mira signals a shift in women’s health tracking: from isolated metrics to connected context. And that shift matters.
The Breakdown
Women generate enormous amounts of health data: sleep scores, HRV, basal temperature, hormone levels
Most of it lives in separate apps that don’t talk to each other
Hormone data without sleep data lacks context
Stress metrics without cycle phase are incomplete
Users are left interpreting patterns alone
Clinicians often don’t integrate wearable data into care
The burden of pattern recognition falls on women to put the pieces together
The Breakthrough
The ŌURA + Mira integration links sleep, readiness, temperature, and hormonal data
It connects patterns over time instead of showing one-day snapshots
Users can begin to see how stress, sleep, and hormones influence one another over time
Women can spot patterns earlier instead of reacting after something feels wrong
Data becomes a narrative, not a spreadsheet
03. Coffee, Alzheimer's, And Why This Matters More For Women
A new multi-decade study suggests that drinking two to three cups of coffee or tea per day may be associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia. And this is not a neutral issue. Women account for nearly two-thirds of Alzheimer’s cases in the U.S., so any modifiable lifestyle action deserves attention. And in case you’re wondering, yes, women were well represented in the study. If you already enjoy coffee or tea, this is welcome news — in moderation.
The Breakdown
Women make up nearly two-thirds of Alzheimer’s cases in the U.S.
Women live longer, which increases lifetime dementia risk
Hormone changes during menopause may affect brain health
Cardiovascular risk, strongly linked to dementia, is underdiagnosed in women
Prevention research has historically centered male risk patterns
The Breakthrough
A large-scale cohort study suggests moderate coffee or tea intake (2–3 cups/day) is associated with lowered risk
The sample size was substantial, with significant female representation
The findings reinforce that small, consistent lifestyle factors that also include exercise and lifelong learning, may influence long-term neurological outcomes even for those with the most risk
It highlights prevention as an area where women deserve clearer, earlier guidance
04. Longevity That Feels Livable
Speaking of simple things with potentially big benefits, if you ask female physicians what to do for longevity, the answers aren’t extreme biohacks or punishing regimens. They’re practical, sustainable habits, many of them enjoyable, that research consistently links to longer, healthier lives. For women, who already juggle disproportionate caregiving, stress, and health navigation, that reframing matters. Longevity doesn’t have to mean deprivation. It can mean layering in behaviors that support health without draining it.
The Breakdown
Longevity culture often centers restriction, optimization, and “doing more”
Preventive guidance can feel overwhelming and all-or-nothing
Women live longer than men, but spend more years with chronic disease. Simple changes matter
Stress, isolation, and metabolic shifts (especially in midlife) compound long-term risk
The Breakthrough
The doctors interviewed pointed to habits that are both realistic and research-backed:
Strength training to preserve muscle mass and metabolic health
Walking and daily movement to reduce cardiovascular and cognitive decline
Prioritizing sleep to support hormonal, metabolic, and brain function
Maintaining social connection — one of the strongest predictors of longevity
Moderate coffee intake, associated in multiple studies with lower mortality risk
05. Women’s Hearts, Different Risks
February is Women’s Heart Health Month, so it's a good time to remind our community that heart disease remains the leading cause of death for women in the United States, but only half of women in the US are aware of the risk. That means symptoms are missed. Risk is underestimated. Prevention often arrives late. And of course much of the system still defaults to male patterns when it comes to cardiovascular care.
The Breakdown
Heart disease is the #1 killer of women, more than all cancers combined
Women often experience different heart attack symptoms: nausea, fatigue, jaw or back pain
Cardiovascular risk increases sharply after menopause
Pregnancy complications (preeclampsia, gestational diabetes) raise long-term heart risk.
Autoimmune diseases — which affect more women — also raise heart risk. Chronic inflammation damages blood vessels over time
Women are less likely to be referred for cardiac testing
Women are underrepresented in many cardiovascular trials
Black women face significantly higher rates of heart-related death
The Breakthrough
Growing recognition of co-existing risk factors
A shift toward life-course prevention instead of crisis response
Stronger emphasis on blood pressure control, metabolic health, and strength training
We have some things in store for members, so keep your eyes open for more on the subject of heart health.
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