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This episode explores the overlooked connection between sleep health and cardiovascular outcomes, especially for women. Dr. John Kim, ER physician and venture capitalist at Aphelion Capital (American Heart Association), shares insights into gender biases in diagnosing sleep disorders and the emerging technologies reshaping treatment.Did you know?Women are less likely to be referred for sleep apnea testing — even when they show symptoms.Fatigue, mood shifts, and headaches in women are often misattributed to hormones or depression instead of sleep disorders.Untreated sleep apnea puts serious strain on the heart.When breathing repeatedly stops or slows during sleep, the heart works harder to supply oxygen — increasing cardiovascular risks over time.Estrogen may play a protective role against sleep apnea.After menopause, a woman’s risk increases — suggesting hormones are a key factor in sleep-related health changes.Standard CPAP machines have only a 50% adherence rate.Many patients find them too uncomfortable or claustrophobic — especially women, who may drop off early in treatment.Personalized nerve stimulation treatments are on the horizon.Startups are developing minimally invasive, tailor-fit sleep apnea devices that adapt to a person’s anatomy — with some aimed specifically at women’s needs.Most sleep apnea marketing has targeted men — but women are a growing, underserved market.New technologies aim to be more discreet, effective, and aesthetic to appeal to this overlooked group.The American Heart Association is investing in sleep innovation.Through its Cardiation fund with Aphelion Capital, it’s backing new technologies that improve sleep as a path to better heart health.Connect with John:Visit: Aphelion Capital's WebsiteLinkedIn: Dr. John KimHave a story to share? We'd love to hear from you!Connect with Her House:Email: melissa@her-house.comVisit: Our WebsiteLinkedIn: Her House: Built for Women's HealthInstagram: @herhouse.forwomenshealth

This episode explores the power of data to improve breast cancer detection — and the career journey of one woman advancing innovation in women’s health worldwide. Marissa Fayer, CEO of Deep Look Medical and founder of Her HealthEQ, shares how her engineering background and corporate experience helped her lead a startup focused on visualizing cancer in dense breast tissue.Did you know? 45%–50% of women have dense breast tissue? Dense tissue appears white on a mammogram — just like cancer — making tumors harder to detect.Most breast imaging technology can’t see through dense tissue?Radiologists can only see about 70% of grayscale on an image — but computers can detect 100%.Women of Black, Asian, and Jewish descent are disproportionately affected by dense breast tissue.This leads to a 3x higher risk of developing breast cancer in these groups — yet many don’t know they’re at risk.Recalls (being called back for more imaging) is something radiologists want to avoid, too.Tools that help them feel more confident in what they see could reduce stress for both doctors and patients.Tech that’s been replaced in the U.S. can still be repurposed and save lives globally.Her HealthEQ, helped install a repurposed machines in Costa Rica — and they are still in use 10+ years later.Women reinvest over 90% of their income into their families in low-income countries — compared to just 45% for men.That’s one reason Her HealthEQ focuses on access to diagnostics and care for women around the world.Connect with Marissa:Visit: Deep Look MedicalVisit: Marissa FayerVisit: HERhealthEQLinkedIn: Marissa FayerHave a story to share? We’d love to hear from you! Connect with Her House: Email: melissa@her-house.comVisit: Our Website LinkedIn: Her House Instagram: @herhouse.forwomenshealth