Experts Caution Against Perimenopause Misinformation Amid Growing Public Discourse
Perimenopause, the transition period before menopause, is experiencing increased public attention, partly fueled by social media influencers and TV doctors. While this stage can involve significant symptoms, medical experts are raising concerns about the spread of misinformation regarding diagnostic tests, the efficacy of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for perimenopausal women, and the value of targeted supplements. According to specialists, reliable diagnostic tests for perimenopause do not exist due to fluctuating hormone levels, and HRT, primarily approved for menopausal women, may not have the same effects or could cause adverse reactions in perimenopausal individuals. The marketing of numerous unproven supplements also contributes to a landscape where women may be encouraged to spend money on ineffective treatments.
Perimenopause, the period preceding menopause, has entered broader public discourse, shifting from a previously taboo subject. This increased visibility is attributed, in part, to TV doctors and social media influencers.
Menopause is defined as the life stage occurring one year after a person's last menstrual period. Perimenopause is the often multi-year phase before this, during which individuals may experience symptoms typically associated with menopause, such as hot flashes, irregular or unusually heavy periods, and anxiety. Symptoms are often most severe during perimenopause due to wild fluctuations in hormone levels, including estrogen, progesterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone.
Despite the growing amount of information, experts caution against misinformation circulating online. Mary Ann Lumsden, former president of the International Menopause Society, states there is no reliable test for perimenopause because hormone levels fluctuate significantly. She emphasizes that such fluctuations are normal.
Paula Briggs, former chair of the British Menopause Society and head of the menopause service at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, highlights concerns about messaging, particularly on social media, that encourages younger women to assume they are perimenopausal and to seek hormone replacement therapy (HRT) immediately. Briggs describes this as an "almost cult-like" idea that everyone must have HRT.
HRT is designed to supplement or replace hormones like estrogen and progesterone, which naturally decline around menopause. While HRT can be very beneficial for many menopausal women in alleviating symptoms, preventing osteoporosis, and maintaining muscle strength, these drugs were trialed and approved for menopausal women. Lumsden notes that standard HRT in perimenopausal women may be "swamped" by their own hormone production and can cause abnormal bleeding, according to Briggs.
Furthermore, there has been a surge in marketing for vitamins and supplements targeting middle-aged and menopausal women. However, Lumsden states that evidence for the efficacy of many of these products is limited or nonexistent.
According to MIT Technology Review, women who take these supplements may not always be aware of their contents or effectiveness.
