Creasphere Insights – Menopause
Background
Menopause is a natural biological process that marks the cessation of the female menstrual cycle. It is diagnosed definitively after a period of twelve months without the occurrence of a menstrual cycle. The underlying cause is associated with the gradual loss of ovarian follicles and thereby the secrete reduction of the ovarian hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which play a critical role in regulating women’s menstruation and fertility [1-3].
The majority of women enter menopause in their late 40s and early 50s. This translates in the US alone to an estimate of 6000 women entering Menopause every day. On a global scale, it is estimated that by 2030, 47M women will transition into this stage of life annually [4].
Whereas an earlier onset before 40 is experienced by 1% of the women and is known as premature menopause [5]. The causes for premature menopause may often be unknown, yet some research indicates that causes might be related to the cessation of ovarian function, cancer treatments, or surgical removals of the ovaries [6].
The most common symptoms regardless of entrance age are hot flushes, insomnia, and vaginal dryness. Additionally, women may undergo more subtly and inconsistently to hormones associated symptoms such as problems with memory and concentration or anxiety. Both the symptom prevalence and symptom severity are influenced by geographical, ethnic, and individual factors [1,7-8].
The most widely available treatment for menopause is hormone replacement therapy (hereinafter HRT). At its core, HRT is outbalancing the declining concentration of oestrogen and progestogen (dependent on the treatment version) to prevent menopausal symptoms. Next to the beneficial effect on menopausal symptoms, HRT might also yield some unwanted side effects. Amongst those are for instance bloating, indigestion and headaches [9]. Although HRT might show a slight correlation with certain cancer types, research generally values the benefits over potential side effects.
Startups
In order to lower the severity of symptoms commonly associated with Menopause digital solutions provide an impactful alternative.
GlykanAge
GlycanAge is the first biological age test with proven responsiveness to interventions, paired with follow-on health programmes. The glycan (glycome) testing solution is based on decades of research, over a hundred peer-reviewed scientific papers, and tested on 100,000 people (scientific trials & commercial).
GlycanAge is developing a CE and IVD certified perimenopause diagnostic kit (MenoAge) that will detect perimenopause earlier and more accurately than any other tests on the market.
Vira Health
Vira Health combines data, clinical best practices and behaviour change to personalize menopause care and to solve the health and quality of life problems that affect billions of women worldwide. Its first product, Stella, is an app for menopause relief highlighting 12-week menopause treatment plans, content and virtual events such as yoga classes or a Q&A with a gynecologist.
Elektra Health
Elektra Health empowers women to take ownership over their hormonal health journey in perimenopause & menopause through education, content and evidence-based programs. Elektra’s proprietary “Meno-morphosis” program features evidence-based guidance on symptoms, a community of support and access to a 1:1 dedicated menopause expert.
References
[1] What Is Menopause? (n.d.). National Institute on Aging. Retrieved December 9, 2021, from http://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-menopause
[2] Sussman, M., Trocio, J., Best, C., Mirkin, S., Bushmakin, A. G., Yood, R., Friedman, M., Menzin, J., & Louie, M. (2015). Prevalence of menopausal symptoms among mid-life women: Findings from electronic medical records. BMC Women’s Health, 15(1), 58. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-015-0217-y
[3] Nelson, H. D. (2008). Menopause. The Lancet, 371(9614), 760–770. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(08)60346-3
[4] Hill, K. (1996). The demography of menopause. Maturitas, 23(2), 113–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-5122(95)00968-X
[5] Okeke, T., Anyaehie, U., & Ezenyeaku, C. (2013). Premature Menopause. Annals of Medical and Health Sciences Research, 3(1), 90. https://doi.org/10.4103/2141-9248.109458
[6] Early menopause. (2018, January 9). Nhs.Uk. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/early-menopause/
[7] Santoro, N., Epperson, C. N., & Mathews, S. B. (2015). Menopausal Symptoms and Their Management. Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of North America, 44(3), 497–515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecl.2015.05.001
[8] Monteleone, P., Mascagni, G., Giannini, A., Genazzani, A. R., & Simoncini, T. (2018). Symptoms of menopause—Global prevalence, physiology and implications. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 14(4), 199–215. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2017.180
[9] Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)—Side effects. (2017, October 23). Nhs.Uk. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/side-effects/
[10] Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Cancer Risk. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2021, from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/medical-treatments/menopausal-hormone-replacement-therapy-and-cancer-risk.html
[11] Lobo, R. A. (2017). Hormone-replacement therapy: Current thinking. Nature Reviews. Endocrinology, 13(4), 220–231. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2016.164
[12] Photo by Antony Metcalfe on Unsplash