The menopause can be a major change for many and involve unwanted discomfort. There is also a lot of money to be made for companies that offer tests and various supplements targeted at women in or before the menopause.
In an article in the journal BMJ, researchers from Canada and the United Kingdom warn of a growing market for these products. Many of them lack scientific basis and get women to buy unnecessary supplements, they write, and are supported by Swedish experts.
A woman of normal menopausal age with typical symptoms absolutely does not need to take tests. In the beginning of the menopause, when you still menstruate, the hormones go up and down like a rollercoaster and vary from day to day, says Angelica Lindén Hirschberg, gynecologist and professor at the Karolinska Institute.
Unserious methods
Despite this, such tests are being marketed by several pharmacy chains in Sweden.
Ultimately, it's about making money in an unserious way from women's worries, says Angelica Lindén Hirschberg.
The menopause is a period when the levels of the hormone estrogen decrease gradually. This can cause a range of different symptoms such as sleep disorders, hot flashes, and joint pain. There are treatments that are proven and can help.
But self-tests are unnecessary, according to experts. Most of the tests that are marketed also measure the amount of the hormone FSH in urine. The Swedish Association for Obstetrics and Gynecology (SFOG) writes that there are no "studies that show that the levels of FSH in saliva or urine are sufficient to assess the levels in the body”.
Those who have symptoms should seek a gynecologist who can perform an examination and a clinical assessment, says Angelica Lindén Hirschberg.
Sold at pharmacies
In several of the major pharmacy chains, tests are sold that claim to show how hormone levels are. From Apotek Hjärtat, Annika Svedberg, head of pharmacy, responds that they believe it is up to each woman to decide for herself whether she wants to test or not and that their tests are reliable when it comes to detecting FSH in urine, but "to get this confirmed and receive any treatment (if you have symptoms of any kind) you need to contact a doctor”.
Apoteket AB responds that "the test result itself is reliable, but since hormone levels vary over time, it becomes a snapshot and the results can vary between different test occasions”.
In the BMJ article, the researchers write that it is also problematic with the advertising of the various supplements that also target women before or during the menopause.
For most supplements, there is no scientific evidence that they work, says Angelica Lindén Hirschberg.
Petra Hedbom/TT
Facts: The menopause
TT
During the menopause, hormone levels in the body change. It is both the amount of estrogen and progesterone that decreases. The number of eggs in the ovaries is running out, ovulation and menstruation become irregular and eventually stop completely. About five years after the last menstruation, the eggs are completely gone and the body has a constantly low level of estrogen.
Estrogen affects many organs throughout the body. Many of the symptoms that occur are due to the decreasing amount of estrogen in the body. It can last for different lengths of time, from a few years to more than ten years.
Most people usually have menopause, the last menstruation, at 51 or 52 years, but it can vary from 45 to 57 years of age. Some have their last menstruation even earlier.
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