Women Opt for Anti-Aging Medications to Treat Menopausal Symptoms

Women opt for hormonal treatments for menopausal symptoms from anti-aging clinicians, a new study reveals.

According to a study by the Case Western Reserve University that looked at the appeal of anti-aging medicine, women avoid seeking advice from conventional doctors and approach anti-aging clinicians to avail hormonal treatments for menopausal symptoms. Apart from this, women feared undergoing conventional hormone replacement therapy (HRT) due to worse side effects that include increased cancer risk, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Most of the women strongly believed that natural hormone, bioidentical, prescribed by anti-aging doctors were considered safe, irrespective of the lack of conventional scientific evidence.

This finding is part of a larger study by the Department of Bioethics at the Case Western Reserve that evaluated the views of scientists, doctors and patients involved with anti-aging science and medicine. They looked at the factor in anti-aging medicine that attracted women. The cost for care and prescribed medication was covered by medical insurance.

They evaluated the interviews of 25 women who used bioidentical hormone replacement therapy that the anti-aging clinicians prescribed. 

Flatt said, "The women told researchers they wanted to relieve their menopausal symptoms, feel energized and avoid chronic illnesses associated with aging. The women also described their motivation as wanting to return to an "optimal" state and believed that bioidentical hormones would do this. Hormones became the panacea reported by the women. They felt that if the hormones were in order, they'd be back on track."

They found that when patients approached the anti-aging clinicians they received more time and attention. The medication was seen as more natural and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy as much safer.

The finding was presented at the 109th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association, Aug. 16-19, in San Francisco.