WHAT do endometriosis, premenstrual syndrome, perimenopause and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have in common? They are all hormonal conditions that affect millions, but are poorly understood and managed due to a chronic lack of research funding.
At first glance, the characteristic they share is that they are problems that affect the female body. But not all female-dominated health conditions are neglected: breast cancer gets more funding than prostate cancer in the UK and US, for instance.
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Hormonal conditions are often overlooked because their symptoms are dismissed as minor 鈥� a bit of acne, cramping or hot flushes 鈥� whereas the deadliness of cancer scares us into action.
However, as we explore in our feature 鈥淎 better understanding of PCOS offers fresh hope for new treatments鈥�, these symptoms can have profound effects on quality of life: the unpredictable periods, weight gain and excess body hair that PCOS can bring, or the excruciating pain of endometriosis.
It is becoming apparent there are serious, long-term consequences too. PCOS increases the risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and endometrial and pancreatic cancer. Hormonal changes in perimenopause can raise the risk of osteoporosis, heart disease and possibly even Alzheimer鈥檚 disease.
Hormonal conditions are notoriously complex, acting on different cells in the body in many different ways, and are difficult to provide control groups for in studies. This may also explain why it has taken so long to get to grips with them. But delving into these conditions offers vast rewards. Recent advances have allowed researchers to reverse PCOS-like symptoms and ease endometriosis symptoms in mice, and a US start-up called claims to be in the early stages of developing technology to possibly prevent menopause altogether.
So, no more excuses. With the tools available today, we should be well on our way to finding effective methods of treating these conditions and radically improving the lives of millions of people.
