Popular vaginal dryness products don’t beat placebos
FROM JAMA INTERNAL MEDICINE
After 12 weeks, the women reported no significant difference in most bothersome symptoms between estradiol or moisturizing gel, compared with placebo products (P = .25 and P = .31, respectively). The average improvement in symptom scores was similar between the estradiol tablet and placebo tablet (P = .64) and between the moisturizer and placebo gels (P = .17).
The study was limited by several factors including the homogenous population and the absence of a head-to-head comparison of treatments, the researchers noted. However, the results suggest that more research is needed about genitourinary syndrome of menopause, but that a nonprescription lubricating gel may be an appropriate estrogen-free choice, and that “treatment choice should be based on individual patient preferences regarding cost and formulation,” they said.
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Aging. Dr. Mitchell is a consultant for Symbiomix Therapeutics, and coauthors reported grant support from Bayer and having served on a scientific advisory board for Sermonix.
SOURCE: Mitchell C et al. JAMA Intern Med. 2018 Mar. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.0116.
