Postmenopausal vulvovaginal atrophy is associated with age-related changes in the vaginal microbiome, with a shift from Lactobacillus-dominated strains in premenopause to a predominance of anaerobic organisms, new research shows.
“We have not yet identified specific interventions, but we are interested in pursuing personalized selections of probiotics and prebiotics for a given woman,” said lead investigator Rebecca Brotman, PhD.
“We have been advocating probiotics or prebiotics to improve vaginal health for almost 30 years,” said Gregor Reid, PhD.
“I 100% support the conclusions of this work. It is nice to see confirmation of work we published in 2011, with an aberrant microbiota associated with some cases of vulvovaginal atrophy,” Dr. Reid told Medscape Medical News (PLoS One, 2011;6:e26602).
