AI – Ageless Insights In Women’s Healthcare

I know well the negative implications that can come with AI, but I’d be lying if I wasn’t excited about how it can serve women’s health issues. It’s about solutions; we’re not as far down the road as we should be in that area.

Far too many dis-eases affect women our age, and there isn’t enough funding and research for all the required cures. Migraines are a good example, with some women spending their lives managing chronic pain only to hear repeatedly from a litany of neurologists they don’t know why they suffer from them and there’s no cure. GERD is another example. The acid reflex from hell that many women suffer from post-menopause not having too much stomach acid but too little. With it comes an annoying cough like you’re the love child of the Marlboro man and Darth Vadar. If you speak to any gastroenterologist, they’ll give you a script that serves temporarily, as you can’t be on medication indefinitely. Finding a cure is a better approach than a band-aid, but there is none. Then, of course, there’s ovarian cancer that hits mothers, sisters, girlfriends, daughters, and grandmothers. The entire female population is vulnerable to it. Still, there continues to exist slow advancement in research for those suffering from it. Diseases that have celebrity attached to them, like breast cancer, end up getting more research funding and attention. But for those of us suffering from an illness void of cachet, it’s about navigating one’s way to a solution for an illness with limited funding. This exists with many conditions that affect women.

For me, AI provides a new lens of possibilities to address these issues by bridging insights and shining light on omitted factors for some immediate cures. Finding potential where there appears to be none. AI can also contribute to Menopausal Symptom Management, from hot flashes to mood swings, from low libido to sleep disturbances. It could create bone health monitoring, assist in predicting the risk of osteoporosis-related fractures, analyze bone density scans and other relevant data, and provide personalized recommendations through nutrition, exercise, and supplementation exclusively and uniquely for each patient. When it comes to Cardiovascular Health, the high risks that women in our demographic face, from high blood pressure to cholesterol levels, can be managed based on our personal health profile and could be explicitly analyzed for ourselves. There can also be Mental Health Support with a variety of apps offering assistance on issues like anxiety, depression or cognitive changes, connecting users with mental health professionals if needed. AI could evaluate the risks and benefits for women considering Hormone Replacement Therapy based exclusively on their health profile. Cognitive health monitoring could be established, and changes related to conditions like Alzheimer’s could be detected early. Telehealth and Remote Monitoring might exist to facilitate women’s health with regular checkups, wearable devices, and at-home tracking, providing a comprehensive overview of health. AI has the potential to address health education and provide lifestyle guidance while connecting women to community and peer support where post-menopausal women share similar health concerns. AI could create Predictive Analytics to assess the risk of developing certain conditions based on one’s history, ensuring early treatment to prevent or manage possible health issues. Algorithms can assist in optimizing medical regimens, taking into consideration drug interaction, side effects and individual responses, ensuring effective and safer medication management for older women with complex health issues.

Diseases like Dementia and Alzheimer’s could be pointed closer to a cure. I always believed there already existed a cure for cancer, but the patent was bought and quietly shelved by some Pharmaceutical company financially invested in their bottom line. A radical treatment like that would interfere with the profitable end game. Keeping the medication flowing rather than healing is a billion-dollar business. And let’s be clear: Pharma’s mission statement is profit masked against a fabricated background of compassion. It’s business. If empathy was indeed a tenet in its corporate philosophy, side effects wouldn’t exist to the degree they do in various meds, and more natural medicines would be readily available. Attention would be placed on releasing medications for diseases where there are cures but not enough to turn a profit. Profit and health should not go together in a civil and compassionate society, yet here we are. That needs to change.

Currently, we have a healthcare system that delays death, not one focused on preserving life; otherwise, a preventative component would be prominently embedded within the system. Instead, more attention should be paid to implementing earlier diagnoses to lower the number of those in critical care. These are the significant insights that AI can potentially provide. We need a major shift, and God knows health care for women is behind where it needs to be. Do you think a male would permit a metal speculum that wasn’t rubberized and warm anywhere near their junk? Even medical and surgical tools could be redesigned for women.

AI could recognize the healing power of plants conducive to assisting the many ailments pertaining to menopausal issues. Plant medication is easier on the body, and because it is natural, it can easily replicate itself to match up to irradicate viruses like COVID. Medicago did that, but WHO wouldn’t recognize it because it was birthed from an Australian tobacco leaf. Their refusal was based on not backing anything tobacco-based, even though it’s another aspect of the plant. By not passing it, WHO’s skewed perceptions of the Medicago COVID vaccine’s healing properties got caught up in appearances, putting millions of lives in its shadow and holding the public hostage by not addressing the scientific facts. They were blinded by linear vision. AI could change that type of politicizing when it comes to modalities that heal. Poppy seeds are a great example. They can dazzle a bagel or show the presence of drugs in your urine because heroin comes from the poppy plant. AI could let science speak, presenting a transparent observation void of judgment and politics and purely from a healing perspective. Not withholding the truth behind this brilliant Canadian innovation that can no longer exist due to political rhetoric—denying a legitimate cure due to perception.

Virtual health assistants could come to exist with AI, creating reminders for medication and appointments. Genomic analysis identifying genetic markers associated with an increased risk of certain diseases could guide and make informed, personalized screening protocols, even highlighting allergies and other vulnerabilities.

Of course, it could also create a Memory Lane app that’ll remind you where you left things, like your keys, telling you you left them on the kitchen counter next to the recipe you believe you will try but won’t. There might also be the Groovy Moves Workout—an exercise routine for those who want to keep it chic while staying fit. Imagine AI-generated dance moves that date back to the days of disco. There could be an AI Selective Hearing Filter, which could be significant. Once activated, you’ll hear only compliments, funny anecdotes and discussions about your favourite subjects. No drama. But to be fair, our demographic can already get there through self-awareness and being conscious. What if AI assumed the role of your health detective, decoding mysteries about why you crave chocolate just before bed or cheese at 3 am? It can create the Virtual Health Bestie that gives you friendly nudges to drink water, pass on that flaky stuffed croissant, take a break or laugh. It might also mediate between generations, helping one embrace your grandmother’s remedies while staying updated with the latest health trends. All are possibilities.

Moving forward, AI could expand holistic health practices, reducing reliance on pharmaceuticals, which is essential. Not taxing our liver and kidneys is something positive we can do for our bodies. There’s also the possibility for increased focus on nutrition, which, if managed wisely, is the most natural medicine alongside a healthy lifestyle. Personalized preventative strategies could be devised for our personal issues. A shift in medical education could happen with a stronger emphasis on natural remedies, nutrition and lifestyle changes where healthcare professionals can receive training in complementary and alternative medicine—ultimately integrating traditional healing practices, including herbal medicine, acupuncture therapies and others, which is already gaining more acceptance and integration into mainstream healthcare. There has always been patient empowerment where the patient exercises an active role in their health management through education, self-care, early detection, and focusing on environmental health, except with AI’s guidance, outlining an even more empowering map to follow.

AI has the potential to be the trailblazer and facilitator in unearthing groundbreaking solutions from the current archaic landscape of women’s health issues. Insufficient research on many conditions could change many things, from outdated surgical tools to actual cures. It may be time for innovation to take the reins and redefine an advanced future concerning women’s health and fill it with healing possibilities.

Maybe then AI could stand for “Ageless Insights,” emphasizing the wisdom and unique health considerations for middle-aged women.