Conclusion: Acupuncture is an effective
treatment for reducing Postmenopausal Hot Flashes
Study:
Nir Y, et al. Stanford University School of Medicine, United States.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether individually tailored acupuncture is an
effective treatment option for reducing postmenopausal hot flashes and
improving quality of life. METHODS: In a randomized, placebo-controlled
pilot study, 29 postmenopausal participants averaging at least seven
moderate to severe hot flashes per 24h, with a baseline estradiol
concentration of less than 50pg/mL and a normal TSH level, were randomized
to receive 7 weeks (nine treatment sessions) of either active acupuncture or
placebo acupuncture (placebo needles that did not penetrate the skin at sham
acupuncture points). Participants recorded hot flashes in logs that were
reported daily. Global indices of the severity and frequency of hot flashes
were derived from the participants' daily logs. RESULTS: Participants
receiving the active treatment had a greater reduction in hot flash severity
(24.5+/-30.7%) compared to those receiving placebo (4.4+/-17.1%, P=0.042).
Within group repeated measures analyses of variance revealed a significant
reduction in hot flash severity in the active (P=0.042), but not in the
placebo treatment group (P=0.15). Although there was no significant group
difference in the reduction of hot flash frequency between the active
(42.4+/-32.2%) and placebo groups (32.0+/-26.5%; P>/=0.352), within group
repeated measures analyses of variance revealed that the reduction was
statistically significant in both groups (P</=0.001). CONCLUSIONS:
Standardized, individually tailored acupuncture treatment was associated
with significantly greater decrease in the severity, but not the frequency,
of hot flashes, in symptomatic postmenopausal women when compared to placebo
acupuncture of equal duration. Future, larger scale, studies are needed.
Maturitas. 2006 Dec 18
Source PubMed
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