Researchers from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia have shown that a significant number of menopausal women turn to alternative methods to assuage the symptoms of menopause instead of following traditional means.
When women reach menopause, the treatment traditionally prescribed by doctors remains Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT medication), which consists of a supplement of estrogen and progesterone.
In fact, throughout menopause, because of the sharp decline of these two hormones in the blood, women suffer from secondary effects that can prove rather painful, such as night sweats, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, etc. Treatment thus consists of reinjecting a sufficient dose of these two molecules into the body in order to re-establish the proper balance.
However, after several alarming studies on the inefficiency of this type of treatment and the potential risk it poses for breast cancer, many women around the world are now turning to complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs). Notable, a 2002 study, published in Europe PubMed Central, indicated that the risk of breast cancer increased significantly because of the traditional treatment.
In order to precisely verify these allegations researchers from Melbourne's Monash University conducted this study, with the intention of examining the effects of these alternative treatments and determining if they did lead to greater relief of the symptoms of menopause.
To accomplish their goal, they contacted 5,850 women aged 40 to 65; 2,911 accepted to participate in the study and 2,020 were ultimately retained. They were sent a questionnaire and asked to accurately describe their menopause (number of symptoms, frequency, etc.).
The results, published in The Medical Journal of Australia, indicate that 13.2%, or 267 women, declared having used at least one complementary or alternative medicine to treat the vasomotor symptoms (VMS) of menopause mentioned above.
The authors of the study specify that phytoestrogens were most commonly used for VMS (6.29%, followed by evening primrose oil (3.91%) and ginseng (1.73%). They also pointed out that nearly one in every three doctors in Australia looks favorably on alternative treatments.
However the researchers outlined that "Phytoestrogens, the most commonly used CAMs for VMS, have not been shown to be effective for treating VMS, either as food supplements or as concentrated tablets.
Evening primrose oil, black cohosh and ginseng, the other commonly used CAMs for VMS, overall appear to be no more effective than placebo....Given the lack of evidence regarding benefit of CAMs for alleviating VMS, as well as the potential adverse effects and their high cost, the continuing use of these CAMs for this purpose cannot be supported."
Majority of women use alternative methods to treat symptoms of menopause
Researchers from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia have shown that a significant number of menopausal women turn to alternative methods to assuage the symptoms of menopause instead of following traditional means.
When women reach menopause, the treatment traditionally prescribed by doctors remains Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT medication), which consists of a supplement of estrogen and progesterone.
In fact, throughout menopause, because of the sharp decline of these two hormones in the blood, women suffer from secondary effects that can prove rather painful, such as night sweats, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, etc. Treatment thus consists of reinjecting a sufficient dose of these two molecules into the body in order to re-establish the proper balance.
However, after several alarming studies on the inefficiency of this type of treatment and the potential risk it poses for breast cancer, many women around the world are now turning to complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs). Notable, a 2002 study, published in Europe PubMed Central, indicated that the risk of breast cancer increased significantly because of the traditional treatment.
In order to precisely verify these allegations researchers from Melbourne's Monash University conducted this study, with the intention of examining the effects of these alternative treatments and determining if they did lead to greater relief of the symptoms of menopause.
To accomplish their goal, they contacted 5,850 women aged 40 to 65; 2,911 accepted to participate in the study and 2,020 were ultimately retained. They were sent a questionnaire and asked to accurately describe their menopause (number of symptoms, frequency, etc.).
The results, published in The Medical Journal of Australia, indicate that 13.2%, or 267 women, declared having used at least one complementary or alternative medicine to treat the vasomotor symptoms (VMS) of menopause mentioned above.
The authors of the study specify that phytoestrogens were most commonly used for VMS (6.29%, followed by evening primrose oil (3.91%) and ginseng (1.73%). They also pointed out that nearly one in every three doctors in Australia looks favorably on alternative treatments.
However the researchers outlined that "Phytoestrogens, the most commonly used CAMs for VMS, have not been shown to be effective for treating VMS, either as food supplements or as concentrated tablets.
Evening primrose oil, black cohosh and ginseng, the other commonly used CAMs for VMS, overall appear to be no more effective than placebo....Given the lack of evidence regarding benefit of CAMs for alleviating VMS, as well as the potential adverse effects and their high cost, the continuing use of these CAMs for this purpose cannot be supported."
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos