December, 3 - New Study about Herbal Remedies for Menopause

A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (Ann Intern Med. 2002;137:805-813.) found that only the herb black cohosh and soy derived from food to have some benefit in relieving hot flashes and other menopause symptoms. Drs. Fredi Kronenberg and Adriane Fugh-Berman also noted that their review of clinical trials do not support the use of other herbal therapies. They reviewed 29 studies that used a number of purported remedies for menopause symptoms in order to better inform practice and guide future research.

Many natural product and herbal companies see an excellent opportunity to attract women to their products as they decide to stop their traditional hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Since the Women's Health Initiative preliminary report was released in July, 2002, millions of women have decided to stop their HRT due to the increased risks of breast cancer, stroke and heart attacks. Unfortunately, many of these women have noticed the resumption of the uncomfortable effects of the menopause transition, including hot flashes, night sweats and mood changes. The producers of alternative remedies to treat these symptoms are working to take advantage of this backlash. This most recent study should help guide patients and clinicians in making choices about which herbal and natural products may work the best.

Soy seems to have modest benefit for hot flashes, but studies are not conclusive. Concentrated forms of soy are commonly sold as 'Isoflavone preparations'. These preparations seem to be less effective than soy containing foods. The authors also noted that "Single clinical trials have found that dong quai, evening primrose oil, a Chinese herb mixture, vitamin E, and acupuncture do not affect hot flashes; two trials have shown that red clover has no benefit for treating hot flashes". They also noted that long term data is lacking for many of these herbal remedies. This will be important, as many clinicians have voiced concern about the long term use of these products. Proper studies will need to be done to evaluate any potential long term risks using these potentially beneficial remedies.