Four trials that were not combined in meta-analyses suggested that extracts with high ( > 30 mg/d ) levels of genistein consistently reduced the frequency of hot flushes .
BACKGROUND Vasomotor symptoms , such as hot flushes and night sweats , are very common during the menopausal transition .
Hormone therapy has traditionally been used as a highly effective treatment , but concerns about increased risk of some chronic diseases have markedly increased the interest of women in alternative treatments .
Some of the most popular of these treatments are foods or supplements enriched with phytoestrogens-plant-derived chemicals that have estrogenic action .
OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy , safety and acceptability of food products , extracts and dietary supplements containing high levels of phytoestrogens when compared with no treatment , placebo or hormone therapy for the amelioration of vasomotor menopausal symptoms ( such as hot flushes and night sweats ) in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women .
Efficacy and safety of a special extract of Rheum rhaponticum (ERr 731) in perimenopausal women with climacteric complaints: a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Objective : To investigate the efficacy and safety of the special extract ERr 731 from the roots of Rheum rhaponticum compared to placebo in perimenopausal women with climacteric complaints . Design : A multicenter , prospect i ve , r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled , clinical trial in which 109 women with climacteric complaints received either one enteric-coated tablet of ERr 731 ( n = 54 ) or placebo ( n = 55 ) daily for 12 weeks . Primary outcome criterion for efficacy was the change in Menopause Rating Scale II ( MRS II ) total score after 12 weeks . Other efficacy assessment s analyzed number and severity of hot flushes , menopause-specific quality of life , number of bleeding/spotting days , and treatment outcome . Results : By 12 weeks , the MRS II total score and each MRS II symptom significantly decreased in the ERr 731 group compared to the placebo group ( P < 0.0001 ) . After 4 weeks , ERr 731 also significantly decreased the number and severity of hot flushes ( P < 0.0001 ) . After 12 weeks , the overall menopause-specific quality of life was significantly better in women treated with ERr 731 compared with placebo ( P < 0.05 ) . Treatment outcome assessed by investigators and participants was better in the ERr 731 group , and ERr 731 was better tolerated than placebo . There were no differences in gynecological findings including endometrial biopsies , bleeding , weight , blood pressure , pulse , and laboratory safety parameters between the treatment groups . No adverse events were classified as being related to the investigational medication . Conclusions : Compared to placebo , ERr 731 significantly reduces the occurrence and severity of climacteric complaints in perimenopause . It is also safe and well tolerated
Four trials that were not combined in meta-analyses suggested that extracts with high ( > 30 mg/d ) levels of genistein consistently reduced the frequency of hot flushes .
BACKGROUND Vasomotor symptoms , such as hot flushes and night sweats , are very common during the menopausal transition .
Hormone therapy has traditionally been used as a highly effective treatment , but concerns about increased risk of some chronic diseases have markedly increased the interest of women in alternative treatments .
Some of the most popular of these treatments are foods or supplements enriched with phytoestrogens-plant-derived chemicals that have estrogenic action .
OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy , safety and acceptability of food products , extracts and dietary supplements containing high levels of phytoestrogens when compared with no treatment , placebo or hormone therapy for the amelioration of vasomotor menopausal symptoms ( such as hot flushes and night sweats ) in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women .