Progesterone could replace estrogen to treat hot flashes in
June 22nd, 2010 - 3:15 pm ICT by ANIWashington, June 22 (ANI): For postmenopausal women, who experience bothersome hot flashes or night sweats, oral micronized progesterone could be an alternative treatment to estrogen.
Available only by prescription and sold under the brand name Prometrium in the United States and Canada, this form of progesterone is manufactured from a steroid in yams.
“This is the first evidence that oral micronized progesterone, which is molecularly identical to the natural hormone, is effective for women with symptomatic hot flashes,” said the presenting author, Dr. Jerilynn Prior, professor, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
“Vasomotor symptoms”-hot flashes (sometimes called hot flushes) and night sweats-are experienced by most women during the years around the final menstrual period.
In the most symptomatic women (at least 5-10pct) these symptoms disturb sleep, energy and quality of life, said Prior.
The researchers recruited 114 healthy postmenopausal women seeking hormonal therapy for hot flashes and night sweats and randomly assigned them to take either oral micronized progesterone or an inactive substance (placebo), both as three round capsules at bedtime.
The researchers calculated the average daily vasomotor symptom score, or VMSScore, from the data that subjects recorded in a daily diary.
This score reflects both intensity and number for hot flashes and night sweats each day.
The authors found that progesterone, in a 300-milligram dose, was more effective than placebo at decreasing the intensity and number of symptoms, and the difference was both statistically significant and clinically important.
“Women improve very quickly on oral micronized progesterone. The improvement is apparent within the first 4 weeks,” said Prior.
Micronized progesterone did not cause any serious side effects, she said.
The drug may be an option for postmenopausal women who do not want to or should not take estrogen-”currently the only effective therapy for decreasing severe vasomotor symptoms,” said Prior.
The results will be presented at The Endocrine Society’s 92nd Annual Meeting in San Diego. (ANI)
- Hot flushes tied to lower risk of breast cancer - Jan 26, 2011
- Estrogen therapy 'ups kidney stones risk' in postmenopausal women - Oct 12, 2010
- Flaxseed no cure for hot flashes during menopause - Jun 06, 2011
- Acupuncture perks up sex drive of breast cancer patients - Dec 30, 2009
- Acupuncture boosts libido, decreases hot flashes in breast cancer patients - Dec 30, 2009
- How progesterone and estrogen increase breast cancer risk - Jan 19, 2011
- Soy-based compound in dietary supplement could cut menopausal hot flushes - May 01, 2010
- Soy intake lowers breast cancer recurrence in hormone-sensitive cancers - Oct 19, 2010
- Female sex hormone regulates weight - Oct 20, 2011
- Postmenopausal hormone therapy 'ups breast cancer risk' - Oct 20, 2010
- How contraceptives may cause high BP (Lead) - May 27, 2011
- HRT raises risk of kidney stones - Oct 13, 2010
- Estrogen not linked to lung cancer mortality in postmenopausal women - Aug 14, 2010
- Women facing gynaecologic surgery don't worry about sex - Apr 13, 2010
- Oestrogen therapy 'causes ovarian cancer to grow five times faster' - Oct 21, 2010
Tags: british columbia vancouver, daily diary, first evidence, hot flashes, important women, inactive substance, jerilynn, menstrual period, micronized progesterone, milligram dose, natural hormone, night sweats, postmenopausal women, prometrium, symptom score, symptomatic women, university of british columbia, university of british columbia vancouver, vancouver canada, vasomotor symptoms