Does Caffeine Make Menopausal Symptoms Worse?
Studies evaluating the relationship of caffeine to vasomotor symptoms have yielded conflicting results.
What is S-Equol? Does It Really Work for Menopausal Symptoms?
Approximately 70% of all women experience hot flashes and/or night sweats (also called vasomotor symptoms or VMS) during the menopause transition. Although estrogen-containing hormone therapy is highly effective in managing these symptoms, various studies have raised concerns regarding the risks associated with prolonged use of hormone therapy and many women now use other non-hormonal options to manage their symptoms, including over-the-counter complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs), including soy isoflavones, black cohosh, and omega-3 fatty acids. However, the data regarding the effectiveness of these alternative treatments has been mixed.
Hormone Replacement Therapy: Some Risk But No Impact on Mortality
While there are concerns regarding the risks associated with prolonged use of hormone replacement, an increasing number of studies suggest that the risk may be relatively low in certain settings. A study presented this week at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting which analyzed data from 43 randomized clinical trials suggests that menopausal hormone-replacement therapy does not appear to affect mortality either positively or negatively.
Menopausal Vasomotor Symptoms Last Longer than Five Years for Most Women
Up to 80% of women experience vasomotor symptoms (VMS) as they transition into the menopause phase. While clinical guidelines suggest that VMS typically last from 6 months to 2 years, we often see women with VMS lasting for a much longer period of time. To more accurately assess the duration of VMS in perimenopausal women, researchers analyzed data from 1449 women included in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), an observational study of women entering menopause. Here is a summary of the key findings:
Vitamin D and Menopausal Symptoms
A recent study has explored the association between vitamin D levels and vasomotor symptoms in a group of postmenopausal women.
Untreated Menopausal Symptoms: The Bottom Line ($$$)
Here's a new way to look at hot flashes. How much do they cost our society in terms of additional health care and lost productivity?
Meta-Analysis: Acupuncture Effective for Hot Flashes
A recent meta-analysis concludes that acupuncture is effective for the management of menopausal vasomotor symptoms.
New Research from the CWMH: Venlafaxine As Effective As Estradiol for Hot Flashes
Various selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), including citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro) and paroxetine (Paxil), have been shown to be effective for the treatment of menopausal vasomotor symptoms (VMS). Other studies have supported the efficacy of the serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) duloxetine (Cymbalta) and venlafaxine (Effexor). The FDA recently approved a 7.5-mg formulation of paroxetine (marketed as Brisdelle) as the first non-hormonal treatment of hot flashes.
In Brief: Menopausal Symptoms Usually Go Untreated
In this study, half of women aged 45 to 60 years reported experiencing menopausal symptoms. 69% of these women reported that their symptoms have negatively  affected their lives. Among the women who endorsed menopausal symptoms, 72% had not received any treatment for their symptoms and 77% reported that they had not discussed treatment options with their healthcare providers.