The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a novel estrogen-based drug for women for the treatment of moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms and osteoporosis associated with menopause. Duavee (Wyeth Pharmaceuticals) is a once-a-day tablet containing a combination of conjugated estrogens and bazedoxifene, an estrogen agonist/antagonist.
Several recent studies have examined the impact of various types of physical activity on menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, and sleep disturbance.
In a recent study comparing hot flashes in 934 cancer survivors (90% of whom had breast cancer) and 155 age-matched control subjects who never had cancer, researches observed that cancer survivors reported more frequent, severe, and troubling hot flashes.
The FDA recently approved a 7.5-mg formulation of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) paroxetine mesylate for the treatment of hot flashes. It will be marketed under the name of Brisdelle.
For the treatment of menopausal vasomotor symptoms (VMS), such as hot flashes and night sweats, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are effective and well-tolerated. Positive effects are observed within 4 weeks of the initiation of treatment. However, we do not know how long treatment with an SSRI must be continued in order to maintain control of VMS. Nor do we know if VMS will recur after discontinuation of SSRI or if recurrent VMS may be less frequent or less bothersome after receiving SSRI treatment. A recent report from Dr. Hadine Joffe and colleagues at the Center for Women’s Mental Health assessed the recurrence of vasomotor symptoms in women treated with SSRIs.
In a large study from Australia, researchers found that menopausal women who ate diets high in fruit, certain vegetables, pasta and red wine were 20% less likely to have hot flashes and night sweats.
A substantial proportion of women transitioning into menopause experience a new onset or recurrence of depressive symptoms. A new study from the Center for Women’s Mental Health indicates that duloxetine (Cymbalta) is effective for the treatment of depression and may also have a beneficial effect on vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes and night sweats).
Various studies have shown that women with a higher body mass index (BMI) or a higher percent of body fat have more frequent or more severe menopausal symptoms. In a recent study, researchers evaluated the impact of a low-fat diet on vasomotor symptoms in a group of 17,473 postmenopausal women between the ages of 50 and 79.
For decades, estrogen has been used to treat menopausal symptoms, including night sweats and hot flashes. However, after studies reported that estrogen increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and breast cancer, many patients and clinicians have looked into alternative treatments for hot flashes, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, treatment with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) escitalopram (Lexapro) significantly reduces the frequency and severity of menopausal hot flashes compared with placebo.
Many women report vasomotor symptoms, including hot flushes and night sweats, during the menopausal transition. While estrogen is clearly one of the most effective treatments for vasomotor symptoms, recent concerns regarding the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have made treaters much more reluctant to recommend HRT, even for short-term management of vasomotor symptoms. A recent study has demonstrated that acupuncture may be an effective non-hormonal treatment for vasomotor symptoms.
