2022 Medicine

High prevalence of insomnia, anxiety, and depression among perimenopausal women, emphasizing the importance of exploring acupuncture as a potential green therapy for effectively addressing these interconnected issues.

This passage discusses the prevalence of insomnia among perimenopausal women, its association with anxiety and depression, and the potential of acupuncture as a green therapy for treating these issues. The passage outlines the objectives and methods of a systematic review aiming to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in improving sleep quality and alleviating anxiety and depression in perimenopausal women, highlighting the need for safer alternatives to conventional medications and the significance of such a study.

Can acupuncture improve sleep quality and anxiety among women during perimenopause? Ping Y, Liang C, Fan X, Zhang L, Ying D, Wang Z

2021 Acupuncture in Medicine

Acupuncture's potential in reducing menopausal hot flush frequency compared to sham acupuncture, and its similarity in impacting hormone levels to hormone therapy.

This study aimed to assess acupuncture's effectiveness and safety in treating menopausal hot flushes and its impact on hormone levels. Through meta-analyses of thirteen randomized controlled trials involving 1784 patients, it found that acupuncture reduced hot flush frequency compared to sham acupuncture, but didn't affect end scores of frequency or severity. Acupuncture demonstrated hormone level effects similar to hormone therapy. However, due to limited trial quality and quantity, further high-quality trials are necessary for definitive conclusions.

Effect of acupuncture on menopausal hot flushes and serum hormone levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis Liu C, Wang Z, Guo T, Zhuang L, Gao X

2017 PLOS One

Acupuncture is non-inferior to hormone therapy or other applied relaxation therapies in alleviating the symptoms of menopause for its safety, non-invasive and especially considering the side effect of hormone therapy.

This meta-analysis of women with breast cancer confirms that acupuncture had no significant effect on the severity of hot flush, but did significantly alleviate the symptoms of menopause. We conclude that acupuncture is non-inferior to hormone therapy or other applied relaxation therapies in alleviating the symptoms of menopause for its safety, non-invasive and especially considering the side effect of hormone therapy. Recent studies show that use of acupuncture does not correlate with increased levels of plasma estradiol. Considering the safety and lack of serious adverse effects associated with acupuncture, in contrast to hormone therapy, acupuncture should be considered for treating hot flush and menopause syndrome in women with breast cancer.

Effect of acupuncture on hot flush and menopause symptoms in breast cancer- A systematic review and meta-analysis Chien TJ, Hsu CH, Liu CY, Fang CJ.

2017 Complementary Medicine Research

Both the total score and the subgroup analysis strongly indicated that acupuncture can alleviate menopause-related symptoms.

Six studies were included. Our analysis found that acupuncture can reduce the MRS score in menopausal women by the end of the treating period (2-3 months, on average) and even in the follow-up period (1-3 months), not only in the total score but also in each subscale score. But the grade of evidence is very low.

Both the total score and the subgroup analysis strongly indicated that acupuncture can alleviate menopause-related symptoms. However, the evidence is not very strong. Thus, further studies about the efficiency of acupuncture on menopausal symptoms based on well-designed trials are needed.

Acupuncture May Improve Quality of Life in Menopausal Women: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Li W, Luo Y, Fu W, Lei R.

2016 Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics

Acupuncture appears to be a potentially effective treatment for reducing hot flashes in women diagnosed with breast cancer.

In this systematic review, seven extensive databases including internationally recognized sources like PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were searched without any language restrictions to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the impacts of acupuncture on hot flashes in women with breast cancer. The timeframe of these searches spanned from the inception of each database to June 2015.

The results of the 12 identified RCTs suggested an overall potential therapeutic effect of acupuncture on hot flashes in women with breast cancer. Notably, out of these, three studies highlighted a significant difference compared with control groups while one showed encouraging trends. Six studies suggested no notable difference between acupuncture and control treatments. A further two trials revealed negative results when compared to hormone therapy. A meta-analysis of the results also suggested differences in the number of hot flashes post-treatment and during subsequent follow-ups compared with control groups. In three trials, Kupperman index scores were reported, indicating a significant difference between acupuncture and controls after treatment and during follow-up. However, due to the overall relatively small number and inconsistent quality of the reviewed studies, these results should be interpreted with caution.

Acupuncture for hot flashes in women with breast cancer: A systematic review Chen YP, Liu T, Peng YY, Wang YP, Chen H, Fan YF, Zhang L

2016 Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem

The study's analysis of 272 articles comparing Traditional Chinese Acupuncture (TCA) and Sham Acupuncture (SA) for managing hot flashes in menopausal breast cancer patients indicates that while 3 studies leaned towards TCA's effectiveness, 2 showed both interventions to be beneficial.

The study encompassed the analysis of 272 articles from five selected databases, resulting in the inclusion of five manuscripts meeting the eligibility criteria. The primary focus was on comparing the efficacy of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture (TCA) to Sham Acupuncture (SA) in managing hot flashes among menopausal women with breast cancer. Among the selected studies, three indicated that TCA was more effective in reducing the frequency and intensity of hot flashes, while two found both interventions to be beneficial, though not significantly distinct. These studies exhibited considerable diversity in their designs, sample sizes, treatment durations, and acupuncture protocols. TCA appeared to hold promise in mitigating hot flashes, yet several methodological limitations and potential biases within the reviewed studies were noted. Consequently, there's a call for further comprehensive, large-scale, and long-term trials to elucidate TCA's true potential and overcome the limitations observed in the current body of research.

Effectiveness of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture versus Sham Acupuncture: a Systematic Review Carlos, Luís et al.

2015 Menopause

Acupuncture improves hot flash frequency and severity, menopause-related symptoms, and quality of life (in the vasomotor domain) in women experiencing natural menopause.

Of 104 relevant studies, 12 studies with 869 participants met the inclusion criteria and were included in this study. We found that acupuncture significantly reduced the frequency and severity of hot flashes. Acupuncture significantly decreased the psychological, somatic, and urogenital subscale scores on the Menopause Rating Scale. Acupuncture improved the vasomotor subscale score on the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire. Long-term effects (up to 3 mo) on hot flash frequency and severity were found.

This meta-analysis confirms that acupuncture improves hot flash frequency and severity, menopause-related symptoms, and quality of life (in the vasomotor domain) in women experiencing natural menopause.

Effects of acupuncture on menopause-related symptoms and quality of life in women in natural menopause: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Chiu HY, Pan CH, Shyu YK, Han BC, Tsai PS.

2011 Climacteric

Pumpkin seed oil supplementation may increase good cholesterol levels, lower diastolic blood pressure, and alleviate menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women.

In this pilot study employing a randomized, double-blinded and placebo-controlled design, 35 women that were either naturally menopausal or had prematurely entered menopause due to benign surgical intervention partook. Over the span of 12 weeks, participants received either pumpkin seed oil or wheat germ oil (serving as the placebo) at a dosage of 2 grams daily. Measurements of serum lipids, fasting plasma glucose, blood pressure and completion of a questionnaire regarding menopausal symptoms were taken before and after the supplementation period, and changes across these factors were evaluated.

Following supplementation, women who received pumpkin seed oil displayed increased concentrations of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (commonly known as good cholesterol) and a reduction in diastolic blood pressure. Additionally, there was a notable decline in the severity of menopausal symptoms, including hot flushes, headaches, and joint pain, thanks to this supplementation. Contrarily, symptoms of depression and feelings of being unloved heightened among women in the group that received wheat germ oil.

Improvement in HDL cholesterol in postmenopausal women supplemented with pumpkin seed oil: pilot study Gossell-Williams M, Hyde C, Hunter T, Simms-Stewart D, Fletcher H, McGrowder D, Walters CA