Vincent A, Barton D, Mandrekar J, Cha S, Zias T, Wahner-Roedler D, Keppler M, Kreitzer MJ, Loprinzi C.

A randomized sham-controlled clinical trial of acupuncture for hot flashes.

Mayo Clinic, 200 First ST SW, Rochester, MN 55905. Vincent.ann@mayo.edu

BACKGROUND: Hot flashes are a significant problem in women going though the menopausal transition and significantly impacts quality of life. Pursuant to a growing interest in the use of alternative therapies to alleviate menopausal symptoms and a few pilot trials that suggested that acupuncture could modestly alleviate hot flashes; we conducted a prospective, randomized, single-blinded, sham-controlled clinical trial in peri-menopausal and postmenopausal women experiencing hot flashes.

METHODS: Participants with ³ 5 hot flashes a day were randomized to medical or sham acupuncture. Participants received bi-weekly acupuncture for a period of 5 weeks after a baseline assessment week. They were then followed for an additional 7 weeks to see if treatment effects if any persisted. Participants completed daily hot flash questionnaires. Analyses were based on participants who provided data throughout the baseline and study weeks.

RESULTS: 103 participants were randomized to medical or sham acupuncture. At week 6 evaluable data was available for 46 participants each in the medical and sham acupuncture group. At week 6, the percent of residual hot flashes was 61% in the sham group and 62% in the medical acupuncture group. At week 12 evaluable data was available for 45 participants in the sham group and 46 participants in the medical acupuncture group. The percent of residual hot flashes at week 12 was 60% in the sham group and 71% in the medical acupuncture group. Participants reported no adverse effects related to the treatments.

INTERPRETATION: The results of this study failed to suggest that the utilized medical acupuncture was any more effective than the chosen sham acupuncture for reducing hot flashes. This is the first report of a randomized, controlled clinical trial of acupuncture for hot flashes

 

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