Chinese medicine treatment for menopausal symptoms in the UK health service: Is a clinical trial warranted?

Abstract

Abstract:Objectives: The aims of this pilot study were to evaluate treatment effects, ascertain safety and formulate best practice Chinese medicine protocols relevant for London women suffering from menopausal symptoms. Study Design:This clinical pilot study employed a case series design within a wider action-based research project. 117 perimenopausal women between 45-55 years of age recruited from the general population were treated for menopausal symptoms by six experienced practitioners of Chinese medicine at the Polyclinic of the University of Westminster. Practitioners were instructed to treat as near to their usual practice style as possible. This involved using Chinese herbal medicine and/or acupuncture along with dietary and lifestyle advice. A maximum of twelve treatments over six months was allowed per patient. Outcome Measures:The Menopause Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MenQoL), the Greene Climacteric Scale, and flushing diaries were used to evaluate treatment outcomes. Liver and kidney function tests were carried out at intake and after one, six and twelve treatments to evaluate the safety particularly in relation to the use of herbal medicines.

Standardised versus individualised multiherb Chinese herbal medicine for oligomenorrhoea and amenorrhoea in polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomised feasibility and pilot study in the UK

“…We however successfully evaluated feasibility as planned and a significant strength of this study is that we collected data prospectively on standardised and individualised multiherb CHMs which were administered according to real-world practice and for 6 months. Safety and adverse events data from our study appear to be consistent with the findings of previous CHM studies in the UK 29 35 36 which suggest that CHMs appear to be safe and overall well tolerated. Our study compared real-world CHM-prescribing approaches for a significant duration of time, whereas the majority of previous PCOS and CHM trials evaluate standardised CHMs for <6 months.…”

Herb Formula ZhenRongDan Balances Sex Hormones, Modulates Organ Atrophy, and Restores ERα and ERβ Expressions in Ovariectomized Rats

“…Alternative medicine especially traditional oriental medicine called much attention in battle with certain ailments [ 32 ]. Interestingly, herbs are usually very useful in treating disorders that lack obvious pathological alterations such as menopausal syndrome [ 33 , 34 ]. Previously, natural product such as soybean extract is reported to proliferate the vagina of adult rats [ 35 ] and could lower the cancer risk comparing to estrogen treatment [ 36 ].…”

Chinese herbal medicine for treating menopausal symptoms in London women: developing a good practice protocol via the factor analysis of prescribing patterns in a clinical study

“…Similarly, with respect to evaluating effectiveness of the herbal treatment there are significant limitations of the study design (pre-post design with no control group), and these have already been described. 1 However, the lack of control group is irrelevant for the research question being addressed in the current paper. Table 5 traces the patterns of herb usage listed in Table 2 to commonly used Chinese herbal medicine formulas described in contemporary formularies, 28 It also compares them to a list of the most commonly used Chinese medicine formulas for treating menopausal symptoms that we published in an exhaustive literature review of the field.…”

“…The rationale, design and outcomes of the study have already been reported elsewhere. 1 They indicate that Chinese medicine is both safe and potentially effective in treating menopausal symptoms, warranting further investigation by means of a pragmatic randomised controlled trial (RCT). The analysis of prescribing patterns presented in this paper is intended to inform the development of good practice guidelines for such a trial.…”