Modern therapy for vasomotor symptoms of climacteric syndrome

Abstract

As a result of the age-related decline in reproductive function, during the perimenopausal and postmenopausal periods female patients experience an estrogen deficiency state. Due to this state, symptoms of estrogen deficiency, which are combined into the concept of “climacteric syndrome”, begin to manifest. Climacteric syndrome is a complex of vegetative-vascular, mental, and metabolic-endocrine disorders that develop in women not only due to decrease in estrogen synthesis, but also the general ageing of the body. Clinical manifestations of the climacteric syndrome have a certain priority of development. With a decrease of the hormonal function of the ovaries, vasomotor disorders step forward. They represent all forms of autonomic regulation disorders, such as hot flashes, arterial pressure and pulse liability, respiratory disorders, hyperhydrosis, chills, and many others. In this article, the greatest emphasis is placed on the issue of vasomotor disorders, in particular hot flashes, in women of the perimenopausal and postmenopausal periods. Attention is paid to the medical and social component of the issue discussed. Given the fact that today the life expectancy of people, including women, is significantly increasing in the developed countries, a large number of females are faced with the issue of menopausal syndrome. The clinical manifestations of menopause not only have an extremely negative impact on the women’s quality of life, but also lay the groundwork for the development of more severe somatic disorders. The article also considers in detail the frequency of hot flashes, and the pathogenetic mechanisms of their development. The “gold standard” for the treatment of patients suffering from vasomotor disorders is particularly detailed. Today, the menopausal hormone therapy is recognized as the most effective therapeutic approach, which, subject to a personalized approach to patients and the absence of contraindications to its prescription, demonstrates high protective capabilities.