Rebecca Wright07.24.06
The Archives of Internal Medicine published a study in its July 24th issue regarding the effectiveness of alternative therapies in women going through menopause. For this review, researchers sought randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses comparing a complementary or alternative therapy with placebo or control for treatment of menopausal symptoms.
Seventy randomized controlled trials met inclusion criteria. Forty-eight studies of phytoestrogens and other biologically based agents showed mixed results. Smaller numbers of studies using mind-body, energy, manipulative, and body-based therapies and whole medical systems showed little benefit in treating menopausal symptoms.
This led researchers to conclude that although individual trials suggest benefits from certain therapies, data are insufficient to support the effectiveness of any complementary and alternative therapy in this review for the management of menopausal symptoms. They said, however, that many of these potential therapies warrant further study in trials with rigorous scientific designs to determine benefit and safety.
The full study can be found at Arch Intern Med, July 24, 2006;166:1453-1465.
Seventy randomized controlled trials met inclusion criteria. Forty-eight studies of phytoestrogens and other biologically based agents showed mixed results. Smaller numbers of studies using mind-body, energy, manipulative, and body-based therapies and whole medical systems showed little benefit in treating menopausal symptoms.
This led researchers to conclude that although individual trials suggest benefits from certain therapies, data are insufficient to support the effectiveness of any complementary and alternative therapy in this review for the management of menopausal symptoms. They said, however, that many of these potential therapies warrant further study in trials with rigorous scientific designs to determine benefit and safety.
The full study can be found at Arch Intern Med, July 24, 2006;166:1453-1465.