Effects of an herbal medication containing bee products on menopausal symptoms and cardiovascular risk markers: results of a pilot open-uncontrolled trial.

OBJECTIVES

Fifty-five postmenopausal women with menopausal complaints were treated with the food supplement Melbrosia for 3 months. Menopausal symptom evaluation scales and psychological questionnaires were administered, and cardiovascular disease markers in blood were analyzed at the beginning and the end of the trial.

SETTING

The perimenopausal care unit of Second Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Sofia, Bulgaria.

DESIGN

The study was an open, multicenter, uncontrolled, prospective observation study. The subjective symptoms questionnaires administered before Melbrosia treatment and after 3 months of treatment were Kupperman Score, Zerssen Symptom List, Zung Depression Score, and Frankfurt Self-concept Scale (self-assessment test, problem-solving test, self-esteem test, and irritability test). The blood levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured in a subgroup of patients.

RESULTS

Treatment of postmenopausal women with Melbrosia led to a statistically significant reduction in the Kupperman score, Zerssen's Symptoms List, and Zung Depression Score. The Frankfurt Self-concept Scale revealed significant improvement in problem-solving, no change in self-assessment and self-esteem, and worsening of irritability. Treatment with Melbrosia significantly reduced TC and LDL and significantly elevated HDL and TG. There were nonsignificant changes of serum VCAM-1 and CRP levels in patients treated with Melbrosia.

CONCLUSIONS

The presented data suggest that Melbrosia may offer a potential alternative to hormone therapy for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. However, because of this study's uncontrolled, open- label methodology, no cause-and-effect inferences can be drawn until a larger, longer-term, blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial is performed.