Vincent Ann, Barton Debra L, Mandrekar Jayawant N, Cha Stephen S, Zais Teresa, Wahner-Roedler Dietlind L, Keppler Marina A, Kreitzer Mary Jo, Loprinzi Charles
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
Menopause. 2007 Jan-Feb;14(1):45-52. doi: 10.1097/01.gme.0000227854.27603.7d.
Hot flashes are a significant problem in women going through the menopausal transition that can substantially affect quality of life. The world of estrogen therapy has been thrown into turmoil with the recent results of the Women's Health Initiative trial report. 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, a prospective, randomized, single-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial was conducted in women experiencing hot flashes.
Participants, after being randomized to medical versus sham acupuncture, received biweekly treatments for 5 weeks after a baseline assessment week. They were then followed for an additional 7 weeks. Participants completed daily hot flash questionnaires, which formed the basis for analysis.
A total of 103 participants were randomized to medical or sham acupuncture. At week 6 the percentage of residual hot flashes was 60% in the medical acupuncture group and 62% in the sham acupuncture group. At week 12, the percentage of residual hot flashes was 73% in the medical acupuncture group and 55% in the sham acupuncture group. Participants reported no adverse effects related to the treatments.
The results of this study suggest that the used medical acupuncture was not any more effective for reducing hot flashes than was the chosen sham acupuncture.
潮热是处于绝经过渡期女性的一个重要问题，会严重影响生活质量。随着女性健康倡议试验报告的最新结果公布，雌激素治疗领域陷入了混乱。鉴于人们对使用替代疗法缓解更年期症状的兴趣日益浓厚，且一些试点试验表明针灸可适度缓解潮热，因此对有潮热症状的女性进行了一项前瞻性、随机、单盲、假对照临床试验。
参与者在被随机分为接受真针灸治疗组和假针灸治疗组后，在基线评估周后接受为期5周的每两周一次的治疗。然后再随访7周。参与者完成每日潮热问卷，这些问卷构成了分析的基础。
共有103名参与者被随机分配到真针灸组或假针灸组。在第6周时，真针灸组残留潮热的百分比为60%，假针灸组为62%。在第12周时，真针灸组残留潮热的百分比为73%，假针灸组为55%。参与者报告未出现与治疗相关的不良反应。
本研究结果表明，所使用的真针灸在减少潮热方面并不比所选的假针灸更有效。
