Chiang Yi-Fen, Huang Ko-Chieh, Ali Mohamed, Hsia Shih-Min
School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, College of Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan.
Clinical Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt.
Nutrients. 2024 Nov 24;16(23):4026. doi: 10.3390/nu16234026.
Primary dysmenorrhea, a highly prevalent condition that significantly impacts women's daily activities and quality of life, occurs without underlying pelvic pathological changes. Conventional treatments, such as warm water therapy, provide temporary relief; however, more effective interventions are needed. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an Adlay-based formula in reducing dysmenorrhea symptoms through randomized controlled trials.
A total of 69 participants were randomly assigned to either the Adlay-based formula group ( = 35) or the placebo group ( = 34). Baseline characteristics, including age, age of menarche, dysmenorrhea onset, menstrual duration, BMI, blood pressure, and heart rate, were comparable between groups. The primary outcomes were measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for dysmenorrhea, pain assessment scales, the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ), and serum levels of inflammatory biomarkers (PGE2, PGF2α, IL-6, Hs-CRP).
The intervention group showed a significant reduction in VAS scores at both the first treatment and at the end of the study compared to baseline and the placebo group. Pain assessments indicated improvements in persistent pain, dull pain, exhaustion, nausea/vomiting, lower abdominal swelling, back pain, diarrhea, and cold sweats. Additionally, biomarker analysis revealed significant reductions in PGE2, PGF2α, and Hs-CRP levels in the intervention group, with no significant change in IL-6 levels.
The Adlay-based formula effectively alleviated dysmenorrhea symptoms, improved pain and discomfort, and reduced inflammatory biomarkers compared to placebo. These findings suggested that the formula could serve as a promising alternative for managing primary dysmenorrhea.
原发性痛经是一种非常普遍的病症，严重影响女性的日常活动和生活质量，其发生时无潜在的盆腔病理变化。传统治疗方法，如温水疗法，只能提供暂时缓解；然而，需要更有效的干预措施。本研究旨在通过随机对照试验评估一种基于薏仁的配方在减轻痛经症状方面的有效性。
总共69名参与者被随机分配到基于薏仁的配方组（n = 35）或安慰剂组（n = 34）。两组之间的基线特征，包括年龄、初潮年龄、痛经发作时间、月经持续时间、体重指数、血压和心率，具有可比性。主要结局指标使用痛经视觉模拟量表（VAS）、疼痛评估量表、月经困扰问卷（MDQ）以及炎症生物标志物（PGE2、PGF2α、IL-6、Hs-CRP）的血清水平进行测量。
与基线和安慰剂组相比，干预组在首次治疗时和研究结束时的VAS评分均显著降低。疼痛评估表明，持续性疼痛、隐痛、疲惫、恶心/呕吐、下腹部肿胀、背痛、腹泻和冷汗等症状有所改善。此外，生物标志物分析显示，干预组的PGE2、PGF2α和Hs-CRP水平显著降低，IL-6水平无显著变化。
与安慰剂相比，基于薏仁的配方有效地缓解了痛经症状，改善了疼痛和不适，并降低了炎症生物标志物。这些发现表明，该配方可作为治疗原发性痛经的一种有前景的替代方法。
