Top

Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics

Published in:

01-11-2013 | General Gynecology

The effect of oral evening primrose oil on menopausal hot flashes: a randomized clinical trial

Authors: Farah Farzaneh, Setareh Fatehi, Mohammad-Reza Sohrabi, Kamyab Alizadeh

Published in: Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics | Issue 5/2013

Abstract

Purpose

Hot flashes are common experience for menopausal women, and for many, are severe enough to significantly compromise their overall sense of well being and quality of life. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of evening primrose with placebo in improvement of menopausal hot flashes.

Methods

In a 6-week randomized clinical trial, a total of 56 menopausal women aged 45–59 years were participated in this study. The patients were asked for their hot flashes characteristics and responded to HFRDIS (hot flash related daily interference scale) questionnaire before and after the intervention. The participants were randomly assigned to take two capsules per day (totally 90 capsules for 6 weeks) of placebo or evening primrose (500 mg) for continuous 6 weeks. Then, the improvement in hot flashes was compared between two groups.

Results

The percent of improvement in hot flash frequency, severity and duration were 39, 42 and 19 %, in evening primrose group compared with 32, 32 and 18 % in placebo group, respectively. Although all three characters of hot flash was ameliorated in evening primrose arm, only its severity was significantly better in this arm compared with placebo group (P < 0.05). All HFRDIS score were significantly improved in two groups, but the percentage of improvement in social activities, relations with others, and sexuality was significantly superior to placebo group (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The application of oral evening primrose oil compared with placebo for controlling hot flashes may decrease more the intensity of attacks as well as ameliorating the HFRDIS score.

Gold EB, Block G, Crawford S, Lachance L, FitzGerald G, Miracle H, Sherman S (2004) Lifestyle and demographic factors in relation to vasomotor symptoms: baseline results from the study of women’s health across the nation. Am J Epidemiol 159(12):1189–1199. doi:10.1093/aje/kwh168 PubMedCrossRef

Rossouw JE, Anderson GL, Prentice RL, LaCroix AZ, Kooperberg C, Stefanick ML, Jackson RD, Beresford SA, Howard BV, Johnson KC, Kotchen JM, Ockene J (2002) Risks and benefits of estrogen plus progestin in healthy postmenopausal women: principal results from the women’s health initiative randomized controlled trial. JAMA 288(3):321–333PubMedCrossRef

Cheema D, Coomarasamy A, El-Toukhy T (2007) Non-hormonal therapy of post-menopausal vasomotor symptoms: a structured evidence-based review. Arch Gynecol Obstet 276(5):463–469. doi:10.1007/s00404-007-0390-9 PubMedCrossRef

Park MK, Satoh N, Kumashiro M (2008) Mental workload under time pressure can trigger frequent hot flashes in menopausal women. Ind Health 46(3):261–268. doi:JST.JSTAGE/indhealth/46.261 PubMedCrossRef

Thurston RC, Blumenthal JA, Babyak MA, Sherwood A (2006) Association between hot flashes, sleep complaints, and psychological functioning among healthy menopausal women. Int J Behav Med 13(2):163–172. doi:10.1207/s15327558ijbm1302_8 PubMedCrossRef

Vestergaard P, Hermann AP, Stilgren L, Tofteng CL, Sorensen OH, Eiken P, Nielsen SP, Mosekilde L (2003) Effects of 5 years of hormonal replacement therapy on menopausal symptoms and blood pressure––a randomised controlled study. Maturitas 46(2):123–132 pii: S0378512203001816PubMedCrossRef

Panidis D, Rousso D, Kourtis A, Giannoulis C, Mavromatidis G, Stergiopoulos K (2001) Hormone replacement therapy at the threshold of 21st century. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 99(2):154–164 [pii: S0301211501004055]PubMedCrossRef

Espeland MA, Rapp SR, Shumaker SA, Brunner R, Manson JE, Sherwin BB, Hsia J, Margolis KL, Hogan PE, Wallace R, Dailey M, Freeman R, Hays J (2004) Conjugated equine estrogens and global cognitive function in postmenopausal women: women’s health initiative memory study. JAMA 291(24):2959–2968. doi:10.1001/jama.291.24.2959 PubMedCrossRef

Hulley S, Grady D, Bush T, Furberg C, Herrington D, Riggs B, Vittinghoff E (1998) Randomized trial of estrogen plus progestin for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease in postmenopausal women. Heart and Estrogen/progestin replacement study (HERS) research group. JAMA 280(7):605–613PubMedCrossRef

10.

Beral V (2003) Breast cancer and hormone––replacement therapy in the million women study. Lancet 362(9382):419–427 [pii: S0140673603140652]PubMedCrossRef

11.

National Institutes of Health (2005) National institutes of health state-of-the-science conference statement: management of menopause-related symptoms Ann Intern Med 142(12 Pt 1):1003–1013 [pii: 0000605-200506210-00117]

12.

Rossmanith WG, Ruebberdt W (2009) What causes hot flushes? The neuroendocrine origin of vasomotor symptoms in the menopause. Gynecol Endocrinol 25(5):303–314. doi:10.1080/09513590802632514 PubMedCrossRef

13.

Carroll DG (2006) Nonhormonal therapies for hot flashes in menopause. Am Fam Physician 73(3):457–464PubMed

14.

Chenoy R, Hussain S, Tayob Y, O’Brien PM, Moss MY, Morse PF (1994) Effect of oral gamolenic acid from evening primrose oil on menopausal flushing. BMJ 308(6927):501–503PubMedCrossRef

15.

Bassey EJ, Littlewood JJ, Rothwell MC, Pye DW (2000) Lack of effect of supplementation with essential fatty acids on bone mineral density in healthy pre and postmenopausal women: two randomized controlled trials of Efacal versus calcium alone. Br J Nutr 83(6):629–635 [pii: S0007114500000805]PubMedCrossRef

16.

Conquer JA, Roelfsema H, Zecevic J, Graham TE, Holub BJ (2002) Effect of exercise on FA profiles in n-3 FA-supplemented and nonsupplemented premenopausal women. Lipids 37(10):947–951PubMedCrossRef

17.

Cancelo Hidalgo MJ, Castelo Branco C (2011) Optimizing soy isoflavones effect in postmenopausal women: the impact of timing on climacteric symptoms. Gynecol Endocrinol 27(9):696–700. doi:10.3109/09513590.2010.526665 PubMedCrossRef

18.

Carpenter JS (2001) The hot flash related daily interference scale: a tool for assessing the impact of hot flashes on quality of life following breast cancer. J Pain Symptom Manage 22(6):979–989 [pii: S0885392401003530]PubMedCrossRef

19.

Ziaei S, Kazemnejad A, Zareai M (2007) The effect of vitamin E on hot flashes in menopausal women. Gynecol Obstet Invest 64(4):204–207. doi:10.1159/000106491 PubMedCrossRef

20.

Yakoot M, Salem A, Omar AM (2011) Effectiveness of a herbal formula in women with menopausal syndrome. Forsch Komplementmed 18(5):264–268. doi:10.1159/000333430 PubMedCrossRef

21.

Loprinzi CL, Barton DL, Qin R (2011) Nonestrogenic management of hot flashes. J Clin Oncol 29(29):3842–3846. doi:10.1200/JCO.2011.37.5865 PubMedCrossRef

22.

Loprinzi CL, Sloan J, Stearns V, Slack R, Iyengar M, Diekmann B, Kimmick G, Lovato J, Gordon P, Pandya K, Guttuso T Jr, Barton D, Novotny P (2009) Newer antidepressants and gabapentin for hot flashes: an individual patient pooled analysis. J Clin Oncol 27(17):2831–2837. doi:10.1200/JCO.2008.19.6253 PubMedCrossRef

23.

Loprinzi CL, Qin R, Balcueva EP, Flynn KA, Rowland KM Jr, Graham DL, Erwin NK, Dakhil SR, Jurgens DJ, Burger KN (2010) Phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled evaluation of pregabalin for alleviating hot flashes, N07C1. J Clin Oncol 28(4):641–647. doi:10.1200/JCO.2009.24.5647 PubMedCrossRef

24.

Aidelsburger P, Schauer S, Grabein K, Wasem J (2012) Alternative methods for the treatment of post-menopausal troubles. GMS Health Technol Assess 8: Doc03. doi:10.3205/hta000101

25.

Bordeleau L, Pritchard KI, Loprinzi CL, Ennis M, Jugovic O, Warr D, Haq R, Goodwin PJ (2010) Multicenter, randomized, cross-over clinical trial of venlafaxine versus gabapentin for the management of hot flashes in breast cancer survivors. J Clin Oncol 28(35):5147–5152. doi:10.1200/JCO.2010.29.9230 PubMedCrossRef

26.

Maclennan AH, Broadbent JL, Lester S, Moore V (2004) Oral oestrogen and combined oestrogen/progestogen therapy versus placebo for hot flushes. Cochrane Database Syst Rev (4): CD002978 doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002978.pub2

27.

Stein DJ, Baldwin DS, Dolberg OT, Despiegel N, Bandelow B (2006) Which factors predict placebo response in anxiety disorders and major depression? An analysis of placebo-controlled studies of escitalopram. J Clin Psychiatry 67(11):1741–1746PubMedCrossRef

28.

Papakostas YG, Daras MD (2001) Placebos, placebo effect, and the response to the healing situation: the evolution of a concept. Epilepsia 42(12):1614–1625PubMedCrossRef

29.

van Die MD, Teede HJ, Bone KM, Reece JE, Burger HG (2009) Predictors of placebo response in a randomized, controlled trial of phytotherapy in menopause. Menopause 16(4):792–796. doi:10.1097/GME.0b013e318199d5e6 PubMedCrossRef

Title: The effect of oral evening primrose oil on menopausal hot flashes: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Farah Farzaneh
Setareh Fatehi
Mohammad-Reza Sohrabi
Kamyab Alizadeh
Publication date: 01-11-2013
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics / Issue 5/2013
Print ISSN: 0932-0067
Electronic ISSN: 1432-0711
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-013-2852-6

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

The effect of oral evening primrose oil on menopausal hot flashes: a randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 5/2013

LigaSure vessel sealing system in vaginal hysterectomy: safety, efficacy and limitations

Immunohistochemical detection of meconium in the fetal lung: report of autopsied cases

Metabolic dysfunctions in Nigerian pre-eclamptics

Erratum to: Obstetricians’ perspective towards cesarean section delivery based on professional level: experience from Egypt

Polymorphisms in MTHFR, MTHFD, and PAI-1 and recurrent miscarriage among North Indian women

Direct colposcopic vision used with the LLETZ procedure for optimal treatment of CIN: results of joint cohort studies