Menopause hormone therapy is the most efficient treatment for symptoms of acute climacteric syndrome and for efficient prevention of long-term estrogen deficiency.1 The transition from perimenopausal state to menopause is often troublesome mainly because of menopausal symptoms (MS) such as palpitations, restlessness or fidgety, fatigability, difficulty in concentration, forgetfulness, mood swings, headaches or migraines, or insomnia.2 Further, these women also experience vasomotor symptoms (VMS) encompassing hot flushes and night sweats during this period.3 MS and VMS are experienced by 63%–70% of western women4 and nearly 60% of Indian women.5
MSs are related to a reduced estrogen level in the blood. Estrogen exerts its effects principally through two different receptors, estrogen receptor (ER)-α (ER-α) and-β (ER-β).6 Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is effective in the management of MS7. However, HRT carries several inherent risks, which may be associated with breast cancer, endometrial cancer, and venous thromboembolism in selected high-risk women who have family history of cancer* and had a history of cancer*. Hence, alternative therapies devoid of such risks are looked for. Thus, it was of our interest to study the safety and efficacy of one such plant Rheum rhaponticum which has shown beneficial effects for the treatment of MS across the globe but has never been studied in India.
References
1. Fait T. Menopause hormone therapy: Latest developments and clinical practice Drugs Context. 2019;8:212551
2. Hasper I, Ventskovskiy BM, Rettenberger R, Heger PW, Riley DS, Kaszkin-Bettag M. Long-term efficacy and safety of the special extract ERr 731 of Rheum rhaponticum in perimenopausal women with menopausal symptoms Menopause. 2009;16:117–31
3. Nudy M, Jiang X, Aragaki AK, Manson JE, Shadyab AH, Foy AJ, et al The severity of vasomotor symptoms and number of menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women and select clinical health outcomes in the Women's Health Initiative Calcium and Vitamin D randomized clinical trial. 2020;27 Menopause The Journal of The North American Menopause Society:1265–73
4. Greenblum CA, Rowe MA, Neff DF, Greenblum JS. Midlife women: Symptoms associated with menopausal transition and early postmenopause and quality of life Menopause. 2013;20:22–7
5. Jadhav A, Bavaskar Y. An epidemiological study of the perimenopausal and menopausal health problems in women living in an urban area of Mumbai, Maharashtra Int J Community Med Public Health. 2017;4:3088–93
6. Fuentes N, Silveyra P. Estrogen receptor signaling mechanisms Adv Protein Chem Struct Biol. 2019;116:135–70
7. Palacios S, Stevenson JC, Schaudig K, Lukasiewicz M, Graziottin A. Hormone therapy for first-line management of menopausal symptoms: Practical recommendations Women's Health. 2019;15:1–8
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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