Acupuncture and Auricular Acupressure in Relieving Menopausal Hot Flashes of Bilaterally Ovariectomized Chinese Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Fan Qu,Xisheng Sang,Xiaotong Wang,Jue Zhou,Rui Nan

doi:10.1093/ecam/nep001

Abstract

The objective of this study is to explore the effects of acupuncture and auricular acupressure in relieving menopausal hot flashes of bilaterally ovariectomized Chinese women. Between May 2006 and March 2008, 46 bilaterally ovariectomized Chinese women were randomized into an acupuncture and auricular acupressure group (n = 21) and a hormone replacement therapy (HRT) group (Tibolone, n = 25). Each patient was given a standard daily log and was required to record the frequency and severity of hot flashes and side effects of the treatment felt daily, from 1 week before the treatment started to the fourth week after the treatment ended. The serum levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), LH and E2 were detected before and after the treatment. After the treatment and the follow-up, both the severity and frequency of hot flashes in the two groups were relieved significantly when compared with pre-treatment (P < .05). There was no significant difference in the severity of hot flashes between them after treatment (P > .05), while after the follow-up, the severity of hot flashes in the HRT group was alleviated more. After the treatment and the follow-up, the frequency of menopausal hot flashes in the HRT group was reduced more (P < .05). After treatment, the levels of FSH decreased significantly and the levels of E2 increased significantly in both groups (P < .05), and they changed more in the HRT group (P < .05). Acupuncture and auricular acupressure can be used as alternative treatments to relieve menopausal hot flashes for those bilaterally ovariectomized women who are unable or unwilling to receive HRT.

Highlights

Hot flashes occur in the vast majority of post-menopausal women [1]
Inclusion criteria were as follows: the subject had received a bilateral ovariectomy in the previous 2 years and suffered from menopausal hot flashes; the patient did not manifest any perimenopausal symptoms before the bilateral ovariectomy and had not taken any drugs containing hormones or affecting the cardiovascular system during the previous 6 months; the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) was normal and the E2 concentration was
Investigations of hormonal connections between hot flash severity and reproductive hormones in Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), Melbourne Midlife Women’s Health Project (MMWHP) and Penn Ovarian Aging Study cohorts found that decreased serum E2 and increased serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) were associated with the increases in hot flash severity [29,30,31]

Summary

Introduction

Hot flashes occur in the vast majority of post-menopausal women [1]. An extensive questionnaire study of 506 women found that 87% had daily hot flashes [2]. Hot flashes are episodic and usually accompanied by nausea, dizziness, headache, palpitations, diaphoresis or night sweats [3]. Having hot flashes may decrease a woman’s quality of life by decreasing the quality of sleep and aggravating fatigue and depression [4, 5]. Menopausal hot flashes make most of women seek medical care during the menopausal transition [2]. Menopausal hot flashes are related to a psychological or mental disorder in menopausal women and the hormonal changes in these women may be the underlying mechanism [6, 7]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion