Hot flushes: mostly sex neutral?

Abstract

The causes and treatment of hot flushes in men and women have many similarities. In women, hot flushes are the result of a relatively rapid depletion of oestrogen production. This naturally happens around the time of menopause, but can also be related to surgery or drug therapy that alter oestrogen production or oestrogenic activity on body tissues. Similarly, hot flushes in men are the result of a rapid depletion of hormonal functioning, which most commonly occurs with prostate-cancer-associated androgen-deprivation therapy. Efficacy of venlafaxine, medroxyprogesterone acetate, and cyproterone acetate for the treatment of vasomotor hot flushes in men taking gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues for prostate cancer: a double-blind, randomised trialAfter 6 months of treatment with leuprorelin, venlafaxine, cyproterone, and medroxyprogesterone proved to be effective in reducing hot flushes. However, the hormonal treatments cyproterone and medroxyprogesterone were significantly more effective than venlafaxine. As cyproterone is a recognised treatment in prostate cancer, and its use could interfere with hormonal therapy, medroxyprogesterone could be considered to be the standard treatment for hot flushes in men undergoing androgen suppression for prostate cancer. Full-Text PDF