The Effect of Pimpinella anisum on Treatment and Recurrence of Menopausal Hot Flashes: A Randomized, Controlled, Multicenter, Double-Blind, Parallel-Group Clinical Trial

Abstract

Background: Considering the high prevalence of hot flashes and the controversies in its treatments, the present study evaluated the effect of Pimpinella anisum extract on the treatment and recurrence of hot flashes in women referred to the health centers of medical sciences universities in Tehran, Iran in 2019. Methods: The present double-blind controlled parallel-group clinical trial included 72 menopausal women with chief complaint of hot flashes. The participants were randomly assigned into two equal groups (n = 36 each) of experimental (receiving three P. anisum capsules) and control. The severity and frequency of hot flashes were measured by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) before the treatment, eight weeks after the treatment, and four weeks after discontinuation of the medication. The data of patients, including their diet, were recorded in the questionnaires and information forms. The data were analyzed using SPSS 19, and the intra-group results were analyzed using the repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Also, to compare the scores between the groups, t-test, and Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon (MWW) were used. Results: The frequency of hot flashes in the P. anisum group was 7.89 ± 5.67 before the treatment, 1.04 ± 1.24 eight weeks after the treatment, and 4.21 ± 2.03 in the four-week follow-up period. The severity of hot flashes among the P. anisum group was 11.50 ± 9.78, 1.90 ± 2.77, and 5.78 ± 1.92 before the treatment, eight weeks after the treatment, and four-week follow-up (P = 0.001), respectively. However, the severity and frequency of hot flashes did not change significantly in the placebo group (P = 0.75). No side effects were seen in any of the groups. Conclusions: Pimpinella anisum was effective in reducing the frequency and severity of hot flashes.