Therapeutic Effects of Vitamin E on Cyclic Mastalgia

Abstract

Cyclic mastalgia is one of the most prevalent disorders among fertile women. To date, hormonal agents, despite their side effects, have been widely used for treatment of this ailment. This study was performed to clarify the therapeutic effects of Vitamin E (Vit E) as a safe treatment for cyclic mastalgia among fertile women. This study was conducted as a double blind clinical trial; 150 women with cyclic mastalgia, referred by three public health centers in Qazvin City in Iran, were enrolled in the trial and randomly divided into two distinct case and control groups; each containing 75 patients. The severity and duration of breast pain were measured according to both the Cardiff Breast Pain Chart and the Visual Analog Scale. Simple, chewable tablets of either Vit E or a placebo were prescribed twice a day for 4 months for case and control participants, respectively. Follow-up was performed at the end of both the second and the fourth months and, at that time, the severity, duration and side effects of intervention were evaluated. The administration of Vit E had significant curative results as tested at both the 2- and 4-month benchmarks. Chi-square testing indicated that after both 2 and 4 months of therapy, the efficacy demonstrated by the Vit E recipient case group was superior to that of the group that received a placebo. Applying the Mc Nemar Test, it also was shown that there was no significant difference in the benefits received between treatment courses of 2 versus 4 months. A 2-month prescription of Vit E has positive therapeutic effects on cyclic mastalgia. Given its lack of significant side effects, Vit E, therefore, can be considered a safe alternative to hormonal therapies currently being used in the treatment of cyclic mastalgia.