New treatment for hot flashes

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A hormonal therapy works better than venlafaxine in the treatment of hot flashes.
One of the most troublesome symptoms of menopause is hot flashes. Traditionally these have been treated by hormone replacement therapy (HRT). However in recent years, research had cast some doubt over the long-term safety of HRT. Accordingly, women have been seeking out alternatives.

The antidepressant venlafaxine has been used to treat hot flashes. But doctors at the Mayo Clinic now reveal that the hormone depomedroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) is more effective. A group of women were assigned to either 75 milligrams of venlafaxine per day or one 400 milligram shot of MPA. The reduction in hot flashes was 55 per cent for those on venlafaxine and 79 per cent for those on MPA. The effectiveness was the same for women with and without a history of breast cancer. At six months, three times as many of those on MPA still reported a 90 per cent reduction in hot flashes, compared to those on venlafaxine. MPA also seems to have fewer side effects, although both drugs are well tolerated. However, some studies have suggested that it may increase the risk of breast cancer (while others have suggested it may decrease it). Women and their doctors must take this factor into account, but the findings of this study suggest MPA is a good option for treating hot flashes.

Source
Journal of Clinical Oncology online 28th February 2006

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