The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

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    Herbal formula fails to prevent menopausal vasomotor symptoms

    menopauseResearchers from the University of Western Sydney, in Australia report no benefit after 16 weeks of treatment.

    First, the details.

    • 93 healthy women with at least 6 vasomotor symptoms each day were recruited to participate in 16 weeks of treatment.
      • A product containing Chinese herbs and Cimicifuga racemosa (equivalent to 3150 mg dry herb)
      • Placebo
    • Women recorded the number and severity (1=mild to 4=very severe) of vasomotor symptoms in a daily hot flush diary.
    • Neither the women nor researchers knew the treatment given.

    And, the results.

    • There were no significant differences in hot flash frequency or intensity reported by the patients or in the scales used to compare the responses between placebo and herbal treatment.

    The bottom line?
    “This herbal formula containing Chinese herbs and Cimicifuga cannot be recommended to alleviate menopausal vasomotor symptoms or improve quality of life,” concluded the authors.

    10/29/09 21:07 JR

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