A randomized controlled pilot study of acupuncture for postmenopausal hot flashes: effect on nocturnal hot flashes and sleep quality

Huang, M. I.

Nir, Y.

Chen, B.

Schnyer, R.

Manber, R.

Fertility and sterility

2006

86(3)

700-710

RCT

Acu Versus Sham

Acupuncture

Hot Flashes

Manualized Acupuncture Protocol

Non Penetrating Sham, Mechanical

Perimenopause

Pilot Study

Postmenopause

RCT

Sham Acupoint Control

Sham Control

Sleep Quality

TCM Acupuncture Style

Traditional Diagnosis Based Point Selection

Women's Health

Restricted Modalities, Acupuncture Only

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of acupuncture on postmenopausal nocturnal hot flashes and sleep. DESIGN: Prospective randomized placebo-controlled study. SETTING: Stanford University School of Medicine and private acupuncture offices. INTERVENTION(S): Active or placebo acupuncture was administered for nine sessions over seven weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Severity and frequency of nocturnal hot flashes from daily diaries and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). PATIENT(S): Twenty-nine postmenopausal women experiencing at least seven moderate to severe hot flashes daily, with E(2) <18 pg/mL and FSH 30.0-110.0 IU/L. RESULT(S): Nocturnal hot-flash severity significantly decreased in the active acupuncture group (28%) compared with the placebo group (6%), P=.017. The frequency of nocturnal hot flashes also decreased in the active group (47%, P=.001), though it was not significantly different from the placebo group (24%, P=.170; effect size = 0.65). Treatment did not differentially influence sleep; however, correlations between improvements in PSQI and reductions in nocturnal hot flash severity and frequency were significant (P<.026). CONCLUSION(S): Acupuncture significantly reduced the severity of nocturnal hot flashes compared with placebo. Given the strength of correlations between improvements in sleep and reductions in nocturnal hot flashes, further exploration is merited

Climacteric

>1/WK

29

7 Weeks