Vasomotor menopausal symptoms: is it just hot flashes? Alternative non-hormonal methods of treatment with proven effectiveness (literature review)

Taking into account the modern life expectancy, a third of their lives, on average, women live in conditions of estrogen deficiency, which negatively affects the quality of life and the level of morbidity in older people. For doctors of other specialties, besides ObGyn, the climacteric period is strongly associated exclusively with hot flashes. However, early menopausal symptoms include sleep disturbances, mood changes, the risk of depression and decrease in self-esteem, sexual dysfunction. The predominance of vegetative symptoms makes the patient seek help not only from the gynecologist, but also from other specialists, however, the lack of knowledge in menopause medicine leaves them unsatisfied. In this regard, a therapeutic approach requires a comprehensive understanding of the problem.The “gold standard” for managing patients with climacteric complaints is menopausal hormone therapy. However, there are women with contraindications to this group of drugs or the predominance of vegetative symptoms, when only hormonal correction is not enough. Among alternative non-hormonal agents, inhibitors of serotonin reuptake, in particular the most popular drug venlafaxine, hold a strong leadership with proven efficacy against a complex of symptoms. Also, other medications have been studied that can stop both vasomotor and vegetative symptoms of menopause. The review presents the literature data on the role of alternative agents in the correction of vasomotor symptoms of menopause, along with the known efficacy against autonomic complaints for increasing the effectiveness of counseling for older women.

Structure-Guided Identification of Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa) Triterpenoids with In Vitro Activity against Multiple Myeloma

Black cohosh is a well-established medicinal plant and preparations of its rootstock are used for the treatment of mild climacteric complaints. The compounds considered responsible for the therapeutic effect are triterpene glycosides, characterized by a cycloartane scaffold and a pentose moiety. Because some of these triterpenoids were found to exhibit relevant cytotoxic effects against human breast cancer cells, we decided to investigate their activity on multiple myeloma cell lines NCI-H929, OPM-2, and U266. In a systematic approach, we initially tested three known cytotoxic compounds of three different triterpenoid types, revealing the cimigenol-type triterpenoid as the most active constituent. In a second round, seven naturally occurring cimigenol derivatives were compared with respect to their sugar moiety and their substitution pattern at position C-25, leading to 25-O-methylcimigenol-3-O-α-L-arabinopyranoside as the most potent candidate. Interestingly, not only the methyl group at position C-25 increased the cytotoxic effect but also the arabinose moiety at position C-3 had an impact on the activity. The variety of cimigenol derivatives, moreover, allowed a detailed discussion of their structure–activity relationships, not only for their effect on multiple myeloma cells but also with regard to previous studies on the cytotoxicity of black cohosh triterpenoids.

Differentiated Evaluation of Extract-Specific Evidence onCimicifuga racemosa's Efficacy and Safety for Climacteric Complaints

Past reviews onCimicifuga racemosa(CR) without differentiation between extracts, quality, and indication altogether led to inconsistent data. Therefore, for the first time, we meet the requirements of the system's logic of evidence-based phytotherapy by taking into consideration extracts, pharmaceutical quality (reflected in a regulatory status as medicinal product), and indication. A literature search for clinical studies examining CR's efficacy and safety for menopausal complaints was conducted. The results were sorted by type of extract, regulatory status, and indication. Accordingly, Oxford Levels of Evidence (LOE) and Grades of Recommendation (GR) were determined. CR extracts demonstrated a good to very good safety in general, on estrogen-sensitive organs and the liver. However, only registered CR medicinal products were able to prove their efficacy. Best evidence was provided by the isopropanolic CR extract (iCR): the multitude of studies including more than 11,000 patients demonstrated consistent confirmatory evidence of LOE 1b (LOE 1a for safety) leading to GR A. The studies on the ethanolic extract BNO 1055 including more than 500 patients showed exploratory evidence of LOE 2b resulting in GR B. A positive benefit-risk profile is stated and limited toCimicifuga racemosaproducts holding a marketing authorisation for treating climacteric complaints.

Plant derived alternatives for hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has undisputable positive effects on climacteric complaints, in the bone and on body weight but also several undesired side effects. Therefore, plant-derived alternatives are currently promoted. Phytoestrogens – primarily the isoflavones genistein, daidzein and coumestrol, stemming from soy (