New study: Pine bark reduces perimenopausal symptomsAugust 29, 2007A study to be published in an upcoming edition of the Scandinavian Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology reveals that Pycnogenol® (pic-noj-en-all), pine bark extract from the French maritime pine tree, reduces "climacteric symptoms" such as hot flashes, depression, panic attacks, cholesterol and other common symptoms associated with women entering menopause transition. The results suggest Pycnogenol® may serve as an alternative treatment to estrogen replacement therapy, which is the most common remedy of pre-menopause ("perimenopausal") symptoms. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, perimenopause is the natural part of aging that signals the ending of a woman's reproductive years. It marks the time when a woman's body begins its move into menopause and can last anywhere from two to eight years. "Pycnogenol® was chosen for this study due to previous research revealing health benefits associated with cognitive function, skin elasticity, nitric oxide stimulation, free radical scavenging and the broadening of antioxidant activity," said Dr. Peter Rohdewald, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at Germany's University of Munster and a lead researcher of this study. "Achieving these health benefits is key to treating perimenopausal symptoms naturally." The randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study was conducted at Ham-Ming Hospital in Taiwan with 155 perimenopausal women. Each day, patients either received 200 mg Pycnogenol® or placebo, and recorded their symptoms using the Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ). The WHQ consisted of the following: somatic symptoms, depressed mood, vasomotoric symptoms, memory/concentration, attractiveness, anxiety, sexual behavior, sleep problems and menstrual symptoms. Additionally, patients visited the clinic at one, three and six months following start of treatment. At each visit, BMI, blood pressure, lipid profile and total antioxidant status were recorded. After six months, LDL (bad) cholesterol dropped by 10 percent with Pycnogenol® treatment compared to placebo. Patients who supplemented with Pycnogenol® also had increased antioxidant levels compared to the placebo group. During treatment, rapid improvement of symptoms was reported from the Pycnogenol® group after one month. All symptoms of the WHQ improved significantly compared to the start of treatment, and patients did not report unwanted side effects. In the placebo group, no significant changes of symptoms were recorded. "There is a shift away from the use of hormone replacement therapy due to side effects and in its absence women are searching for safe and natural options to help manage their symptoms. This study investigating Pycnogenol® as a potential natural alternative is very encouraging in view of the safety of Pycnogenol® as it does not bear any hormone-like activities at all," said Dr. Rohdewald. Numerous other published studies reveal Pycnogenol's® effectiveness for women's health, such as relieving menstrual pain and endometriosis, and it is patent-protected for this application. Additional studies reveal Pycnogenol® is a natural anti-inflammatory, which provides the basis for the rationale to use Pycnogenol® to naturally moderate inflammatory pain sensation involved in menstruation. MWW Group |
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| Related Perimenopausal Current Events and Perimenopausal News Articles Menopause transition may cause trouble learning The largest study of its kind to date shows that women may not be able to learn as well shortly before menopause compared to other stages in life. Study finds link between hot flashes and lower bone density in women esearchers and colleagues analyzed data for 2,213 women between the ages of 42 and 52 who participated in the bone sub-study of the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation to determine whether women with vasomotor symptoms (VMS) - which include hot flashes and night sweats - had lower bone mineral density. Omega-3s ease depressive symptoms related to menopause Omega-3s ease psychological distress and depressive symptoms often suffered by menopausal and perimenopausal women. Is rapid transition through menopause linked to earlier onset of heart disease? An evaluation of 203 women as part of the multifaceted Los Angeles Atherosclerosis Study (LAAS) found that those who transitioned more quickly through menopause were at increased risk for a higher rate of progression of "preclinical atherosclerosis" - narrowing of arteries caused by the thickening of their walls. Estrogen therapy helps or hurts the brain depending on reproductive status Estrogen therapy may limit stroke damage if started close to, but not long after reproductive cycles are over, according to a new animal study. The results were presented Sunday, June 15, at The Endocrine Society's 90th Annual Meeting in San Francisco. Experts call for better research into link between women's hormones and mood disorders Countless movies and TV shows make light of women's so-called "moodiness", often jokingly attributing it to their menstrual cycle or, conversely, to menopause. Altered sex hormone levels, higher body temp affects sleep quality in postmenopausal women In an examination of potential relationships between objective sleep measures, nocturnal sex hormone levels, and the nocturnal course of body temperature of older postmenopausal women. Researchers identify 5 genetic variations associated with risk of venous thrombosis in women Researchers have identified new genetic variations that may be associated with the risk of developing nonfatal venous thrombosis in postmenopausal women. Hormone replacement therapy may improve trip down memory lane Many women experience declines in their memory during and after menopause, a change thought to be due, in part, to the rapid hormonal changes they weather during that time. Stanford researcher links hot flashes to insomnia Millions of women experience menopause each year, and many find themselves having to cope with a plethora of unpleasant symptoms. Hot flashes, headaches and mood swings all come with the territory and, for some women, so does insomnia. More Perimenopausal Current Events and Perimenopausal News Articles |
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