Authors
Abstract
Background and purpose: Nowadays due to increase in women's life expectancy, women at least live one third of their lives after menopause. Menopause is usually accompanied with some early and late symptoms, which lead to decline the quality of daily activity of women. So concerning the increase in elderly rate in the world especially in our country (Iran), prevention and treatment of these symptoms by natural therapeutic agents are obviously important. This study has been designed to examine the vitex effects on early menopause symptoms, kupperman's index and the rate of side effects in vitex group and placebo group.
Methods and materials: This study is a blind clinical trial conducted on 100 menopausal teachers aged 45-60 years old, who were working in girl's school in Sari, Iran. This sample population had the required characteristics for participating in this study and they were volunteer for treatment if they had hot flushes and others menopause symptoms. Sampling method was based on study objective, so we divided the sampling population into two equal, (control and case) groups. The two groups were given 40 drops of vitex or placebo per day for 2 cycles continuously. Required data were collected by interview, individual characteristics questionnaire and Kupperman's index in two phases before the treatment and eight phases after the treatment. Finally there was 25 persons in case group and 16 persons in control group for statistical analysis and the others were excluded from study because of bad taste of drug and other problems.
Results: The intensity 6f hot flushes among the two groups after 2 weeks of treatment, based on Manwittny test, had a significant statistical difference (p=0.015). The frequency of hot flushes per day in these groups after 2 weeks of treatment, based on T test with independent sample, were of significant statistical difference (p=0.015). Regarding Kupperman's index in these two groups after 3 weeks of treatment by means of T test with independent sample analysis, It indicated that there is a significant statistical difference (p=0.001). Also the results showed that complete recovery rate from hot flushes after eight weeks in drug group was %80 and in placebo group %12.5 and there was significant statistical variation in two groups concerning the side effects of drug (p=0.012).
Conclusion: Vitex can reduce the intensity and frequency of hot flushes per day and regarding Kupperman's index. Vitex may reduce some other early symptoms of menopause, but there are some unimportant side effects like nausea and flatulence. So vitex could be used as a natural therapeutic agent for treatment of early menopause symptoms in subjects who can't tolerate hormone therapy.
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