J Menopausal Med.  2015 Apr;21(1):28-35. 10.6118/jmm.2015.21.1.28.

Is Complementary and Alternative Therapy Effective for Women in the Climacteric Period?

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan, Korea. sdchoi@schmc.ac.kr

Abstract

Vasomotor symptoms start about 2 years prior to menopause in women who are approaching menopause, and early menopause symptoms appear including emotional disturbance and anxiety, followed by physical changes such as vaginal dryness, urinary incontinence and skin wrinkles. As time progresses, osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases, and dementia occur consecutively. Hormone therapy is primarily considered for the relief of menopause symptoms in postmenopausal women. However, as hormone replacement has emerged as a therapy that increases the potential risk of thrombosis, cerebral infarction and breast cancer, complementary and alternative medicine has drawn much attention. This study aimed to examine the types and effects of evidence-based complementary and alternative therapies that are currently used.

Keyword

Climacteric; Complementary therapies; Postmenopause

MeSH Terms

Affective Symptoms
Anxiety
Breast Neoplasms
Cardiovascular Diseases
Climacteric*
Complementary Therapies
Dementia
Female
Humans
Infarction
Intracranial Thrombosis
Menopause
Osteoporosis
Postmenopause
Skin
Urinary Incontinence

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