Effects of standardized phytoestrogen on Taiwanese menopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of standardized soy extract on climacteric symptoms, lipid profiles, bone markers, and serum isoflavone concentration in healthy Taiwanese postmenopausal women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multicenter, open-labeled, randomized, prospective, comparative study design was used. A total of 130 outpatients who had undergone natural menopause were randomly administered either 70 mg or 35 mg soy extract daily for 24 weeks. RESULTS: The evidence suggests that the soy extract treatment that was administered to both groups for 1 month could help reduce climacteric scores (reductions of 19.66% [p<0.01] and 18.85% [p<0.01] in the 35 mg and 70 mg groups compared with baseline, respectively), and the efficacy was more potent after 6 months of treatment. Soy isoflavone significantly reduced the total cholesterol (reductions of 4.50% [p<0.01] and 3.06% [p<0.05] in the 35 mg and 70 mg groups, respectively) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (reductions of 4.67% [p<0.05] and 5.09% [p<0.05] in the 35 mg and 70 mg groups, respectively) in patients with total cholesterol > 200 mg/dL after 6 months of treatment. In patients with high bone turnover (urinary deoxypyridinoline/creatinine > 7.4 nM/mM), soy extract treatment reduced the deoxypyridinoline/creatinine level by 10.53% (p<0.05) and 11.58% (p<0.05) in the 35 mg and 70 mg groups, respectively. Serum levels of isoflavone increased in both groups after 6 months of treatment. CONCLUSION: Soy extract is highly efficacious at relieving menopausal symptoms and demonstrates a positive effect on the cardiovascular system and skeleton.

Effects of noninvasive electroacupuncture at Hegu (LI4) and Sanyinjiao (SP6) acupoints on dysmenorrhea: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of noninvasive acupoint stimulation therapy with middle-frequency electrical waves on dysmenorrhea in young women. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial enrolled 66 gynecology patients who had primary dysmenorrhea, which was defined as painful menstruation without pelvic pathology (secondary dysmenorrhea). Pathology was ruled out by gynecological ultrasound examination and serum concentration of CA-125. Subjects were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=34) and control group (n=32). Main outcome measures included McGill Questionnaire Short-form and numerical rating scale for pain intensity. Acupuncture-like trancutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (AL-TENS) of middle-frequency (1000 Hz-10,000 Hz) was applied at Hegu (LI4) and Sanyinjiao (SP6) points in the experimental group twice weekly for 8 weeks; the control group received AL-TENS on nonacupoints. Pre- and postintervention results were recorded. RESULTS: Prior to AL-TENS intervention, no significant differences were found in pain scale and pain intensity between experimental and control groups. After AL-TENS intervention, average total pain score in the experimental group was significantly lower than in the control group (experimental group 2.9±1.2, control group 5.4±2.2; p<0.001). Significant differences were observed between experimental and control groups in average change in pain scores between pre- and postintervention (experimental group 4.5±1.9, control group 1.39±2.0; p<0.001). Pain severity at postintervention was also significantly different between groups (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Noninvasive electro-acupuncture stimulation therapy with middle-frequency electric waves applied at both Hegu (LI4) and Sanyinjiao (SP6) acupoints mitigates pain in dysmenorrhea.