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The investigators plan to conduct the randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of electro-press needle (EPN), a novel acupuncture needle combining shallow and gentle insertion with transdermal electrical stimulation, on menopause-associated hot flash in comparison with gamma-oryzanol group among women during menopausal transition and postmenopausal periods.
As the most common type of menopause-associated symptoms, hot flashes affect up to 85% of women aging between 40 and 65 years . In China, women suffer from hot flushes as long as 4 to 5 years on average, some of whom may bear the symptoms for 12 years.Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is generally recommended to relieve menopause-associated hot flashes.However, long-term usage of HRT may increase the incidence of endometrial, breast and ovarian cancer, thrombosis and strokes.Results of previous studies indicated that acupuncture might help to relieve the symptoms.There is insufficient evidence supporting its effectiveness for relieving the hot flash symptom.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electro Press Needle | Experimental | Body acupoints of Yintang (GV29), Dazhui (GV14), Guanyuan (CV4), bilateral Zigong (EX-CA1), and bilateral Sanyinjiao (SP6) and auricular acupoints of Heart (CO15), Chuiqian (LO4) and Shenmen (TF4) will be selected for treatment. Auricular acupoints on right and left ear will be stimulated alternatively, one side on each time.The treatment will last 40mins for each session, 3 sessions a week (ideally every other day) for a succession of 6 weeks. |
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| Gamma-Oryzanol | Active Comparator | The patients in this group were given 10mgx100 tablets/bottle of gamma-oryzanol tablets (Tianjin Lishen Pharmaceutical), 20mg each time, three times a day, for 6 months. |
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| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electro Press Needle | Device | Body acupoints will be stimulated by the press needles 0.25mm in diameter and 2mm in length and ear acupoints will be stimulated by the press needles 0.25mm in diameter and 0.9mm in length (all from ZhenXing Brand, Hangzhou Yuanli Medical Appliance Factory, China). After sterilization of the local skin, the needle will be pressed to the acupoints and the tape will be sticked to the skin. Then, the electric device (φ44×15.8mm Type ZXHPAMDZB-02C) together with the electrode patch will be sticked to the surface of skin (on top of the sticky tapes of the press needle) in the area of CV4 and bilateral EX-CA1, and bilateral SP6 respectively. The electric device will be switch to the mode of "dense intermittent wave", and the current intensity will be increased gradually till the muscles around jumps slightly.All the needles on the body acupoints will be removed after each session, while those on the auricular acupoints can be kept for as long as 6 hours (removed before going to bed). |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| The proportion of patients with a reduction of 50% or more on the mean 24-hour HF score from baseline | The mean 24-hour HF score = (1 × number of mild HF + 2 × number of moderate HF + 3 × number of severe HF + 4 × number of very severe HF)/Number of days reported. | week 6 |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| The proportion of participants with a reduction of 50% or more on the mean 24-hour HF score from baseline | The mean 24-hour HF score = (1 × number of mild HF + 2 × number of moderate HF + 3 × number of severe HF + 4 × number of very severe HF)/Number of days reported. | week 3,18,30 |
| The proportion of participants with a reduction of 50% or more in the mean 24-hour HF frequency from baseline24-hour HF score from baseline |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Participants'acceptability towards EPN | Use the 3-point method to evaluate, unacceptable (0 points), acceptable (1 points), easy to accept (2 points), patients who cannot accept should be written the reason clearly.Only patients in electric press needle group will score. | week 1 and 3,at the end of the first and ninth treatments |
Inclusion Criteria:
Aged between 40-60 years old;
Scoring 14 points or more in at least one day during the one-week baseline assessment, or having an average of ≥ 7 moderate or severe heating per 24 hours recorded in HF Dairy ;
Fulfilling either condition mentioned below:
Volunteer to participate in this study and sign the informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Name | Role | Phone | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shudan Yu, Doctor | Contact | 15011460149 | miaomiao101@126.com |
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D019584 | Hot Flashes |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D012816 | Signs and Symptoms |
| D013568 | Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms |
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| C013172 | gamma-oryzanol |
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The statisticians and outcome assessors will be blinded to the allocation.
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| Gamma-Oryzanol | Drug | The patients in this group were given orally gamma-oryzanol tablets 20mg each time, three times a day, for 6 months. |
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The mean 24-hour HF frequency = total number of HF reported/Number of days reported. |
| week 3,6,18,30 |
| The proportion of patients with at least a 50% reduction in the mean 24-hour HF severity from baselineHF frequency from baseline24-hour HF score from baseline | The mean 24-hour HF severity = (1 × number of mild HF + 2 × number of moderate HF + 3 × number of severe HF + 4 × number of very severe HF)/ Number of HF reported. | week 3,6,18,30 |
| The changes in the mean 24-h HF score from baseline | The mean 24-hour HF score = (1 × number of mild HF + 2 × number of moderate HF + 3 × number of severe HF + 4 × number of very severe HF)/Number of days reported. | week 3,6,18,30 |
| The change of Menopause rating scale (MRS) score from baseline | MRS is a common menopause specific subscale, including 11 items from psychological, somatic to urogenital, with 5 as minimal clinically important differences(MCID). | week 6,18 and 30 |
| The change of Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MENQOL) score from baseline | MENQOL consists of 29 items assessing four domains: VMS, physical symptoms, psychological symptoms, and urogenital/sexual symptoms,with 4 as minimal clinically important differences(MCID). | week 6,18 and 30 |
| Time domain analysis of 24-hour heart rate variability(HRV) | The indexes included total autonomic energy (SDNN) and sympathetic sensation Nerve tone (SDANN) and vagal tone (rMSSD) | week 6,30 |
| Frequency domain analysis of 24-hour heart rate variability(HRV) | the indexes included total power spectrum (TP) reflecting the total energy of autonomic nerve, The low frequency power (LF, 0.04~0.15Hz) reflects the sympathetic nerve activity and the high vagus nerve activity.Frequency power (HF, 0.15~0.4Hz), LF/HF reflecting the balance between sympathetic and vagal tension. | week 6,30 |
| The proportion of participants reporting "significantly reduced" or "moderately reduced" based on Global Response Assessment (GRA) | The response of participants to the treatments are divided into seven grades by GRA: significantly reduced, moderately reduced, slightly reduced, no change, slightly aggravated, moderately aggravated and significantly aggravated. The proportion of participants reporting "significantly reduced" or "moderately reduced" are recorded as the response rate of the overall efficacy. | week 3,6,18,30 |
| Participants' belief that EPN might help |
Participants in the EPN group will answer the following question before the first intervention: "Do you think acupuncture will be effective for treating the disease?"The participants can answer "Yes", "No", or "Unclear." |
| Baseline assessmentweek 0 |
| Participants' expectations of improvement to menopausal associated hot flashes | Participants in the EPN group will answer the following question before the first intervention: "Do you think acupuncture will be effective for improving menopausal associated HF?" The participants can answer "Yes", "No", or "Unclear." | Baseline assessment week 0 |
| Safety assessment | Adverse events and severe adverse events will be recorded in case report form, whether related to interventions or not. | Through study completion, an average of 30 weeks |