Effects of a phyto complex on well-being of climacteric women

• Published in: The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research Vol. 41; no. 7; pp. 1093 - 1098
• Main Authors: Quattrocchi, Tomasella, Micali, Elvira, Gentile, Antonino, La Ferrera, Ettore Giuseppe, Barbaro, Luisa, Ciarcià, Stella, Corrado, Francesco, Di Costa, Maria, Fazio, Roberto, Licenziato, Roberto, Marcazzò, Annamaria, Minniti, Rosaria, Riccobene, Rosaria, Russello, Carmela Maria, Cancellieri, Francesco
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.07.2015
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Anxiety - diet therapy; Anxiety - etiology; Cholecalciferol - therapeutic use; depression; Depression - diet therapy; Depression - etiology; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Dietary Supplements; Drug Combinations; Female; genistein; Genistein - therapeutic use; Gluconates - therapeutic use; Hot Flashes - diet therapy; Hot Flashes - etiology; Hot Flashes - physiopathology; Humans; menopause; Middle Aged; phyto complex; Phytoestrogens - therapeutic use; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Plant Preparations - therapeutic use; Postmenopause; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Severity of Illness Index; Sicily; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders - diet therapy; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders - etiology; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders - physiopathology; sleeplessness; Vitamin E - therapeutic use; phyto complex; depression; sleeplessness; genistein; menopause
• ISSN: 1341-8076; 1447-0756
• DOI: 10.1111/jog.12659

Aim The aim of this study was to assess the effects of a phyto complex on menopausal symptoms. Material and Methods A total of 151 women aged 42–67 years were enrolled. They were in spontaneous or surgical menopause by at least 12 months, reporting symptoms referable to the climacteric syndrome. Two validated and standardized tests were given to the whole sample at the entrance of the study (T0) and after 6 months of treatment (T6): the Greene Climacteric Scale (GCS) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Interim evaluations were carried out at 1–3 months (T1 and T3) on five symptoms selected from the GCS. The phyto complex was given to each enrolled woman, from the T0 to T6 time‐points, for a total of 180 days. Results At the T0 time‐point, the average scores were: GCS, 28.98 (standard deviation [SD] ± 10.71); BDI, 14.48 (SD ± 6.5). At the T1 time‐point, five parameters of the GCS were assessed with a reduction of 36.25% in symptoms (5.69, SD ± 3.53). At the T6 time‐point the assessment was completed: average GCS results were 11.54 (SD ± 8.01) with a 60.17% improvement; and average BDI results were 6.11 (SD ± 4.6) with a 58.91% improvement in the depressive symptoms. Conclusions The phyto complex under consideration is an effective tool to counter, in a quick and long‐lasting manner, the most common and nagging symptoms of the climacteric syndrome, such as hot flushes, insomnia and depression.