Study Cannot Exclude Benefit of Progesterone for Vasomotor Symptoms

FRIDAY, Aug. 4, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- For perimenopausal women with hot flushes with or without night sweats, a minimal clinically important vasomotor symptom (VMS) benefit cannot be ruled out for oral micronized progesterone, according to a study published online June 5 in Scientific Reports.

Jerilynn C. Prior, M.D., from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, and colleagues conducted a randomized trial of 300 mg oral micronized progesterone at bedtime versus placebo for three months among 189 perimenopausal women aged 35 to 58 years who were untreated and nondepressed. VMS number and intensity over 24 hours was recorded on a VMS calendar. The primary outcome was the third-month VMS score difference.

The researchers found no difference in third-month VMS score by therapy (rate difference, −1.51; 95 percent confidence interval, −3.97 to 0.95), with the confidence interval not excluding 3, a minimal clinically important difference. Women perceived that progesterone caused a reduction in night sweats and improved sleep quality; in addition, it reduced perimenopause-related life interference with no increase in depression. There were no serious adverse events reported.

"The significant results for night sweats and sleep on progesterone were from a planned secondary outcome asking women at study end to assess changes they perceived," Prior said in a statement. "Although some reviewers ascribed both night sweat and sleep improvements to progesterone's known actions to increase deep sleep, that doesn't explain the significantly decreased intensity of daytime VMS that women also perceived."

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