Ancient Japanese Herbal Formula May Hold Key to Hot Flash Relief

NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release

Contact: Sara Buss, Academic Health Center, 612-624-2449
            Molly Portz, Academic Health Center, 612-625-2640

ANCIENT JAPANESE HERBAL FORMULA MAY
HOLD THE KEY TO HOT FLASH RELIEF
U of M researchers investigate promising treatment

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (Nov. 8, 2004) -- An 1,800-year-old Japanese formula consisting of four herbs and a mushroom may be just the thing to stop hot flashes associated with menopause. University of Minnesota researchers are now recruiting area women to be part of a study on whether this non-hormonal formula, widely and successfully used in Japan, will help American women suffering from hot flashes. 

Greg Plotnikoff, M.D., M.T.S., associate professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota Center for Spirituality and Healing and lead researcher on the study, has spent the last two years in Japan, where this formula is prescribed by nearly 100 percent of obstetricians/gynecologists.  The formula has been approved for prescription in Japan for 27 years and is covered by the national health plan.  More than 400 million doses have been prescribed since 1994.

Since many women are concerned about side effects associated with hormone replacement therapy, the research could give women another option in fighting one of the most uncomfortable symptoms of menopause.

 “This is not an estrogen. It is a successful treatment for Japanese women, and it just may be the most effective natural treatment available to all women experiencing hot flashes,” Plotnikoff said.  He added that the formula is generally well tolerated by Japanese women, who experience few side effects from the natural formula.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved this herbal formula as an investigational new drug.

With colleagues June LaValleur, M.D., and David Radosevich, Ph.D., Plotnikoff will be investigating the effectiveness of this formula in a 13-week study of about 180 healthy women who are experiencing menopause in the Twin Cities.  The study will determine if the formula reduces the severity and frequency of hot flashes in these women.

Researchers are looking for women between the ages of 45 and 55 who have experienced menopause between one and four years ago.  Women chosen for the study will take the formula twice per day in a pill.  The study will start at the beginning of November, and participants will have their parking costs covered as well as receive an honorarium.

For more information about the requirements for participation, contact 612-625-8487.

The Academic Health Center is home to the University of Minnesota’s six health professional schools and colleges as well as several health-related centers and institutes. Founded in 1851, the University is one of the oldest and largest land grant institutions in the country. The AHC prepares the new health professionals who improve the health of communities, discover and deliver new treatments and cures, and strengthen the health economy.

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