KMID : 0311120070480020289
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Yonsei Medical Journal 2007 Volume.48 No. 2 p.289 ~ p.294
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Black Cohosh and St. John¡¯s Wort (GYNO-Plus(R)) for Climacteric Symptoms
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Chung Da-Jung
Kim Hye-Yeon Park Ki-Hyun Jeong Kyung-Ah Lee Sung-Ki Lee Yu-Il Hur Sung-Eun Cho Min-Sun Lee Byung-Seok Bai Sang-Wook Kim Cheong-Mee Cho Si-Hyun Hwang Ju-Youn Park Joo-Hyun
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Abstract
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Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) and St. John¡¯s wort (Hypericum perforatum) in women with climacteric symptoms, and to assess their effects on vaginal atrophy, hormone levels, and lipid profiles.
Materials & Methods: In this double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter study, 89 peri- or postmenopausal women experiencing climacteric symptoms were treated with St. John¡¯s wort and black cohosh extract (Gynoplus(R)), Jin-Yang Pharm., Seoul, Korea) or a matched placebo for 12 weeks. Climacteric complaints were evaluated by the Kupperman Index (KI) initially and at 4 and 12 weeks following treatment. Vaginal maturation indices, serum estradiol, FSH, LH, total cholesterol, HDL- cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were measured before and after treatment. From the initial 89 participants, 77 completed the trial (42 in the Gynoplus group, 35 in the placebo group).
Results: Baseline characteristics were not significantly different between the two groups. Mean KI scores and hot flushes after 4 and 12 weeks were significantly lower in the Gynoplus group. Differences in superficial cell proportion were not statistically significant. HDL levels decreased in the control group from 60.20 ¡¾ 16.37 to 56.63 ¡¾ 12.67, and increased in the Gynoplus group from 58.32 ¡¾ 11.64 to 59.74 ¡¾ 10.54; this was statistically significant (p=0.04).
Conclusion: Black cohosh and St. John¡¯s wort combination was found to be effective in alleviating climacteric symptoms and might provide benefits to lipid metabolism.
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KEYWORD
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Black cohosh, St. John¡¯s wort, climacteric symptoms
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