Menopause f lushes ‘cured in 72 hours’
HOT flushes during menopause could be banished in just three days thanks to a “game-changing” drug treatment.
The new medication reduces the condition in women in middle age by 75 per cent, while “significantly improving” sleep and concentration, British scientists say.
The breakthrough has now sparked hope the drug could be an alternative to expensive Hormone Replacement Therapy for menopausal women.
Besides its cost, HRT – which contains oestrogen – may increase the risk of breast cancer and blood clots, meaning many women cannot use it.
Severity
The experimental drug, known as MLE4901, was given to 37 women aged between 40 and 62 who experienced seven or more hot flushes a day.
Researchers found the compound significantly reduced the average number of flushes they endured during a four-week period, as well as their severity. And further analysis found its effect works within 72 hours.
The review also showed MLE4901 was effective at halting night-time flushes. Women reported a 82 per cent decrease in the amount their sleep was interrupted and a 77 per cent reduction in effects limiting their powers of concentration.
The compound is thought to work by blocking the action of a brain chemical called neurokinin B, thought to trigger hot flushes when its levels increase. Professor Waljit Dhillo, from Imperial College London, said: “This compound could be a game-changer for menopausal women by getting rid of threequarters of their hot flushes in four weeks. “New analysis confirms the beneficial effect is obtained very quickly – within just three days.”