‘Life-changing’ drug ‘STOPS the misery of repeated hot flushes during the menopause’
A “LIFE-CHANGING” drug stops middle-aged women from being plagued by repeated hot flushes, scientists claim.
The experimental treatment dramatically cut the bouts of clamminess triggered by menopause.
In trials, it slashed the number of hot flushes experienced by patients by almost three-quarters.
It also reduced their severity and impact.
The average age for menopause in the UK is 51 – with around two million Brits affected at any one time.
Hot flushes are the most common symptom, with some women suffering up to 20 a day.
They can include sweating, palpitations, and a blushing, and vary in severity.
Experts from Imperial College London said the new therapy could transform their lives.
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Professor Waljit Dhillo, National Institute for Health Research scientist at the Department of Medicine at Imperial, said: “If a woman is having more than seven flushes a day and the drug is getting rid of three-quarters of them, that’s pretty life-changing.
“For day to day living and work, that’s a significant impact on quality of life.
“If we can reduce flushing by 73 per cent it’s a game-changer for those patients.”
Levels of the sex hormone oestrogen fall during menopause.
This leads to physical changes, such as flushing and heavy sweating.
For many, hot flushes are so relentless they may lose sleep and have to change clothes during the day.
Previous research has found high levels of a chemical called neurokinin B (NKB) causes menopause-like symptoms.
The current study, published in The Lancet, involved a drug which stops the brain responding to it.
Scientists gave the therapy to 14 women with severe flushing, aged between 40 and 62 years old.
Another 14 participants were given a dummy drug.
It was so exciting to see the lives of those who participated in the study become transformed when their flushes improved once taking the new drug
Dr Julia Prague
The researchers found the drug significantly reduced the total number of flushes over the month-long trial.
It also helped to reduce the impact of flushes on the women’s lives, improving sleep.
The team are now planning a larger-scale study.
Researcher Dr Julia Prague said: “Despite the fact that for millions of women their menopausal symptoms are intolerable so many are suffering in silence because it is a taboo subject and treatment options are limited.
“It was so exciting to see the lives of those who participated in the study become transformed when their flushes improved once taking the new drug.
“They could sleep through the night, and be less embarrassed in the daytime; they told me they felt ‘human again’.”
Around a million Brits are on hormone replacement therapy, which is used to combat unpleasant symptoms of menopause.
But many choose not to take it, as it has been linked to increased cancer and stroke risk.
A recent study, however, found women on HRT tend to live longer.
The treatment cuts the overall risk of death by 30 per cent, experts found.
They said the therapy stops arteries becoming clogged with plaque, which can trigger fatal heart attacks and strokes.
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