Written by Chrystal Moulton, Staff Writer. A proprietary blend of Rhodiola rosea and Black Cohosh was more effective than Black Cohosh alone in reducing symptoms of menopause and improving quality of life in women with moderate menopausal symptoms.
Menopause is a non-reproductive stage in a woman’s life signified by the exponential loss of oocytes and decrease in oocyte quality. 1 Hormone replacement is the conventional mode of treatment for menopausal symptoms; however’ long-term treatment is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. 2 According to the WHO, about 1.2 billion women will experience menopause by the year 2030, increasing the need to find a safer and more effective alternative for managing symptoms of menopause. 3
In a phase II clinical trial, researchers tested the efficacy of a proprietary blend of Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea L.) and Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa (L.) Nutt.) (Menopause Relief EP ®) versus Black Cohosh alone. 4 The study was a parallel group, placebo controlled, randomized, double-blind design in which 220 menopausal women with a median age of 52 were found eligible and enrolled. Participants had moderate scores on the Kupperman Menopausal Index (KMI) and Menopause rating Scale (MRS) as well as scores of 78.5 ± 14 on the Utian Quality of Life Assessment (UQOL). These women were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups:
- Rhodiola-Black Cohosh group (RR-BC group) [Group A] received a combination of 200mg rosea extract EPR-7 ® and 6.5mg C. racemosa extract EP-40 ® in the form of a capsule
- Black Cohosh group (BC) [Group B] received 6.5mg racemosa extract EP-40 ® in the form of a capsule
- Black Cohosh group (BC500) [Group C] received 500mg racemosa extract EP-40 ® in the form of a capsule
- Placebo [Group D] received microcrystalline cellulose and magnesium stearate in the form of a capsule
Participants were instructed to take 2 capsules of their assigned treatment once daily for 84 days. Relief of menopausal symptoms were assessed at day 42 and day 84 using Kupperman Menopausal Index (KMI), Menopause Relief Scale (MRS), and Utian Quality of Life index (UQOL). The primary goal of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of Rhodiola and Black Cohosh combined versus Black Cohosh alone in relieving symptoms of menopause.
At the end of 12 weeks, 198 participants completed the trial. Women in Group A (RR-BC Group) receiving a combination of Rhodiola and Black Cohosh had a significant 71.2% reduction in KMI score from baseline (p<0.0001) compared to placebo. A significant reduction in KMI score was also observed in those receiving 13mg (Group B) and 1000mg (Group C) of Black Cohosh compared to placebo (50.5% and 59.1%, respectively p<0.0001). Significant intergroup effect was observed between Group A and Group B, with a more effective reduction in KMI score observed for Group A compared to Group B (p<0.05). Significant reduction in MRS scores from baseline were also observed in all groups compared to placebo (RR-BC: 67.7%, BC: 49.9%, BC500: 60%, p<0.0001) with Group A showing more significant reduction in MRS scores compared to Group B (p<0.05). No significant difference was observed between Group B and C in MRS scores. A significant increase in quality of life scores in the emotional and physical health domain of UQOL index was observed in Group A compared to baseline (36% and 25%, p<0.001, respectively). Group A also showed significant improvement in emotional UQOL score compared with Group B (p=0.0187) and Group C (p=0.0013) as well as physical health UQOL score compared with Group C (p= 0.0026). No significant treatment effect was observed between Group B and Group C Improvement in sexual activity was also observed only in the Group A compared to placebo (p<0.05). The most frequent adverse effect observed in all 4 groups was gastrointestinal pain. However, results suggest adverse events were not due to the assigned treatment protocol in each group.
Overall, the 12-week treatment effect of Rhodiola and Black Cohosh was more effective in reducing menopausal symptoms while improving physical and emotional quality of life in women with moderate menopausal symptoms compared with placebo or Black Cohosh alone. Further studies are warranted to determine whether Rhodiola is more effective in reducing menopausal symptoms and improving quality of life when used alone or when used in combination with Black Cohosh.
Source: Pkhaladze, Lali, Nina Davidova, Archil Khomasuridze, Ramaz Shengelia, and Alexander G. Panossian. “Actaea racemosa L. Is More Effective in Combination with Rhodiola rosea L. for Relief of Menopausal Symptoms: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.” Pharmaceuticals 13, no. 5 (2020): 102.
© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
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Posted July 7, 2020.
Chrystal Moulton BA, PMP, is a 2008 graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago. She graduated with a bachelor’s in psychology with a focus on premedical studies and is a licensed project manager. She currently resides in Indianapolis, IN.
References:
- Santoro N, Randolph JF, Jr. Reproductive hormones and the menopause transition. Obstetrics and gynecology clinics of North America. 2011;38(3):455-466.
- Beral V. Breast cancer and hormone-replacement therapy in the Million Women Study. Lancet. 2003;362(9382):419-427.
- WHO. Research on the Menopause in the 1990’s. 1996; https://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/10008975956/. Accessed June 28, 2020.
- Pkhaladze L, Davidova N, Khomasuridze A, Shengelia R, Panossian AG. Actaea racemosa L. Is More Effective in Combination with Rhodiola rosea L. for Relief of Menopausal Symptoms: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland). 2020;13(5).
