Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. 155 peri-menopausal women who took 100 mg of Pycnogenol twice daily for 6 months had significant improvements of 11% in depression scores and 27% in memory/concentration scores.
Perimenopause is defined as “the transition phase from the reproductive stage of life to the non-reproductive stage in women”, and the time just before the onset of menopause. It affects the quality of life of women, with symptoms associated with menopause such as hot flashes and mood swings due to hormonal changes. While no exact figures are available for the complete cost of menopause to our healthcare system, the fall in estrogen during menopause leads to increased risks for hip fractures, which cost $14 billion per year (1) and also weaken bladder muscles and contribute to the $16.4 billion annual cost of urinary incontinence (2).
Estrogen replacement therapy has helped peri-menopausal symptoms, but its association with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, blood clots and breast and endometrial cancer (3,4) puts conservative treatments in much higher demand. Now a new study (5) has found that Pycnogenol®, a powerful antioxidant derived from pine bark and known for its benefits to blood vessel health, including helping lower leg swelling (6), venous ulcers (7), muscle cramps (8) and even blood sugar health (9), may now help women going through peri-menopause.
In the study, 155 peri-menopausal women received either 200 mg of Pycnogenol® (100 mg taken twice daily) or placebo for six months. During this time, they completed the Women’s Health Questionnaire (10), responding to 36 questions about peri-menopausal symptoms (body pain, depressed mood, memory/concentration, sleep, menstrual symptoms, etc.). Points were given for frequency and severity of symptoms. For frequency, “4” = never occurring; “3” = sometimes occur; “2” = frequently; “1” = always occur. For severity, “4” = no discomfort; “3” = little discomfort; “2” = clear discomfort; “1” = heavy discomfort. The higher the score, the less pronounced the distress and dysfunction.
The researchers found that all of the symptoms rated in the questionnaire “improved significantly” after only one month of taking Pycnogenol®. No significant improvements were noted in the placebo group. Improvements ranged from an 11% score improvement in depression symptoms and hot flashes to a 27% improvement in memory/concentration scores.
For the researchers, “Supplementation with Pycnogenol® clearly reduced the frequency as well as the severity of [peri-menopausal] symptoms. As all symptoms gradually improved without adverse effects, quality of life of peri-menopausal women was ameliorated by Pycnogenol®.”
Source: Yang, Han-Ming, et al. “A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial on the effect of Pycnogenol® on the climacteric syndrome in peri-menopausal women.” Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica 86.8 (2007): 978-985.
Posted July 17, 2008.
References:
- “Managing Menopause” posted on the American Family Physician website.
- “Urinary Incontinence” posted on the Medscape website.
- Bergkivisk, L. Adami, H., Persson, J., Hoove, R. and Schairer, C. (1989) The risk of breast cancer after estrogen and estrogen-progestin replacement. New Engl J Med. 321 , pp. 293-297
- Jacgues, E. Rossouw, MBChB, Garnet, L., Ross, L Anderson and Prentice (2002) for Writing Group for the Women’s Health Initiative Investigators. Risk and benefits of estrogen plus progestin in healthy postmenopausal women – principle results from women’s health initiative randomized controlled trial.. JAMA. 288:3 , pp. 321-333
- Yang HM. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial on the effect of Pycnogenol® on the climacteric syndrome in peri-menopausal women. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica 2007; 86(8): 978-985
- Belcaro G. Prevention of venous thrombosis and thrombophlebitis in long-haul flights with pycnogenol. Clin Appl Thromb Hemost. 2004 Oct;10(4):373-7
- Belcaro, G., M. R. Cesarone, et al. (2005). “Venous ulcers: microcirculatory improvement and faster healing with local use of pycnogenol((r)).” Angiology 56(6): 699-705s
- Vinciguerra G. Cramps and Muscular Pain: Prevention with Pycnogenol® in Normal Subjects, Venous Patients, Athletes, Claudicants and in Diabetic Microangiopathy [Peripheral Vascular Disease] Angiology 2006; 57(3):331-339
- Cesarone MR. Improvement of Diabetic Microangiopathy With Pycnogenol®: A Prospective, Controlled Study. Angiology 2006; 57(4): 431-436
- Hunter, M. (1992) The Women’s Health Questionnaire: a measure of physical and emotional well-being of mid-aged women. Psychol Health. 7:1 , pp. 45-54
