Oral Micronized Progesterone May Decrease Perimenopausal Vasomotor Symptoms

Oral micronized progesterone (OMP) may decrease perimenopausal vasomotor symptom such as hot flushes/flashes and night sweats in women, according to an abstract presented at ENDO 2018: The Endocrine Society Annual Meeting, held March 17 to 20 in Chicago, Illinois.¹

Jerilynn C. Prior, MD, a professor in the Department of Medicine of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and colleagues in Canada conducted a randomized controlled trial comparing OMP 300 mg at bedtime with placebo over 3 months in 189 perimenopausal women with bothersome vasomotor symptoms.

Both groups were similar at baseline, with the mean age of the participants being 50 years and with mean body mass index being 26.8 kg/m². Night sweats awakened 98% of the participants more than twice weekly, and 66% had skipped a cycle.

The researchers found that by the second month, vasomotor symptoms scores were significantly better in the OMP group than in the placebo group (P =.04); however, by the third month, this difference was not significant (P =.191). Self-reported perceived decreases in daytime and nighttime vasomotor symptom intensity and total night sweats and number were significantly greater among women in the OMP group than among those taking placebo (P =.014, <0.001, 0.023, and 0.015, respectively).

No serious adverse events occurred, and the participants were very likely to take their study medication (OMP, 91.4%; placebo, 84.4%).

“Hot flushes and night sweats occur in 8 of 10 perimenopausal women (who’ve had a period in the last year),” said Dr Prior in a press release.² “At present, there is no effective therapy for them. Although not scientifically proven to be effective, women are often prescribed the birth control pill for hot flush symptoms, which may not be safe because women’s risks for blood clots and strokes increase with age and weight gain.”

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References

1. Prior JC, Cameron A, Hitchcock CL, et al. Oral micronized progesterone beneficial for perimenopausal hot flushes/flashes and night sweats. Presented at: ENDO 2018: The Endocrine Society Annual Meeting; Chicago, IL; March 17-20, 2018. Abstract OR25-7.
2. Oral micronized progesterone may decrease perimenopausal hot flushes and night sweats [press release]. Washington, DC: Endocrine Society. Published March 19, 2018. Accessed March 19, 2018.