Urtica dioica in comparison with placebo and acupuncture: A new possibility for menopausal hot flashes: A randomized clinical trial

Kargozar R, Salari R, Jarahi L, Yousefi M, Pourhoseini SA, Sahebkar-Khorasani M, Azizi H · Complementary Therapies in Medicine · 2019 June

DOI 10.1016/j.ctim.2019.04.003

Objective

To investigate the effects of Urtica dioica, compared with placebo, acupuncture, and combined therapy, on hot flashes and quality of life in postmenopausal women.

Conclusions

Urtica dioica decreased menopausal hot flashes and increased quality of life more than placebo-sham control but similarly to acupuncture, while combining Urtica dioica with acupuncture did not add to the effects of either therapy.

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Insights

Stinging nettle reduced menopausal hot flashes and improved quality of life as effectively as acupuncture, while combining both treatments offered no added benefit.

In a double-blind randomised controlled trial at an Iranian teaching hospital, postmenopausal women experiencing frequent hot flashes were assigned to receive stinging nettle with acupuncture, acupuncture with placebo, stinging nettle with sham acupuncture, or placebo with sham acupuncture. Treatment lasted seven weeks, followed by a four-week follow-up period. Researchers assessed changes in hot flash severity, menopause-related quality of life, and reproductive hormone levels. All active treatment approaches reduced hot flash severity and improved quality of life more than placebo with sham acupuncture. Stinging nettle alone performed similarly to acupuncture alone, and the combined treatment did not improve outcomes beyond either individual therapy.