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MenopauseACOMNCT02746497

The Efficacy of ACupuncture On Menopausal Symptoms (ACOM)

A study testing Acupuncture in people with Menopause, run by University of Copenhagen at 1 site in Denmark.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

As a natural part of the menopause the ovaries production of sex hormones declines. This can lead to different menopausal related symptoms. About two-thirds of postmenopausal women experience hot flushes and 10-20% find these hot flushes very stressful. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 40 to 65 years, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Menopause
What is being tested?
Acupuncture
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
70 participants
Where
1 siteDenmark
Study dates
Oct 2016to Jul 2017
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 40 to 65 years
  • Women only
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Woman
  • Age: 40-65 years
  • "Quite a bit" or "a lot" bothered by hot flushes (score ≥4 on a validated scale measuring hot flushes (MenoScores questionnaire (MSQ))
  • No conflicts of interests and have given oral and written consent
  • Must have an email address

Who cannot join

  • Hysterectomised and/or bilateral oophorectomised
  • Hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms within the past 4 weeks
  • Hormonal intrauterine device within the past 4 weeks
  • Treatment with antidepressants and/or antiepileptics within the past 4 weeks
  • Other medical treatment for hot flushes (e.g. clonidin) within the past 4 weeks
  • Other herbal remedies/alternative treatment for menopausal symptoms (e.g. Black Cohosh, Red Clover, Evening Primrose oil, Melbrosia) within the past 4 weeks
Show all 18Show fewer
  • Alcohol consumption exceeding 21 drinks per week
  • Using prescribed sleeping pills and/or prescribed sedatives
  • Treatment with corticosteroids within the past 4 weeks (inhaled steroids not excluded)
  • Previously diagnosed with breast cancer, endometrial cancer, cervical cancer or ovarian cancer
  • Diagnosed with other severe cancer disease within the past 5 years
  • Heart valve disease
  • Insulin dependent and/or poorly controlled diabetes mellitus
  • Diagnosed with Thyroid disease
  • Under investigation for serious disease e.g. cancer
  • Pregnancy or breast-feeding within the past two years
  • Received acupuncture treatment within the past 6 months
  • Participating in another trial or participated in another trial in the past 2 weeks before screening

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Denmark1 site
  • Section of General Practice

    Copenhagen, Capital Region, 1014

Other trials in Denmark

About this study

Official title: The Efficacy of ACupuncture On Menopausal Symptoms (ACOM): A Randomized Controlled Trial

As a natural part of the menopause the ovaries production of sex hormones declines. This can lead to different menopausal related symptoms. About two-thirds of postmenopausal women experience hot flushes and 10-20% find these hot flushes very stressful.

The aim of this study is to determine and evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture on menopausal symptoms; in particular hot flushes. The study will be a randomized controlled trial. Primary outcome is change in hot flushes. Secondary outcome is change in other menopausal related symptoms.

Read the detailed description

Hot flushes and night sweats are common menopausal symptoms. Around 75% of menopausal women experience hot flushes and 10-20% of all postmenopausal women find these hot flushes very stressful. Some menopausal women also experience other symptoms such as emotional vulnerability, sleeping problems, fatigue, joint pain, cognitive changes, vaginal dryness and loss of sexual desire.

On average women experience the menopause in the beginning of the early fifties. Menopausal symptoms are commonly experienced in 4-5 years and for some women even longer. Besides individual differences within a homogenous population the experience of menopausal symptoms also differs among different cultures and ethnic groups.

Hormone therapy (HT) has in many years been an effective treatment for menopausal symptoms. However, research has shown that long-term HT increases the risk of breast cancer and thromboembolic disorders. Other medications such as antidepressants or antiepileptics have been tried but are normally not recommended. Relaxation, exercise and use of different herbs have also been suggested but currently no convincing results. Hence, alternative effective treatments with few side effects are desired.

Acupuncture has in several studies shown an effect on menopausal hot flushes. However due to different study design, acupuncture style and outcome measures it is difficult to compare these studies. Moreover, many of these studies have been criticized for methodological errors and flaws e.g. poor design, lack of follow up, small sample size, inadequate control group, not standardized acupuncture points, problems with drop outs and blinding of the participants. Consequently, further research and more well-designed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are needed.

It is estimated that approximately one-third of the general practitioners in Denmark on a regular basis are using acupuncture as part of their treatment of patients. A study from 2013 showed that about 20 % of the Danish hospital departments, distributed among 40% of the Danish hospitals, offered complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Almost 70% of these treatments were acupuncture. Experience from this project could potentially kick start a research tradition of acupuncture, and lead to an expansion of an "evidence-based" use of acupuncture in the Danish health-care system.

HYPOTHESIS Treatment with acupuncture can reduce menopausal symptoms; in particular hot flushes.

AIM To determine and evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture on menopausal symptoms.

METHOD The study is designed as a randomized controlled trial and reporting will follow the STRICTA method which is an official extension of CONSORT statement.

RECRUITMENT AND SETTING Study subjects will primarily be recruited through general practitioners, the Danish Society for Evidence based Acupuncture (DSEA) and groups for menopausal women on social media.

The trial will take place in Danish primary care medical clinics.

Conditions
Menopause
Being tested
Acupuncture
Keywords
Menopause, Hot flushes, Acupuncture, Randomized controlled trial
Medical subject headings
Hot Flashes

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • AcupunctureProcedure or surgery

    Acupuncture style; Western Medical Acupuncture (WMA). In WMA all types of sham (placebo) acupuncture are believed to produce a certain amount of sensory stimulation and thereby a possible therapeutic effect. In addition, other studies have shown that sham acupuncture is associated with a moderately large nonspecific effect and compared to other inert placebo intervention the effect associated with sham acupuncture might be larger. Thus we use a control group instead of a placebo group.

    Needles; sterile disposable needles (Plandent) size 0.30x30mm. The needles will be inserted perpendicularly and rotated manual between finger and thumb for a few seconds to elicit "de-qi". Needle retention time will be 10 minutes. Afterward the needle will be removed. Acupuncture points; CV-3, CV-4, LR-8, SP-6, SP-9. In total 8 points as LR-8, SP-6, SP-9 are given bilaterally.

Study groups in NCT02746497
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Group E (early intervention)Active comparatorOne weekly treatment with acupuncture in five consecutive weeks. In trial week 1-5 Group E will receive treatment and Group L will act as control group.
Receives: Procedure: Acupuncture
Group L (late intervention)Active comparatorAfter trial week five the Groups must cross-over. Group L will then receive treatment for five weeks (trial week 6-11) and Group E will act as follow up group.
Receives: Procedure: Acupuncture

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Hot flushes (based on the hot flushes scale from MSQ)

    Change in hot flushes from baseline to week 6 expressed by a score on the hot flushes scale from the MSQ.

    The MenoScores Questionnaire (MSQ) is developed and validated based on a literature review, 2 focus-groups, 4 single-interviews, 4 pilot-tests and a cross-sectional validation study where 1504 women answered a draft version of the questionnaire. Data collected in this validation study were analysed using Rasch models resulting in the MenoScores Questionnaire (MSQ), which encompasses 11 scales and 1 single item, measuring different dimension of menopausal symptoms.

    All study subjects (both Group E and L) will receive the MSQ by email in study week 0, 3, 6, 8, 11 and 26 and asked to answer within 1 or 2 days. The MSQ can be answered on computer or tablet. If responses are missing, reminders will be sent out. When receiving the planned acupuncture treatment the MSQ must be answered 1 or 2 days before the 3th treatment and 1 week after the 5th (the last) treatment.

    Measured: 6 weeks

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Change in other menopausal related symptoms, in particular day and night sweats and menopausal specific sleeping problems, also measured by scales from the MSQ.

    The secondary outcomes and assessment of these will be as followed:

    Change in day-and-night-sweats assessed by a scale from the MSQ, Change in general sweating assessed by a scale from the MSQ, Change in menopausal specific sleeping problems assessed by a scale from the MSQ, Change in emotional symptoms assessed by a scale from the MSQ, Change in memory assessed by a scale from the MSQ, Change in skin-hair symptoms assessed by a scale from the MSQ, Change in physical symptoms assessed by a scale from the MSQ, Change in abdominal symptoms assessed by a scale from the MSQ, Change in urinary and vaginal symptoms assessed by a scale from the MSQ, Change in sexual symptoms assessed by a scale from the MSQ, Change in tiredness assessed by a single item from the MSQ.

    All measured as change from baseline at week 6.

    Measured: 6 weeks

  2. Legacy effect.

    Outcomes in week 11 express the legacy-effect of acupuncture treatment on menopausal related symptoms. Evaluated using the MSQ.

    Measured: 11 weeks

  3. Long term outcome

    Outcomes in week 26 express any possible longer-lasting effect. Evaluated using the MSQ.

    Measured: 26 weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted21 Apr 2016 (estimated)
  2. Study startOct 2016
  3. Primary completionMar 2017
  4. Study completionJul 2017

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
70 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02746497
Sponsor's protocol ID
1072031001
Acronym
ACOM
Status last verified
Nov 2017
First submitted
4 Apr 2016
Last updated
8 Nov 2017
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Nelson HD. Menopause. Lancet. 2008 Mar 1;371(9614):760-70. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)60346-3.

    PubMed 18313505
  • Stearns V, Ullmer L, Lopez JF, Smith Y, Isaacs C, Hayes D. Hot flushes. Lancet. 2002 Dec 7;360(9348):1851-61. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(02)11774-0.

    PubMed 12480376
  • Avis NE, Crawford SL, Greendale G, Bromberger JT, Everson-Rose SA, Gold EB, Hess R, Joffe H, Kravitz HM, Tepper PG, Thurston RC; Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. Duration of menopausal vasomotor symptoms over the menopause transition. JAMA Intern Med. 2015 Apr;175(4):531-9. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.8063.

    PubMed 25686030
  • Green R, Polotsky AJ, Wildman RP, McGinn AP, Lin J, Derby C, Johnston J, Ram KT, Crandall CJ, Thurston R, Gold E, Weiss G, Santoro N. Menopausal symptoms within a Hispanic cohort: SWAN, the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. Climacteric. 2010 Aug;13(4):376-84. doi: 10.3109/13697130903528272.

    PubMed 20136411
  • Maclennan AH, Broadbent JL, Lester S, Moore V. Oral oestrogen and combined oestrogen/progestogen therapy versus placebo for hot flushes. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004 Oct 18;2004(4):CD002978. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD002978.pub2.

    PubMed 15495039
  • Prentice RL, Manson JE, Langer RD, Anderson GL, Pettinger M, Jackson RD, Johnson KC, Kuller LH, Lane DS, Wactawski-Wende J, Brzyski R, Allison M, Ockene J, Sarto G, Rossouw JE. Benefits and risks of postmenopausal hormone therapy when it is initiated soon after menopause. Am J Epidemiol. 2009 Jul 1;170(1):12-23. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwp115. Epub 2009 May 25.

    PubMed 19468079
  • Pachman DR, Jones JM, Loprinzi CL. Management of menopause-associated vasomotor symptoms: Current treatment options, challenges and future directions. Int J Womens Health. 2010 Aug 9;2:123-35. doi: 10.2147/ijwh.s7721.

    PubMed 21072305
  • Daley A, MacArthur C, Mutrie N, Stokes-Lampard H. Exercise for vasomotor menopausal symptoms. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Oct 17;(4):CD006108. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD006108.pub2.

    PubMed 17943886
  • Dodin S, Blanchet C, Marc I, Ernst E, Wu T, Vaillancourt C, Paquette J, Maunsell E. Acupuncture for menopausal hot flushes. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Jul 30;2013(7):CD007410. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD007410.pub2.

    PubMed 23897589
  • Borud EK, Alraek T, White A, Fonnebo V, Eggen AE, Hammar M, Astrand LL, Theodorsson E, Grimsgaard S. The Acupuncture on Hot Flushes Among Menopausal Women (ACUFLASH) study, a randomized controlled trial. Menopause. 2009 May-Jun;16(3):484-93. doi: 10.1097/gme.0b013e31818c02ad.

    PubMed 19423996
  • Zaborowska E, Brynhildsen J, Damberg S, Fredriksson M, Lindh-Astrand L, Nedstrand E, Wyon Y, Hammar M. Effects of acupuncture, applied relaxation, estrogens and placebo on hot flushes in postmenopausal women: an analysis of two prospective, parallel, randomized studies. Climacteric. 2007 Feb;10(1):38-45. doi: 10.1080/13697130601165059.

    PubMed 17364603
  • Venzke L, Calvert JF Jr, Gilbertson B. A randomized trial of acupuncture for vasomotor symptoms in post-menopausal women. Complement Ther Med. 2010 Apr;18(2):59-66. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2010.02.002. Epub 2010 Mar 23.

    PubMed 20430288
  • Smith CA, Carmady B. Acupuncture to treat common reproductive health complaints: An overview of the evidence. Auton Neurosci. 2010 Oct 28;157(1-2):52-6. doi: 10.1016/j.autneu.2010.03.013. Epub 2010 May 21.

    PubMed 20483671
  • MacPherson H, Altman DG, Hammerschlag R, Youping L, Taixiang W, White A, Moher D; STRICTA Revision Group. Revised STandards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA): Extending the CONSORT statement. J Evid Based Med. 2010 Aug;3(3):140-55. doi: 10.1111/j.1756-5391.2010.01086.x.

    PubMed 21349059
  • Linde K, Niemann K, Schneider A, Meissner K. How large are the nonspecific effects of acupuncture? A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. BMC Med. 2010 Nov 23;8:75. doi: 10.1186/1741-7015-8-75.

    PubMed 21092261

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Acupuncture in people with Menopause, run by University of Copenhagen at 1 site in Denmark.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 18 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 Nov 2017. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Denmark. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Hot flushes (based on the hot flushes scale from MSQ) (time frame: 6 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02746497, which also lists 25 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 8 Nov 2017.

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