Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 11/7/12.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Daily doses of a new probiotic reduces 'bad' and total cholesterol - Science Daily, 11/5/12 - "The study involved 127 adult patients with high cholesterol. About half the participants took L. reuteri NCIMB 30242 twice a day, while the rest were given placebo capsules ... Those taking the probiotic had LDL levels 11.6 percent lower than those on placebo after nine weeks. Furthermore, cholesterol esters were reduced by 6.3 percent and cholesterol ester saturated fatty acids by 8.8 percent, compared with the placebo group ... Furthermore, people taking the probiotic had total cholesterol reduced by 9.1 percent. HDL "good" cholesterol and blood triglycerides, a dangerous form of fat in the blood, were unchanged ... Scientists have proposed that Lactobacillus bacteria alone may impact cholesterol levels in several ways, including breaking apart molecules known as bile salts. L. reuteri NCIMB 30242 was fermented and formulated to optimize its effect on cholesterol and bile salts ... the study results suggest the probiotic broke up bile salts, leading to reduced cholesterol absorption in the gut and less LDL ... The probiotic worked at doses of just 200 milligrams a day, far lower than those for soluble fiber or other natural products used to reduce cholesterol" - See probiotic products at Amazon.com.

Healthy living adds fourteen years to your life, study suggests - Science Daily, 11/5/12 - "researchers pulled data from five different cohorts included in the Cardiovascular Lifetime Risk Pooling Project and looked at the participants' risk of all forms of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular disease from ages 45, 55 and 65 through 95 years of age ... Individuals with optimal risk factor profiles lived up to 14 years longer free of total CVD than individuals with at least two risk factors ... Men in middle age had lifetime risks of approximately 60 percent for developing cardiovascular disease ... Women in middle age had lifetime risks of approximately 56 percent for developing cardiovascular disease ... Lifetime risks for cardiovascular disease were strongly associated with risk factor burden in middle age"

Men who do exercise produce better quality semen, study finds - Science Daily, 10/31/12 - "conducted by researchers at the University of Cordoba ... The results conclude that the physically active subjects display better semen values. More specifically, the differences found were in the seminological parameters of total progressive velocity and morphology, in the FSH, LH and T hormones and in the T/C ratio. Hormone data thus supports the hypothesis of a more favourable environment for sperm formation"

Green tea found to reduce rate of some GI cancers - Science Daily, 10/31/12 - "the investigators surveyed women enrolled in the Shanghai Women's Health Study, a population-based study of approximately 75,000 middle-aged and older Chinese women ... regular tea consumption, defined as tea consumption at least three times a week for more than six months, was associated with a 17 percent reduced risk of all digestive cancers combined. A further reduction in risk was found to be associated with an increased level of tea drinking. Specifically, those who consumed about two to three cups per day (at least 150 grams of tea per month) had a 21 percent reduced risk of digestive system cancers ... For all digestive system cancers combined, the risk was reduced by 27 percent among women who had been drinking tea regularly for at least 20 years ... For colorectal cancer, risk was reduced by 29 percent among the long-term tea drinkers. These results suggest long-term cumulative exposure may be particularly important ... Tea contains polyphenols or natural chemicals that include catechins like EGCG and ECG. Catechins have antioxidant properties and may inhibit cancer by reducing DNA damage and blocking tumor cell growth and invasion" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.

Night-Shift Work Ups the Risk for Various Cancers in Men - Medscape, 10/31/12 - "The study compared 3137 men with cancer and 512 matched control subjects who completed a detailed questionnaire about occupational work and lifestyle from 1979 to 1985 ... Compared with men who never worked at night, men who worked night shifts had an increased risk for prostate cancer (odds ratio [OR], 2.77), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (OR, 2.31), pancreatic cancer (OR, 2.27), rectal cancer (OR, 2.09), colon cancer (OR, 2.03), bladder cancer (OR, 1.74), and lung cancer (OR, 1.76) ... "When I first proposed the light-at-night hypothesis, it linked circadian disturbance to hormone disruption and breast cancer," Dr. Stevens explained. Since then, circadian disruption has been linked to many other adverse effects, it has been demonstrated that melatonin has a direct effect on tumor growth, and some of the latest research he has been involved with has shown that circadian disruption has an epigenetic impact" - See melatonin at Amazon.com.

High levels of vitamin D in plasma protects against bladder cancer - Science Daily, 10/20/12 - "The authors of the study took blood samples from more than 2,000 individuals -- including patients with bladder cancer and control subjects free from the disease -- in 18 Spanish hospitals, making of this the largest study carried out to-date in this field. "We have seen that those subjects with the highest levels of 25(OH)D3, a stable form of vitamin D in the blood, are those who showed the lowest risk of suffering bladder cancer. These results indicate that high levels of this vitamin are associated with protection from the illness or, similarly, that low levels are associated with a higher risk of suffering from it," says Malats" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Fluorouracil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - "The chemotherapy agent 5-FU, which has been used against cancer for about 40 years, acts in several ways, but principally as a thymidylate synthase inhibitor ... Some of its principal uses are in colorectal cancer, and pancreatic cancer"

• Note: A dermatologist prescribed the fluorouracil 5% topical cream (40 grams) for one spot of actinic keratosis on my cheek that the nitrogen spray wouldn’t cure but said to put it on my entire face twice daily for two weeks.  See the video below which someone else made.  It looks really bad from about day 9 put heals at about day 21.  After it heals, it gives you significantly younger looking skin.  I doubt is laser treatment works that well or looks that natural.  Offshore RX sells 10 mg tubes (you’d need four tubes) but I wouldn’t try it without a doctor’s supervision.  It’s serious stuff and it burns really bad from about day 10 until about day 17.
• Fluorouracil Cream 5% - YouTube

Abstracts from this week's Doctor's Guide Nutrition/Dietetics plus abstracts from my RSS feeds (Click here for the journals, the PubMed ones at the top):

Adiponectin Levels and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: A Meta-analysis of Prospective Studies - Am J Med Sci. 2012 Nov 1 - "Twelve prospective studies comprising 8 nested case-control studies and 4 cohort studies were included in the meta-analysis ... The pooled RR for CHD was 0.83 (95% CI, 0.69-0.98, P = 0.031). Subgroup analyses showed that the pooled RRs (95% CIs) for CHD risk were 0.78 (0.66-0.92) and 0.75 (0.59-0.94) for men and women, respectively. For studies with mean age less than 65 years, the pooled RR (95% CI) for CHD risk was 0.72 (0.59-0.87). For studies with 100 or more CHD cases, the pooled RR was marginally significant (RR = 0.83, 95% CI, 0.69-1.00; P = 0.051)" - See my adiponectin page for ways to increase it.

Risk factors for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: Association between metformin use and reduced cancer risk - Hepatology. 2012 Oct 11 - "Metformin is purportedly associated with a reduced risk for various cancers ... treatment with metformin was significantly associated with a 60% reduction in ICC risk in diabetic patients" - Note:  The point is that it's one more to the list of cancers reduced by metformin.  See metformin at The Antiaging Store.

• Cholangiocarcinoma - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - "Cholangiocarcinoma is a medical term denoting a form of cancer that is composed of mutated epithelial cells (or cells showing characteristics of epithelial differentiation) that originate in the bile ducts which drain bile from the liver into the small intestine. Other biliary tract cancers include pancreatic cancer, gallbladder cancer, and cancer of the ampulla of Vater"

Beneficial effect of genistein on lowering blood pressure and kidney toxicity in fructose-fed hypertensive rats - Br J Nutr. 2012 Sep 21:1-7 - "The study evaluates the effects of genistein on blood pressure (BP) and ultrastructural changes in kidney of fructose-fed hypertensive rats ... Genistein administration lowered BP, restored ACE, PKC-βII and eNOS expression and preserved renal ultrastructural integrity. These findings demonstrate that genistein has effects on eNOS activity in renal cells, leading to eNOS activation and NO synthesis. These effects could have been mediated by activation of PKC-βII. The observed benefits of genistein make it a promising candidate for therapy of diabetic kidney disease" - See genistein at Amazon.com.

Titrating lovaza from 4 to 8 to 12 grams/day in patients with primary hypertriglyceridemia who had triglyceride levels >500 mg/dl despite conventional triglyceride lowering therapy - Lipids Health Dis. 2012 Oct 30;11(1):143 - "With TG >500 mg/dl despite Type V diet, hyperinsulinemia and diabetes control, and fibric acids, Lovaza (4 g/d) was added for 1 month, and if TG remained >500 mg/dl, increased to 8 g/d for 1 month, and then to 12 g/d for 1 month, and subsequently reduced to 4 g/day for 4 months ... Titration of Lovaza from 4 to 8 to 12 g/d safely offers an effective way to lower TG beyond conventional 4 g therapy" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Dietary folate and folate vitamers and the risk of prostate cancer in The Netherlands Cohort Study - Cancer Causes Control. 2012 Oct 30 - "Dietary folate was not associated with prostate cancer risk, nor with the risk of advanced prostate cancer, among men in the NLCS cohort"

Lymphocyte-suppressing and systemic anti-inflammatory effects of high-dose metformin in simvastatin-treated patients with impaired fasting glucose - Atherosclerosis. 2012 Oct 12 - "Metformin, but not placebo, administered to simvastatin-treated IFG subjects reduced plasma levels of C-reactive protein, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, as well as lymphocyte release of interleukin-2, interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α, which was accompanied by the improvement in insulin sensitivity and a reduction in free fatty acid levels ... The obtained results indicate that metformin potentiates lymphocyte-suppressing and systemic anti-inflammatory effects of simvastatin in subjects with IFG. These effects of statin-metformin combination therapy may play a role in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis and its complications in patients with early glucose metabolism abnormalities" - See metformin at The Antiaging Store.

Low HDL-C predicts risk and PCI outcomes in the Han Chinese population - Atherosclerosis. 2012 Oct 3 - "Low HDL-C was the most powerful lipid parameter for predicting the risk and the clinical outcome of CHD in the Han Chinese population"

Effects of Sun Ginseng on Memory Enhancement and Hippocampal Neurogenesis - Phytother Res. 2012 Oct 29 - "Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer has been used in traditional herb prescriptions for thousands of years. A heat-processing method has been used to increase the efficacy of ginseng, yielding what is known as red ginseng. In addition, recently, a slightly modified heat-processing method was applied to ginseng, to obtain a new type of processed ginseng with increased biological activity; this new form of ginseng is referred to as Sun ginseng (SG) ... These results suggest that SG has memory-enhancing activities and that these effects are mediated, in part, by the increase in the levels of pERK and pAkt and by the increases in cell proliferation and cell survival" - See ginseng at Amazon.com.

Health Focus (Hot Flashes):

Related Topics:

• menopause / hot flashes / progesterone / osteoporosis / hormone replacement /  women's health issues / hysterectomy / PMS / female sexuality / fibroids

Popular Medications:

• HRT / Effexor / Prozac / Paxil / testosterone (low dose)

Popular Supplements:

• Soy / Isoflavones / Red Clover / Black Cohosh / Tribulus / Omega-3 / Vitamin C / Body Wise Female Advantage / Chaste Tree Berry / Gamma Oryzanol / Ginseng / Dong Quai

Alternative News:

• Soy Supplements Can Cool Hot Flashes - WebMD, 4/9/12 - "look at 19 published studies ... What this study shows is that ingesting soy isoflavones will help you ... Soy supplements with higher amounts of the isoflavone called genistein were more than twice as good at reducing hot flash frequency than those with low amounts" - See genistein at Amazon.com.
• Magnesium supplements may ease hot flashes for breast cancer patients - Nutra USA, 6/6/11 - "400 mg per day of magnesium oxide for 4 weeks was associated with a 41.4 percent reduction in the frequency of hot flashes ... The intensity of the hot flashes was also reduced as a result of magnesium supplementation by about 50 percent" - [Abstract] - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Isoflavones May Reduce Insomnia Symptoms in Postmenopausal Women - Medscape, 2/9/11 - "For the isoflavone group vs the placebo group, sleep efficiency measured by polysomnography increased significantly (from 77.9% to 83.9% vs from 77.6% to 81.2%). In addition, frequency of insomnia was reduced more readily in the isoflavone group. At the beginning of the study, 94.7% of women in the placebo group had moderate or intense insomnia compared with 63.2% at the end of the study; whereas in the isoflavone group these percentages were 89.5% and 36.9%, respectively ... Isoflavones were also effective in reducing the number of hot flashes in postmenopausal women with insomnia compared with the placebo group (P = .001). This trend became apparent after 2 months of treatment, but the results became significant only after the fourth month of treatment. The intensity of hot flashes was significantly lower in the isoflavone group than in the placebo group at both evaluation points (months 2 and 4 of treatment; 1.6 vs 5.8 and 0.5 vs 3.8; P < .001)" - See soy isoflavones at Amazon.com.
• Omega-3 fatty acids for major depressive disorder associated with the menopausal transition: a preliminary open trial - Menopause. 2010 Oct 27 - "The pretreatment and final mean MADRS scores were 24.2 and 10.7, respectively, reflecting a significant decrease in MADRS scores (P < 0.0001). The response rate was 70% (MADRS score decrease of ���50%), and the remission rate was 45% (final MADRS score of ≤7). Responders had significantly lower pretreatment docosahexaenoic acid levels than nonresponders did (P = 0.03). Hot flashes were present in 15 (75%) participants. Among those with hot flashes at baseline, the number of hot flashes per day improved significantly from baseline (P = 0.02) and Hot Flash Related Daily Interference Scale scores decreased significantly ... These data support further study of omega-3 fatty acids for major depressive disorder and hot flashes in women during the menopausal transition" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Isoflavones decrease insomnia in postmenopause - Menopause. 2010 Aug 19 - "Polysomnography revealed a significant increase in sleep efficiency in the isoflavone group (from 77.9% to 83.9%) when compared with the placebo group (from 77.6% to 81.2%). Isoflavones induced a decrease in the intensity and number of hot flashes and the frequency of insomnia: among the women in the placebo group, 94.7% had moderate or intense insomnia at the beginning of the study, compared with 63.2% at the end, whereas in the isoflavone group, these percentages were 89.5% and 36.9%, respectively" - See soy isoflavones at Amazon.com.
• Folic acid supplementation may cure hot flushes in postmenopausal women: a prospective cohort study - Gynecol Endocrinol. 2010 Mar 16 - "To examine the effect of folic acid supplementation on the occurrence of hot flushes and the plasma level of 3-methoxy 4-hydroxy phenyl glycol (MHPG, the main metabolite of brain norepinephrine) ... The number of women who reported improvement in hot flushes was significantly higher in the treatment group. On comparing the mean plasma levels of MHPG before and after treatment, a significant lowering was found in the treatment group (mean % change =-24.1 +/- 17.9, p < 0.001) when compared with the placebo-control group (mean % change =-5.59 +/- 16.4, p = 0.10). In the treatment group, there was a significant negative correlation between improvement in hot flushes and the plasma level of MHPG (r =-0.453, p = 0.03)" - See folic acid products at Amazon.com.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids Ease Depressive Symptoms Related To Menopause - Science Daily, 1/28/09 - "Their study, published in the February issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, presents the first evidence that omega-3 supplements are effective for treating common menopause-related mental health problems ... Test results before and after the eight-week period indicate that omega-3s significantly improved the condition of women suffering symptoms of psychological distress and mild depression ... Women with hot flashes also noted that their condition improved after consuming omega-3s. At baseline, the number of daily hot flashes was 2.8 and dropped by an average of 1.6 in the group taking omega-3s and by 0.5 in the control group" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Genistein Safely Improves Bone Formation in Osteopenic, Postmenopausal Women - Medscape, 1/14/09 - "Usually, the drugs used in the management of osteopenia/osteoporosis have been classified as predominantly 'antiresorptive agents' or as 'bone-forming agents' but, on the basis of our results, genistein might represent the first therapy that overcomes this classification by combining a powerful bone-forming as well as an antiresorptive activity ... All postmenopausal women with bone loss would be ideal candidates for genistein aglycone treatment ... Genistein aglycone has a good safety profile, and in addition it is effective against climacteric syndrome (i.e., hot flushes and night sweats)"
• Effects of ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on hot flashes and quality of life among middle-aged women: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial - Menopause. 2008 Nov 20 - "At baseline, the average number of HFs was 2.8 per day. After 8 weeks, HF frequency and score decreased significantly in the E-EPA group compared with the placebo group. There was no difference in the change in HF intensity between groups. Frequency of HFs declined by a mean of 1.58 per day (95% CI, -2.18 to -0.98) in the E-EPA group and by 0.50 per day (95% CI, -1.20 to 0.20) in the placebo group. The odds of being a responder among those taking E-EPA were about three times greater than among those taking placebo (odds ratio, 2.70; 95% CI, 1.03-7.03; P = 0.04). Menopause-Specific Quality of Life scores improved significantly over time in both groups but no significant differences were noted between them" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Daidzein-rich isoflavone aglycones are potentially effective in reducing hot flashes in menopausal women - Menopause. 2008 Jan-Feb;15(1):125-32 - "When comparing the two treatment groups with the placebo group, there were significant reductions in mean daily hot flash frequency. The supplement (either 40 or 60 mg) reduced hot flash frequency by 43% at 8 weeks (P = 0.1) and 52% at 12 weeks (P = 0.048) but did not cause any significant changes in endogenous sex hormones or thyroid hormones" - See soy isoflavones at Amazon.com.
• Daidzein-rich supplement shows menopause potential - Nutra USA, 1/11/08 - "The new study, led by George Blackburn, assigned the subjects to receive daily supplements of the daidzein-rich isoflavone-aglycone (DRI) supplement at a dose of either 40 or 60 milligrams, or placebo for 12 weeks ... At the end of the study, the researchers report that the number of hot flushes in the group receiving the lower dose was reduced by 52 per cent, while the women receiving the higher dose experienced a 51 per cent reduction in the number of hot flushes. The placebo group reported a 39 per cent reduction in hot flush frequency" - [Abstract]
• Daidzein-rich isoflavone aglycones are potentially effective in reducing hot flashes in menopausal women - Menopause. 2007 Jul 18 - "DRI supplementation may be an effective and acceptable alternative to hormone treatment for menopausal hot flashes"
• Norway spruce lignans cut hot flushes by 53 per cent - study - Nutra USA, 11/12/07
• Black cohosh and fluoxetine in the treatment of postmenopausal symptoms: a prospective, randomized trial - Adv Ther. 2007 Mar-Apr;24(2):448-61 - "At the end of the sixth month of treatment, black cohosh reduced the hot flush score by 85%, compared with a 62% result for fluoxetine" - See black cohosh at Amazon.com.
• Isoflavone treatment for acute menopausal symptoms - Menopause. 2007 Feb 6 - "In women receiving 60 mg isoflavones daily, hot flashes and night sweats were reduced by 57% and 43%, respectively" - See Isoflavone products at iHerb.
• Meta-analysis supports isoflavones for hot flushes - Nutra USA, 1/15/07
• Black Cohosh a Bust for Hot Flashes - WebMD, 12/18/06
• A Natural Approach to Menopause - Life Extension Magazine, 4/06 - "Weekly hot flash scores were reduced by 56% among women receiving black cohosh"
• Soy Plus Exercise Relieves Hot Flashes Better - WebMD, 5/7/04
• Hot Flashes Treatment: Try Lifestyle Change - WebMD, 1/16/04 - "Try lifestyle changes first. These include adding soy, gobble black cohosh tablets, and/or take vitamin E supplements to your diet"
• Black Cohosh May Reduce Hot Flashes By Targeting Brain's Thermostat - Intelihealth, 9/9/03 - "black cohosh does not appear to be estrogenic whatsoever and, as a result, is less likely to pose some of the dangers associated with traditional estrogen replacement therapy ... Although preliminary evidence of the herb's efficacy in relieving hot flashes, night sweats and other symptoms of menopause is encouraging, further studies are still needed before it can be recommended ... the researchers also demonstrated that the black cohosh extract is capable of binding to human serotonin receptors, including those that help regulate body temperature. Previous studies have shown that these receptors may play a role in regulating hot flashes. Antidepressant medications, which some people believe may help reduce hot flashes, also bind to the same receptors" - See iHerb black cohosh products.
• Remedies For Hot Flashes - CBS News, 8/14/03
• Hot Flash: Manage Menopause Without HRT - Natural Foods Merchandiser, 8/03
• Soy Won't Help Severe Hot Flashes - WebMD, 6/3/03
• Soy Protein May Be Better Than Supplements for Menopause - WebMD, 4/24/03
• Black cohosh may help eliminate hot flashes and other symptoms - Natural Foods Merchandiser, 3/03
• Help for Hot Flashes? - Dr. Weil, 1/14/03
• Red Clover Can Help Hot Flashes - USA Today,  9/13/02 - "The study found that 40 milligrams a day of Promensil reduced hot flashes by 48.5 percent, while a placebo offered a 10.5 percent reduction" - See iHerb Promensil products.
• Red Clover May Tame Hot Flashes - WebMD, 8/16/02 - "Promensil is an isoflavone supplement produced from red clover and contains the same key isoflavones commonly found in soy foods. Isoflavones are plant compounds -- found commonly in soy -- that act like weak form of the female sex hormone estrogen ... Only red clover contains all four isoflavones that women need ... 30 women were given either 40 mg of Promensil or a placebo for 16 weeks. The group taking Promensil reported a 48% reduction in frequency of hot flashes, whereas the control group had an 11% decrease" - See iHerb Promensil products.
• Hot Flash Relief - WebMD, 4/10/02 - "Soy may give hot-flash relief ... Flaxseed is another option ... Flaxseed oil won't work, because oil does not contain phytoestrogens, the plant form of estrogen. You must grind the flaxseeds; if you don't, the whole seeds will just pass through your digestive system"
• Herb Fights Menopause Symptoms - WebMD, 3/28/02 - "New research suggests that a black cohosh extract, marketed as Remifemin, works differently from estrogen, which has been linked to an increase in breast cancer risk ... As many as 80% will experience menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats, and bouts of insomnia ... These days, many different manufacturers market black cohosh supplements. But Remifemin is the only one that has been extensively studied"
• Can Healthy Foods Replace Hormone Therapy? - Natural Foods Merchandiser, 10/01
• Sex . . . Power . . . and Health - Life Enhancement Magazine, 9/00 - "Whereas placebo did not alleviate any symptom in any member of the control group, Tribulus brought about some significant level of improvement in 98% (49 out of 50) of the women in the treatment group, including the alleviation of hot flashes, sweating, depression, insomnia, and anxiety. There were no significant changes in any measured hormone level, including FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone), LH (luteinizing hormone), prolactin, estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone. Tribulus was without significant side effects."
• Study Disproves Soy as Aid in Fighting Hot Flashes - Medscape, 2/29/00
• I know that soy protein may protect against breast cancer, but what about hot flashes? - Nutrition Science News, 9/99
• The Replacements - Nutrition Foods Merchandiser, 8/99
• What can I tell customers about gamma-oryzanol and menopausal symptoms? - Nutrition Science News, 7/99 - "A Japanese study in the 1960s gave 13 women who had hysterectomies, also called surgical menopause, 100 mg gamma-oryzanol three times daily for 38 days and found that it halved menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes in more than 67 percent of the women."

Other News:

• Hot Flashes Linked to Higher Cholesterol - Medscape, 9/21/11 - "Several recent studies have linked hot flashes to an increased risk for heart disease ... The more hot flashes the women had, the higher their LDL "bad" and HDL "good" cholesterol ... Since raised LDL is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke while high HDL is associated with lower risk for those events, the meaning of the findings is somewhat murky"
• Menopausal hot flashes may be a good sign for heart - Science Daily, 2/24/11
• Hot flushes are linked with a significant reduction in breast cancer risk, study finds - Science Daily, 1/25/11 - "Women who have experienced hot flushes and other symptoms of menopause may have a 50 percent lower risk of developing the most common forms of breast cancer than postmenopausal women who have never had such symptoms"
• Use of antidepressant associated with reduction in menopausal hot flashes - Science Daily, 1/18/11 - "In the escitalopram group, average hot flash frequency at week 8 decreased to 5.26 hot flashes per day (47 percent decrease or an average of 4.6 fewer hot flashes per day than at the beginning of the study). In the placebo group, hot flash frequency decreased to 6.43 hot flashes per day (33 percent decrease or an average of 3.2 fewer hot flashes per day)" - Note:  A significant placebo effect.  Some argue on trials like this that that the people receiving the real deal know because of the side effects of the medication therefore they have a greater placebo effect.
• Progesterone is effective for hot flash treatment and provides an alternative to estrogen, study finds - Science Daily, 6/21/10 - "Progesterone, in a 300-milligram dose, was more effective than placebo at decreasing the intensity and number of symptoms, the authors reported, and the difference was both statistically significant and clinically important. The 68 women taking progesterone showed a 56% improvement from baseline in VMSScore, and a 48% reduction in the number of VMS; the 46 women taking placebo had 28% lower VMSScores and a 22% reduction in number"
• Fertility Drug May Be New Hot Flash Treatment - WebMD, 9/22/09
• Menopause: Agent Provides Treatment Option For Women With Hot Flashes - Science Daily, 5/22/09
• Hot Flashes Underreported And Linked To Forgetfulness - Science Daily, 6/16/08
• Gabapentin May Effectively Treat Hot Flashes - Medscape, 3/10/08
• Low-Dose Transdermal Estradiol Cools Down Hot Flushes - Doctor's Guide, 10/9/07
• Hot Flushes May Be Warning Sign for Sleep Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 10/9/07
• Antidepressants Emerge as Coolant for Hot Flashes - New York Times, 10/9/07
• Novel Combination of Bazedoxifene and Conjugated Oestrogens Relieves Hot Flashes Safely; Improves Vaginal Dryness and Sexual Function - Doctor's Guide, 10/5/07 - "The combination of bazedoxifene and conjugated oestrogens (BZA/CE) appears to provide a new option for postmenopausal women with vaginal dryness, hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms"
• Estrogen Therapy For Hot Flushes Challenged: Progestin As Effective As Risk-laden Estrogen - Science Daily, 2/6/07
• Hot Flashes Linked to Insomnia - WebMD, 6/26/06
• Nonhormonal Therapies May Offer Relief From Hot Flashes, With Possible Adverse Effects - Doctor's Guide, 5/3/06
• Treating Hot Flashes Without Hormones - WebMD, 5/2/06
• Study Suggests MPA Is Effective Treatment for Hot Flashes - Doctor's Guide, 2/28/06
• Hot Flashes Only Disturb Sleep the First Half of the Night: Presented at NAMS - Doctor's Guide, 10/3/05
• Epilepsy Drug May Ease Hot Flashes - WebMD, 9/1/05
• Hormone pills don't end hot flashes, study find - MSNBC, 7/12/05
• Menopause Symptoms Return When Hormones Stop - WebMD, 7/12/05
• Menopausal Hormone Therapy: A New Debate - WebMD, 7/12/05
• Medroxyprogesterone Acetate Combats Hot Flashes - Doctor's Guide, 5/18/05
• Hormonal Contraceptive Fights Hot Flashes - WebMD, 5/16/05
• Common Estrogen Compounds Similarly Relieve Menopausal Hot Flashes - Doctor's Guide, 4/8/04
• I’m only 40 — and I’m getting hot flashes - MSNBC, 4/5/04
• Estrogen Gel Cools Hot Flashes - WebMD, 11/13/03
• Short-Term Non-Hormonal Treatment Options for Hot Flushes - Doctor's Guide, 9/23/03
• Controlled Release Paroxetine Therapy Reduces Menopausal Hot Flash Symptoms - Doctor's Guide, 6/5/03
• Paxil CR (Paroxetine) Reduces Menopausal Hot Flashes - Doctor's Guide, 6/4/03
• Paroxetine Controls Hot Flashes in Breast Cancer Survivors - Doctor's Guide, 6/3/03
• Antidepressant Paxil Treats Hot Flashes - WebMD, 6/3/03
• Controlled Release Paroxetine (Paxil-CR) Reduces Menopausal Hot Flashes - Doctor's Guide, 5/6/03
• Estrasorb (Estradiol) Significantly Reduces Hot Flashes in Postmenopausal Women - Doctor's Guide, 3/22/02
• Smoking, Obesity Worsen Hot Flashes - WebMD, 2/3/03
• Epilepsy Drug Emerges as HRT Alternative - WebMD, 1/31/03 - "the drug, known generically as gabapentin and sold under the name Neurontin, can reduce both the frequency and severity of hot flashes"
• Epilepsy Drug Cools Hot Flashes - WebMD, 11/12/02 - "Both the frequency and severity of hot flashes decreased by about 70% in women after they received varying doses of Neurontin"
• Menopause Without Pills: Rethinking Hot Flashes - New York Times, 11/10/02
• Prozac (Fluoxetine) Effective for Hot Flashes Post-Breast Cancer Treatment - Doctor's Guide, 3/15/02
• Antidepressants Cool Hot Flashes - WebMD, 3/14/02
• FDA Approves Low-Dose Climara (Estradiol Transdermal System) For Treatment Of Menopausal Symptoms - Doctor's Guide, 4/10/01 - "Low-dose Climara 0.025 mg/day is the only ERT available that provides the lowest effective dose of estrogen proven to treat menopausal symptoms and prevent osteoporosis"
• Venlafaxine Offers Safe/Effective Relief from Hot Flashes, Even in Women with Breast Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 2/15/02
• Study: Low Hormone Doses Work - Intelihealth, 6/5/01 - "One report states that combining 1.5 mg of progestin with 0.45 mg or 0.3 mg of estrogen daily was as effective as higher doses in reducing hot flashes and preventing thinning of the vaginal lining, which causes infections and painful intercourse for many older women"
• Anti-depressant (Effexor®/venlafaxine) counters hot flashes from menopause, chemotherapy - CNN, 12/15/00 - ""I think it represents the best of the non-hormonal options for treating hot flashes in women with breast cancer.""
• FDA Approves Vivelle (estradiol transdermal system) For Postmenopausal Osteoporosis - Doctor's Guide, 8/18/00
• Hot Flash for Women at Menopause: Try a Little Tofu - WebMD, 7/7/00
• Anti-Migraine And Seizure Drug, Gabapentin, May Reduce Menopausal Hot Flashes - Doctor's Guide, 6/13/00 - "Overall, the patients experienced an average 87-percent reduction in the frequency of hot flashes."
• Anti-Depressant Effective Treatment For Hot Flashes - Intelihealth, 5/23/00 - "In the latest study, a modest dose of the anti-depressant Effexor reduced hot flashes by about 60 percent. The drug was not compared to estrogen, but in other studies the hormone has proven to be about 80 percent effective."