title: [Caring for women during perimenopause in the practice].
abstract: This article wants to make sure, that women with menopausal complaints receive evidence-based advice and psychosomatically oriented treatment. The published evidence for efficacy, safety, and risks of all investigated treatments of menopausal symptoms is reviewed. Estrogen/progestin therapy is the most effective treatment for reducing the frequency of hot flashes (75%). Placebo reduces the frequency of hot flashes by about 58% which confirms the very high rate of spontaneous remission of climacteric symptoms. It appears worthwhile to avoid the risks of estrogen/progestin therapy whenever possible und to support women in their efforts to tolerate a slight degree of discomfort from hot flushes. Alternative and complementary medical treatments must prove they are more effective than placebo especially, in particular as long as the risks are insufficiently evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Frauenärztliche Gemeinschaftspraxis, Köln. mjbeckerm@aol.com
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Beckermann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D047648:Perimenopause; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D045167:Progesterone Congeners / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016387:Women's Health
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D045167:Progesterone Congeners