title: Black cohosh and St. John's wort for climacteric complaints: a randomized trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the efficacy of the fixed combination of black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) and St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) extracts in women with climacteric complaints with a pronounced psychological component.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this double-blind randomized placebo-control study, 301 women experiencing climacteric complaints with psychological symptoms were treated with ethanolic St. John's wort extract and isopropanolic black cohosh extract or a matched placebo for 16 weeks. Climacteric complaints were evaluated by means of the Menopause Rating Scale mean score, and psychological complaints were evaluated using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale sum score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean (+/- standard deviation) Menopause Rating Scale score decreased 50% (0.46 +/- 0.13 to 0.23 +/- 0.13) in the treatment group and 19.6% (0.46 +/- 0.14 to 0.37 +/- 0.15) in the placebo group. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale total score decreased 41.8% in the treatment group (18.9 +/- 2.2 to 11.0 +/- 3.8 points), and 12.7% in the placebo group (18.9 +/- 2.1 to 16.5 +/- 4.3). The treatment was significantly (P < .001) superior to placebo in both measures. There were no relevant group differences regarding adverse events, laboratory values, or tolerability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This fixed combination of black cohosh and St. John's wort is superior to placebo in alleviating climacteric complaints, including the related psychological component.
  
  
  METHODS
  I.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Psychiatry, Clinic of Gynecology and St. Gertrauden-Krankenhaus, University Hospital Charité of the Humboldt-University, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Uebelhack
authors.forename: Jens-Uwe
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Blohmer
authors.forename: Hans-Joachim
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Graubaum
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: Joerg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gruenwald
authors.forename: Klaus-Dieter
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Wernecke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D031885:Cimicifuga; D002979:Climacteric / Q000187:drug effects*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020902:Hypericum; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations