Black cohosh and St. John's wort for climacteric complaints: a randomized trial.
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.
Uebelhack
Ralf
R
Clinic of Psychiatry, Clinic of Gynecology and St. Gertrauden-Krankenhaus, University Hospital Charité of the Humboldt-University, Berlin, Germany.
Blohmer
Jens-Uwe
JU
Graubaum
Hans-Joachim
HJ
Busch
Regina
R
Gruenwald
Joerg
J
Wernecke
Klaus-Dieter
KD
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
D028321:Plant Preparations