title: Minimal decrease in hot flashes desired by postmenopausal women in family practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the minimal important difference in the frequency and severity of hot flashes that postmenopausal women desire from a nonhormonal agent.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women recorded their number of hot flashes daily, along with their degree of severity, using a diary for 1 week and completed the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire. Women were asked to report the percentage reduction in hot flashes that they would find clinically important. Distribution-based estimates were used to estimate the minimal important difference.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately 69% of the postmenopausal women who reported their hot flashes as moderate to severe responded that they wanted a nonhormonal agent that provided at least a 50% mean reduction in the frequency of hot flashes (95% CI, 32% to 66%). Median hot flash reduction for all respondents was 50%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The minimal clinically important difference in hot flashes is approximately 50%. This estimate can provide the basis to calculate sample size in clinical trials of anti-hot flash agents and in selecting possible candidates for investigation.
authors.affiliation: Scarborough Hospital, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. dbutt@tsh.to
authors.forename: Debra A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Butt
authors.forename: Linda Y R
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Jacqueline E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lock
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index