Use of dietary supplements and medication among postmenopausal women with vasomotor symptoms.

OBJECTIVES: To assess how postmenopausal women with severe vasomotor symptoms who volunteer for an acupuncture trial (ACUFLASH) differ from the general population (the Norwegian Women and Cancer study, NOWAC); and to describe the use of dietary supplements and medication during trial intervention and follow-up. METHODS: Questionnaire data on postmenopausal women regarding demography and use of dietary supplements and medication were compared between the ACUFLASH trial (baseline, 2006-2007, n = 267) and the NOWAC study (2004-2005, n = 331). Additionally, the trial intervention groups, acupuncture and self-care (n = 134) or self-care alone (n = 133), were compared regarding supplements and medication use. RESULTS: The prevalence of dietary supplement use was higher among women with severe vasomotor symptoms (83.9%) than in the population-based sample (74.3%), with particularly extensive use of cod liver oil. The prevalence of medication use was 46.4% in ACUFLASH and 55.0% in NOWAC. Trial participants reported poorer self-reported health, higher education level and tended to be former oral contraceptive users and smokers. At trial baseline, 48.5% of the acupuncture group and 60.3% of the self-care group used dietary supplements (p > 0.05), while 48.5% in the acupuncture group and 45.0% in the self-care group used medication (p > 0.05). Use of supplements for vasomotor symptoms increased significantly in the self-care group at 12 weeks, while it remained unchanged in the acupuncture group. Hormone therapy use increased significantly in both groups after intervention. CONCLUSION: Postmenopausal women suffering severe vasomotor symptoms used more dietary supplements than the general population. They also had poorer self-reported health, but their medication use was similar to that of the general population. Acupuncture did not influence use of dietary supplements in the randomized intervention.