Mayo Clinic researchers have found a single dose of depomedroxyprogesterone acetate, or MPA, effectively reduces hot flashes. The scientists, working with other North Central Cancer Treatment Group investigators, found MPA to be more effective than the antidepressant venlafaxine (Effexor). Hot flashes are a major problem for many women as they approach menopause. Estrogen-based therapy had been the standard for many years, resulting in an 80 percent to 90 percent reduction in hot flashes. However, concerns about a link between estrogen and progesterone combined therapy and an increased risk of breast cancer, heart disease and/or cognitive dysfunction were reported in articles published in the Journal of the American Medical Association during 2002 and 2004, leading to a search for alternate therapies. No reports were previously published comparing the efficacy of the newer antidepressants to hormonal therapy for treating hot flashes. Dr. Charles Loprinzi, a Mayo Clinic oncologist and lead author of the study, said he and his colleagues initiated the study to make that comparison. Results of the research are available online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. © Copyright 2006 by United Press International

---

Copyright ©2026— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)

---