To evaluate the efficacy and safety of PLC in perimenopausal or postmenopausal women with Hot Flashes: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Hot flashes are the most frequent symptoms of the menopause, with 10-20% of all postmenopausal women reporting nearly intolerable occurrences. Although pharmacopuncture with hominis placenta extract is one of the new acupuncture therapies popular in East Asian medicine with a known efficacy in treating facial flushing, there has been little research on the efficacy and safety of this extract. This study, therefore, aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pharmacopuncture with hominis placenta extract (PLC) compared to injections of normal saline, in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women in Korea. Methods/design: This study is a randomized placebo-controlled single-blind multi-center parallel-design trial. In total, 128 perimenopausal or postmenopausal women who meet the inclusion criteria will be recruited. The treatment group will receive PLC pharmacopuncture twice a week, for a total of 18 sessions over 9 weeks. The control group will receive injections of normal saline at the same acupoints during the same period. The post-treatment follow-up assessment will occur 4 weeks after the participant has completed the treatment. Discussion: We believe that this trial will provide evidence for the efficacy and safety of PLC pharmacopuncture as a treatment for hot flashes in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.