MEDITATION NEWS ITEM

Meditation May Ease Hot Flashes,New Study Suggests

FRIDAY, 15 SEPTEMBER 2006

A small study suggests that meditation may ease hot flashes and improve the quality of life among menopausal women. The study was published in Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society.

During menopausal stage, women experience hot flashes and night sweats which they regard as a simple nuisance in many cases. Ten to 20 percent of women report that hot flashes bring distress and perturb their lives while only a third undergoes treatment. Before, hormone replacement therapy was the standard treatment for hot flashes until studies suggested that it raises the risk of heart disease and breast cancer. Presently, alternative therapies are gaining popularity as a treatment for hot flashes.

Fifteen menopausal women who experience an average seven hot flashes a day participated in the study. They kept a journal to record their hot flashes during and after the stress reduction-program. The stress-reduction program included training in mindful stretching, sitting meditation, and body scan meditation. After the study, the rate of hot flashes dropped an average of 39% while the severity decreased 40% over the course of the study. The women also reported a 28% improvement in the over-all quality of life.

The results of the study suggest that mindfulness-based stress-reduction programs like meditation may really help in managing hot-flashes. However, researcher James Carmody PhD. of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and colleagues say that the results still call for further study.

For more information on this event, please visit www.webmd.com.

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