Objective: To further understand and compare the effectiveness of pattern differentiation treatment and fixed prescription treatment in perimenopausal syndrome.
Methods: The study was conducted in Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions Workers' Medical Clinics, Hong Kong Baptist University Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (Hong Kong, China). One hundred Chinese women, aged 45-55 years had been recruited. The participants were randomized into 2 groups. The intervention group was administered medication, based on pattern differentiation, by qualified traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners. After each evaluation, TCM practitioners evaluated and revised the prescription, based on the participants' patterns. The control group was given the standard formula, i.e., the Erxian decoction. The treatment period and the follow-up period were 8 weeks each. The primary assessment outcome measure was the Kupperman Index (KI), and the secondary outcome measure was the Menopause-specific Quality of Life Questionnaire score (MENQOL).
Result: This study found both of the intervention group and the control group can effectively treat the clinical symptoms of perimenopausal syndrome, and the intervention group had a higher effective rate in treating perimenopausal syndrome than the control group. According to the Kupperman Index score, there was a significant statistical difference between two groups in the treatment at the 6th and the 8th week (P=0.008, P=0.00), and the MENQOL score also showed statistical significance from the 4th to the 8th week (P=0.01, P=0.007, P=0.001). In the KI subdivision items, there were significant statistical differences in nervousness (P=0.007), sleep problem (P=0.003), depressive mood (P=0.03), physical and mental exhaustion (P=0.00), headache (P=0.003), joint pain and muscular discomfort (P=0.003) after 8 weeks of treatment. The psychosocial (P=0.001), physical (P=0.00) and sexual (P=0.003) domains of MENQOL showed significant statistical differences after 4 weeks of treatment between two group. In most of the measurement index, both intervention and control group have significant statistical difference after 8 weeks' treatment (P=0.00), and treatment efficiency can continue to the follow-up period.
Conclusion: Pattern-differentiated treatment is the basic principle of TCM to understand and treat diseases. The study showed the pattern-differentiated treatment was more effective than the fixed prescription.
