The only non-hormonal drug for the most common symptoms of menopause arrives in Spain
Vasomotor symptoms of menopause (VMS), such as hot flashes or night sweats, which eight out of ten women suffer During this period of life they can already be treated the first non-hormonal drug available in Spain.
Fezolinetant helps restore thermoregulatory balance., reducing the frequency and intensity of hot flashes and sweating. Is alternative for women who do not want or cannot use hormonal treatment, according to Maria Facero, doctor of gynecology and obstetrics at the University Hospital of La Zarzuela and representative of the Spanish Association for the Study of Menopause (AEEM).
This is taken for orally and it is not currently funded by public health; each box 28 tablets cost 74.31 euros, That is 2.65 euros per day, sources at Astellas, the company that sells it, told EFE.
The drug demonstrated a clinically and statistically significant reduction in the frequency of vasomotor symptoms of menopause, while effects that begin to be observed from the first week administration.
Hot flashes They are moderate when accompanied by sweating, and severe when they reach such a level that they require the cessation of normal activities; both forms “can have a major impact” on quality of life women, affecting their mood, personal and social relationships, work, concentration and even “self-care,” explained Santiago Palacios, gynecologist and director of the Palacios Institute of Women’s Health and Medicine.
86% of Spanish women experience symptoms related to menopause. and hot flashes and night sweats are among the four most common, as they develop in up to 80% of women, of which 25% have moderate or severe intensity; and about 10% indicate that these symptoms interfere with their daily life.
SVMs originate in the hypothalamus, the part of the brain responsible for regulate body temperature through neurons called KNDy. Under normal conditions, there is a balance between estrogen, which inhibits these neurons, and the brain substance neurokinin B (NKB), which mediates them.
During menopause this balance is lost due to less estrogen causing the hypothalamus to interpret that the body is hot when in fact it is not, which causes hot flashes – sudden, intense sensations of heat in the face, neck and chest, which can be accompanied by sweating, chills, restlessness and palpitations and which can last from 1 to 5 minutes – or night sweats – hot flashes during sleep.
On average, Spanish women are likely to experience SVM moderate intensity for 4.5 years, although the maximum prevalence of this phenomenon occurs in the first two years after the last menstruation; nevertheless, There are factors that can prolong its duration.such as low level of education, stress or depression.
Its impact is such that its frequency and severity can be used to predict future chronic health problemssuch as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis or memory problems.