Non-hormonal menopause med reduces hot flashes, anxiety without HRT

Key Points:

• A new study shows that fezolinetant (Veozah), a menopause medication approved in 2023, significantly reduces the number and intensity of hot flashes and improves depression and anxiety symptoms within four weeks, without the risks associated with traditional hormone therapy.
• This study is the first to assess fezolinetant's effectiveness in a real-world population of menopausal women, providing reassuring evidence that benefits seen in clinical trials apply broadly to typical patients seeking treatment.
• Menopause often causes hot flashes, sleep disturbances, and psychological symptoms due to decreased estrogen affecting the hypothalamus and mood-related hormones like serotonin and cortisol.
• Traditional hormone therapy remains the gold standard for treating hot flashes but may cause side effects and is unsuitable for some women; non-hormonal options like fezolinetant and elinzanetant work by blocking neurokinin B in the brain and offer new treatment avenues.
• The rapid action of fezolinetant, with effects seen within a week, contrasts with hormone therapy which can take months for full benefit, expanding options for women seeking relief from menopausal symptoms.