中醫藥研究論叢

142.10Suan Zao Ren Tang as an Original Treatment for Sleep Difficulty in ClimactericWomen: A Prospective Clinical Observation

Suan Zao Ren Tang as an Original Treatment for Sleep Difficulty in ClimactericWomen: A Prospective Clinical Observation

Chia-Hao Yeh,1, 2 Christof K. Arnold,1 Yen-Hui Chen,3 and Jung-Nein Lai14

1Institute of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan

2 Department of Chinese Medicine, Taipei City Hospital, Yang Ming Branch, Taipei 112, Taiwan

3School of Pharmacy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan

4 Department of Obstetric and Gynecology, Taipei City Hospital, Yang Ming Branch, Taipei 112, Taiwan

Correspondence should be addressed to Jung-Nein Lai, kareny@ms10.hinet.net

Received 23 December 2010; Accepted 8 March 2011

Copyright © 2011 Chia-Hao Yeh et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution

License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Little scientific evidence supports the efficacy of herbal medicines in the treatment of women with sleep difficulty during theclimacteric period. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Suan Zao Ren Tang (SZRT) in reducing theimpact of sleep disturbance on climacteric women, as measured by Pittsburg sleep quality index (PSQI) and the World HealthOrganization quality of life (WHOQOL). Sixty-seven climacteric women with sleep difficulty intending to treat received SZRTat a rate of 4.0 g, thrice daily for four weeks (MRS < 16, n = 34; MRS ≥ 16, n = 33). After taking into account potentialconfounding factors, the mean PSQI total scores had fallen from 13.0 (±2.9) to 9.0 (±3.2) (95% confidence interval −4.93,−3.10). Further analyses showed that SZRT produced superior benefit of daytime dysfunction in women with severe menopausalsymptoms (MRS ≥ 16). There were three of the withdrawals involved treatment-related adverse events (stomachache, diarrhea,and dizziness). Excluding women with a past history of stomachache, diarrhea, or dizziness, four weeks of therapy with SZRTappears to be a relatively safe and effective shortterm therapeutic option in improving daytime function of climacteric womenwith poor sleep quality.