New findings are giving Veozah a wider spotlight in menopause care. The non-hormonal prescription medication, already approved to help reduce hot flashes and night sweats, was also associated with statistically significant improvements in symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to a study called OPTION-VMS.
The research is still ongoing, but preliminary results presented at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting tracked 656 women ages 40 to 75 who had hot flashes and were prescribed Veozah or other non-hormonal treatments used for hot flashes, including SSRIs, SNRIs, gabapentin, and oxybutynin. Participants were monitored over 12 weeks, with mood check-ins at four, eight, and 12 weeks. Women taking Veozah reported meaningful improvement in hot flash symptoms, and those same participants also showed better depression and anxiety scores as early as four weeks into treatment. Similar mood improvements were also seen in people using some of the other non-hormonal therapies.
Why the mood benefits might be showing up
Experts say there are a few possible explanations, but the exact reason is not yet clear. One theory is that fewer hot flashes may lead to better sleep, which can improve overall well-being. Another possibility is tied to how the drug works: Veozah blocks neurokinin 3, or NK3, receptors in the brain, which helps regulate the temperature-control system involved in hot flashes. Since hot flashes can affect stress levels and quality of life, reducing them may indirectly help mood and anxiety as well.
Still, specialists caution against reading too much into the early data. Because the study did not include women who had anxiety or depression without hot flashes, it is difficult to know whether the medication is helping mood directly or whether the benefit is connected to relief from hot flashes. Even so, the findings may eventually support a more comprehensive approach to menopause care, especially for women in perimenopause or menopause who develop new mood symptoms alongside hot flashes.
Source: womenshealthmag.com
