2008年6月18日
碧萝芷®可以显著减轻经期疼痛
New Study: Pycnogenol® Significantly Reduces Menstrual Pain

        多中心的现场实验表明，碧萝芷®可以患者痛经止痛药物的用量
        Multi-center Field Study Reveals Pycnogenol® Reduces Need for Dysmenorrhea Pain Medication

        一项新的实验发现，取自法国沿海松树树皮的碧萝芷®中的天然成分可以减轻痛经，痛经是发生在女性月经期间的剧烈疼痛，每年有成百上千万的女性被痛经困扰。在《生殖医药通讯》（Journal of Reproductive Medicine ）杂志上发表的一项多中心现场实验表明，患有子宫内膜炎的女性患者在接受碧萝芷®治疗之后，疼痛得到了减轻，同时服用的止痛药物的剂量也得到了减少。
        A new study reveals dysmenorrhea, a condition that causes extremely painful menstrual periods affecting millions of women each year, can be reduced naturally by taking Pycnogenol®, (pic-noj-en-all), pine bark extract from the French maritime pine tree. The multi-center field study, published in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine, shows women with dysmenorrhea who supplemented with Pycnogenol® experienced less pain and required less pain medications during menstruation.

        “子宫内膜炎疼痛的原因是炎症症状的加重，典型症状就是经期痉挛疼痛，这种疼痛感觉会发展到令人无法忍受的剧痛，”此次研究的带头人Nobutaka Suzuki博士说。“非类固醇消炎药物（NSAID），如阿司匹林或者布洛芬，可以暂时缓解经期疼痛。但是，这些药物却无法缓解痉挛引起的疼痛，并且通常会引起药物副作用，尤其是胃部疾病。”
        “Dysmenorrheal pain is thought to be caused by elevated levels of inflammation and characterized by menstrual cramping pain, which may reach incapacitating severity,” said Dr. Nobutaka Suzuki, lead researcher of the study. “Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) like aspirin or ibuprofen provide temporary help against menstrual pain. Unfortunately, they are generally ineffective for resolving spasmodic events and commonly cause side effects, particularly gastric problems.”

        之前有多篇发表文章阐述了碧萝芷®可以减少经期不适，如经期疼痛和子宫内膜异位，并且，碧萝芷®的这一功效还注册了专利，受到法律保护。此外，研究证实，碧萝芷®是一种天然抗炎症成分，因此碧萝芷®可以减轻月经期间出现的炎症引起的疼痛。在去年的《生育医药通讯》杂志上发表的实验文章指出，碧萝芷®可以将子宫内膜炎症状减轻33%。实验还证实，碧萝芷®不会对患者产生类似激素的作用，因此患有痛经的患者可以安全地使用碧萝芷®。
         Numerous published studies reveal Pycnogenol’s® effectiveness in relieving menstrual disorders, such as relief of menstrual pain and endometriosis, and it is patent protected for this application. Additional studies reveal Pycnogenol? is a natural anti-inflammatory, which provides the basis for the rational to use Pycnogenol® to naturally moderate inflammatory pain sensation involved in menstruation. A study published last year in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine revealed that Pycnogenol® significantly reduces symptoms of endometriosis by 33 percent. This study also demonstrated that Pycnogenol® does not exert any estrogen-like activity, which considerably adds to the safety for women who seek help for painful periods.

        这项随机的、双盲的、有安慰剂组对照的实验在日本的4家医院（金泽大学医院、庆寿医学中心、滨松大学医院和杉浦诊所）联合完成，共有116名患有痛经的年龄在18到48岁的女性患者参加。
         The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted at four Japanese hospitals (Kanazawa University Hospital, Keiju Medical Center, Hamamatsu University Hospital and Sugiura Clinic) and sampled 116 women, aged 18–48, suffering from menstrual pain.

        实验持续5个月经周期。病人在月经期间每天记录疼痛的情况，然后用Visual Analog表格对疼痛进行评估。实验开始前的两个月经周期所记录下来的数据作为基数以及NSAID用量统计。之后的两个月经周期，实验人员将患者随机分为两组，分别接受碧萝芷®治疗和安慰剂治疗。在第五个月经周期，患者不接受任何治疗，而是观察患者停止治疗后症状的复发情况。在实验过程中，不禁止患者服用NSAID药物。但是，患者需要仔细记录下服用药物的品种和剂量，以及服用的具体时间。
         Patients were monitored for five menstrual cycles. They were supplied with a diary to note the pain during days of menstruation, which was evaluated using the established Visual Analog Scale. The first two pre-treatment menstrual cycles were utilized for establishing base-line values for pain sensation and NSAID analgesics. During the following two menstrual cycles women were randomly assigned to groups receiving daily regimens of Pycnogenol® or placebo. Thereafter, supplementation was discontinued to investigate the recurrence of symptoms. The use of NSAID analgesics was not restricted during the entire study. However, patients were required to note the dose and the type of analgesics, as well as the time taken in their diary.

        实验结果显示，碧萝芷可以减少经期疼痛，因为患者在接受碧萝芷®治疗之后，服用止疼药物的剂量减少了。患者每个月经周期当中发生子宫内膜炎腹部疼痛的平均天数在实验的第三、四个月经周期由实验之初的2.1天减少到了1.3天。患者停服碧萝芷®之后，腹痛症状并没有立即复发，而且患者服用的止痛药物剂量也没有增加。
         Results showed treatment with Pycnogenol® lowered pain during menstruation, which was reflected by a significant reduction of NSAID used. The number of painful days due to dysmenorrhea decreased from an average of 2.1 days prior to treatment to 1.3 at both the third and fourth cycle. Discontinuation of Pycnogenol® did not cause an immediate relapse, and pain medication use did not increase.

        子宫内膜炎是引起青春期女孩短期缺课以及育龄女性身体不适的最常见病因。除了NSAID药物，口服避孕药和荷尔蒙注射也是常见的治疗方法，但是女性患者更希望可以有一种纯天然替代药物，比如碧萝芷®。
         Dysmenorrhea is the leading cause of recurrent short-term school absence in adolescent girls and a common problem in women of reproductive age. While NSAID, oral contraceptives and hormone injections are the most common treatments, many women also seek safe and natural alternatives, such as Pycnogenol®.