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The Journal "Obstetrics and Gynecology"Journal HistoryAims and ScopePolicies on Conflict of Interest, Human and Animal Rights, and Informed ConsentEditorial ProcessData sharing statementAdvertising PolicyThe Process for Handling Cases Requiring Corrections, Retractions, and Editorial Expressions of ConcernEditorial BoardEditorial CounsilInformation for ProfessionalsNewsContacts
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Obstetrics and Gynegology2025№12

Alternatives to menopausal hormone therapy: an overview of opportunities and prospects

DOI
https://dx.doi.org/10.18565/aig.2025.343

Shikh E.V., Ignatova L.M.

I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia

Climacteric syndrome includes vasomotor, urogenital, and vegetative symptoms that significantly reduce women’s quality of life. Despite the effectiveness of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), its use is limited by contraindications and personal preferences. The Russian clinical guidelines discuss alternative approaches in addition to MHT. Phytoestrogens represent an alternative: they interact with the same receptors, but they act more gently and maintain effectiveness while having a more favorable safety profile. This review summarizes clinical and experimental evidence on phytoestrogens from red clover and hops, β-alanine, hyaluronic acid, and calendula. Their components reduce vasomotor complaints, affect hormonal and metabolic parameters, improve urogenital mucosa, and provide anti-inflammatory effect. Special attention is given to strategies for the combined use of dietary supplements. The Estrogiacaps nutraceutical that is available on the Russian market contains extracts of clover and hops, β-alanine, hyaluronic acid and calendula. The combination of these components in the nutraceutical provides a rational formula that can be used as an alternative approach to relieving symptoms in menopausal women. The article discusses the potential of the Estrogiacaps complex, which contains all the above components, as a non-hormonal alternative for managing menopausal symptoms.
Conclusion: The components of the Estrogiacaps nutraceutical work by affecting key mechanisms to provide relief from menopausal symptoms. On the one hand, they effectively reduce the menopausal symptoms, while on the other hand, they have a more favorable safety profile compared to hormone therapy.

Authors’ contributions: Shikh E.V., Ignatova L.M. – developing the concept and design of the study, collecting and processing the materials, writing the text, editing the article.
Conflicts of interest: Authors declare lack of the possible conflicts of interest.
Funding: The study was performed without sponsorship.
For citation: Shikh E.V., Ignatova L.M. Alternatives to menopausal hormone therapy: 
an overview of opportunities and prospects.
Akusherstvo i Ginekologiya/Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2025; (12): 29-36 (in Russian)
https://dx.doi.org/10.18565/aig.2025.343

Keywords

menopause
climacteric syndrome
phytoestrogens
red clover
hops
β-alanine
hyaluronic acid
calendula
nutraceutical complex
Full text (in Russian)

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Received 25.11.2025

Accepted 01.12.2025

About the Authors

Evgenia V. Shikh, Corresponding Member of the RAS, Dr. Med. Sci., Professor, Head of the Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Propaedeutics of Internal Diseases, Director of the Institute of Professional Education, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia (Sechenov University),
119048, Russia, Moscow, Trubetskaya str., 8, bld. 2, +7(495)609-19-91, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6589-7654
Lyudmila M. Ignatova, student, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia (Sechenov University),
119048, Russia, Moscow, Trubetskaya str., 8, bld. 2, +7(495)609-19-91, https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7499-1042

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