Evaluating therapeutic effect in symptoms of moderate-to-severe premenstrual syndrome with Vitex agnus castus (BNO 1095) in Chinese women

Objectives: To assess therapeutic effect of an extract of Vitex agnus castus (VAC, BNO 1095) in premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in Chinese women. Design: It was a prospective, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study carried out in China. Eligible patients were treated with VAC extract or placebo for three cycles. Symptoms were documented with PMS diary (PMSD), a daily rating scale with 17 items. Main efficacy variable was the reduction percentage of 17 symptom score documented in PMSD during the luteal phase of the third treatment cycle. Results: A total of 67 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to VAC group or placebo group. Of these, 64 patients completed the study (31 vs. 33). All the 17 symptoms showed a significantly greater improvement with VAC than placebo (P < 0.05) except lower abdominal cramping (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Vitex agnus castus is more effective than placebo in the treatment of moderate-to-severe PMS in Chinese women, especially in symptoms of negative effect and insomnia.