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Alternative Treatments of Vasomotor Symptoms of Menopause
- Katherine M. Newton, PhD;
- Susan D. Reed, MD, MPH; and
- Andrea Z. LaCroix, PhD
- From Group Health Center for Health Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine, and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98101.
IN RESPONSE:
We do not agree with Mr. Krueger that a within-participant design would have been preferable. A valid crossover study requires sufficient time for the effects of 1 drug to “wash out” before treatment with a second drug can begin. The time needed for the effects of herbal treatments to wash out is unknown, so a crossover study would be subject to the criticism that the effects of 1 drug contaminated the effects of the others. Exposing each woman in our study to all treatments would have required 14 months of …
