Background
Perimenopause, the transitional period before menopause, is characterized by various physical and psychological symptoms that can impact women's health, well-being, and quality of life. Lifestyle modifications, including exercise, diet, and health education, might help manage these symptoms, but the current evidence is inconsistent. This systematic review aimed to synthesize and identify gaps in existing randomized controlled trials examining the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions on perimenopause symptoms.
Methods
This review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Four electronic databases (PubMed, CENTRAL, Web of Science, and Scopus) were searched. Two reviewers independently screened the records for eligibility, extracted data, and assessed study quality using a modified Downs and Black checklist and a strategy based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation working group.
Results
A total of 25 studies met the inclusion criteria. Nine studies evaluated exercise-only interventions, 12 studies investigated a combined intervention, and five studies focused on health education-only interventions. Notably, no studies exclusively examined diet-based interventions.
Conclusion
The findings suggest that both exercise and health education might offer benefits in managing perimenopausal symptoms. However, due to large between study variances and methodological inconsistencies, evidence-based guidelines for lifestyle interventions during perimenopause remain elusive. Further high-quality research is needed to determine the optimal principles of lifestyle prescription for addressing perimenopause symptoms.
Significance
The findings underscore the potential of exercise and health education in alleviating perimenopausal symptoms, while emphasizing the need for more rigorous studies to establish definitive, evidence-based guidelines.