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Objective: Most women experience vasomotor symptoms (VMS) around menopause that may affect quality of life negatively. Effective pharmacological treatment exists but is not recommended for all women, and there is a demand for alternatives to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a resistance training intervention on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in postmenopausal women with VMS., Methods: This open randomized controlled trial included 65 postmenopausal women >45 years old with daily VMS. The participants were randomized to 15 weeks of resistance training three times per week or an untreated control group. The Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ) and Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) were used to assess HRQoL at baseline and after 15 weeks., Results: The resistance training group improved compared to the control group in the WHQ domains of VMS ( p  = 0.002), sleep problems ( p  = 0.003) and menstrual symptoms ( p  = 0.01) from baseline to post intervention. No significant between-group differences were found in SF-36 summary scores, or in any of the domains., Conclusion: In postmenopausal women with moderate to severe VMS, resistance training three times per week for 15 weeks improved menopause-specific HRQoL.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of 15 weeks of resistance training on the frequency of moderate to severe hot flushes in postmenopausal women., Study Design: Postmenopausal women with at least 4 moderate or severe hot flushes or night sweats per day day were randomized to a 15-week resistance training intervention or unchanged physical activity. Participants did not exercise regularly at baseline and had not used any therapy for hot flushes two months prior to study entry. The resistance training was performed three times per week and the program contained 8 exercises performed with 8-12 repetitions in 2 sets. Loads were set individually from eight-repetition maximum-strength tests and increased progressively., Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome was change in mean moderate or severe hot flushes per day from baseline to week 15, assessed with symptom diaries. Secondary outcomes included change in hot flush score and time spent on physical activity., Results: Between November 19, 2013, and October 26, 2016, 65 women were enrolled; 58 completed the trial and were included in the analyses. The mean age was 55 and the mean number of moderate or severe hot flushes per day at baseline was 7.1; there were no baseline differences between groups. The frequency of hot flushes decreased more in the intervention group than in the control group (mean difference -2.7, 95% CI -4.2 to -1.3). The mean percentage change was -43.6% (-56.0 to -31.3) in the intervention group and -2.0% (-16.4-12.4) in the control group., Conclusion: A 15-week resistance-training program decreased the frequency of moderate and severe hot flushes among postmenopausal women and could be an effective and safe treatment option to alleviate vasomotor symptoms., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Hot flushes and night sweats affect 75% of all women after menopause and is a common reason for decreased quality of life in mid-aged women. Hormone therapy is effective in ameliorating symptoms but cannot be used by all women due to contraindications and side effects. Engagement in regular exercise is associated with fewer hot flushes in observational studies, but aerobic exercise has not proven effective in randomized controlled trials. It remains to be determined whether resistance training is effective in reducing hot flushes and improves quality of life in symptomatic postmenopausal women. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of standardized resistance training on hot flushes and other health parameters in postmenopausal women., Study Design: This is an open, parallel-group, randomized controlled intervention study conducted in Linköping, Sweden. Sixty symptomatic and sedentary postmenopausal women with a mean of at least four moderate to severe hot flushes per day or 28 per week will be randomized to an exercise intervention or unchanged physical activity (control group). The intervention consists of 15 weeks of standardized resistance training performed three times a week under supervision of a physiotherapist., Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome is hot flush frequency assessed by self-reported hot flush diaries, and the difference in change from baseline to week 15 will be compared between the intervention group and the control group., Conclusion: The intention is that this trial will contribute to the evidence base regarding effective treatment for hot flushes., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Internet-delivered therapies have a short history and promising results have been shown for several health problems, particularly for psychiatric conditions. This study was a first attempt to evaluate whether Internet-delivered applied relaxation for hot flushes in postmenopausal women may be useful. Due to a high drop-out rate the study was prematurely terminated after inclusion of approximately two thirds of calculated women. The Internet-delivered applied relaxation must probably be modified for such populations and settings before it can be used further. This article will discuss the benefits and pitfalls to learn in order to meet the challenges of future studies. Clinical trial registration number: NCT01245907., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The use of hormone therapy (HT) for hot flushes has changed dramatically over the past five decades. In this cross-sectional questionnaire study, the aim was to describe the use of HT and alternative treatments and to study the frequency of hot flushes. A further aim was to compare data from the present questionnaire with data from previous studies made in the same geographic area., Method: A questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 2000 women aged 47-56 years living in Östergötland County, Sweden. The results were compared with findings from previous studies regarding use of HT, alternative treatment and hot flushes, and the number of HT prescriptions dispensed during the corresponding time using data derived from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Registry., Results: The response rate was 66%. Six percent used HT, in line with prevalence data from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Registry. Alternative treatments were used by 10%. About 70% of postmenopausal women reported flushes and almost one-third of those with flushes stated that they would be positive to HT if therapy could be shown to be harmless, a view more often stated by women with severe complaints of hot flushes (67%)., Conclusion: The use of HT and alternative treatments is low and many women suffer from flushes that could be treated. Women considered their knowledge of the climacteric period and treatment options as insufficient. Individualized information should be given and women with significant climacteric complaints, without contraindications, should be given the opportunity to try HT.

Objective: This work aimed to study the efficacy of group therapy with applied relaxation on vasomotor symptoms and health-related quality of life in postmenopausal women., Methods: In this open, randomized controlled trial, 60 healthy postmenopausal women with at least seven moderate to severe hot flashes per 24 hours were randomized to either group therapy with applied relaxation (n = 33) or untreated control group (n = 27) for 12 weeks. A follow-up visit was scheduled 3 months after the end of therapy or participation in the control group. Salivary cortisol was measured three times during a 6-month period. Hot flashes were recorded in self-registered diaries, and health-related quality of life was assessed with the Women's Health Questionnaire., Results: The number of hot flashes decreased by 5.0 per 24 hours in the applied relaxation group compared with 1.9 in the control group on the 12th week (P < 0.001) and still remained at the same level at the 3-month follow-up (P < 0.001). Health-related quality of life for vasomotor symptoms, sleep, and memory improved significantly on the 12th week measurement in the applied relaxation group compared with the control group. Salivary cortisol concentration was lowered markedly in the applied relaxation group on a single measurement but was otherwise mainly stable in both groups., Conclusions: Applied relaxation can be used to treat vasomotor symptoms in healthy postmenopausal women.