Evidence was insufficient to show whether exercise is an effective treatment for vasomotor menopausal symptoms .
One small study suggested that HT is more effective than exercise .
Evidence was insufficient to show the relative effectiveness of exercise when compared with HT or yoga
BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that many perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women will experience menopausal symptoms ; hot flushes are the most common .
Symptoms caused by fluctuating levels of oestrogen may be alleviated by hormone therapy ( HT ) , but a marked global decline in its use has result ed from concerns about the risks and benefits of HT .
Consequently , many women are seeking alternatives .
As large numbers of women are choosing not to take HT , it is increasingly important to identify evidence -based lifestyle modifications that have the potential to reduce vasomotor menopausal symptoms .
OBJECTIVES To examine the effectiveness of any type of exercise intervention in the management of vasomotor symptoms in symptomatic perimenopausal and postmenopausal women .
Hot flushes during the menopause transition: a longitudinal study in Australian-born women
Objective : To investigate factors associated with the presence , severity , and frequency of hot flushes . Design : A 9-year prospect i ve study of 438 Australian-born women , aged 45 to 55 years and menstruating at baseline .  Annual fasting blood collection , physical measurements , and interviews including questions about bothersome hot flushes in previous 2 weeks were performed . A “ hot flush index ” score was calculated from the product of the severity and frequency data . Data were analyzed using r and om-effects time-series regression models . Results : A total of 381 women supplied complete data over the follow-up years . A total of 350 women experienced the menopause transition , of whom 60 ( 17 % ) never reported bothersome hot flushes . At baseline , women who reported hot flushes were significantly more likely to have higher negative moods , not be in full- or part-time paid work , smoke , and not report exercising every day . Over the 9-year period of the study , variables significantly associated with reporting bothersome hot flushes were relatively young age ( P < 0.001 ) , low exercise levels ( P < 0.05 ) , low estradiol levels ( P < 0.001 ) , high follicle-stimulating hormone ( FSH ) levels ( P < 0.001 ) , smoking ( P < 0.01 ) , being in the late menopause transition ( P < 0.001 ) , or being postmenopausal ( P < 0.001 ) . In women reporting hot flushes , the hot flush index score increased as their FSH levels increased ( P < 0.01 ) , as they entered the late stage of the menopause transition ( P < 0.001 ) , and as they became postmenopausal ( P < 0.05 ) , and decreased with as their age ( P < 0.001 ) and exercise level ( P < 0.05 ) increased . Between-women analyses found that the hot flush index score was greater in women with higher average FSH levels over time ( P < 0.05 ) . Conclusion : Menopause status , FSH and estradiol levels , age , exercise level , and smoking status all contributed to the experience of bothersome hot flushes
Evidence was insufficient to show whether exercise is an effective treatment for vasomotor menopausal symptoms .
One small study suggested that HT is more effective than exercise .
Evidence was insufficient to show the relative effectiveness of exercise when compared with HT or yoga
BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that many perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women will experience menopausal symptoms ; hot flushes are the most common .
Symptoms caused by fluctuating levels of oestrogen may be alleviated by hormone therapy ( HT ) , but a marked global decline in its use has result ed from concerns about the risks and benefits of HT .
Consequently , many women are seeking alternatives .
As large numbers of women are choosing not to take HT , it is increasingly important to identify evidence -based lifestyle modifications that have the potential to reduce vasomotor menopausal symptoms .
OBJECTIVES To examine the effectiveness of any type of exercise intervention in the management of vasomotor symptoms in symptomatic perimenopausal and postmenopausal women .