Effectiveness of yoga for improving menopause-related symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives: Menopause-related symptoms often cause considerable distress to women. Yoga is widely employed as a complementary method for managing menopause-related symptoms, but its effectiveness must still be determined. Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effectiveness of yoga for improving menopause-related symptoms. Using identified keywords, a systematic literature search for relevant English and Chinese language studies published before February 2018 was conducted in the following electronic databases: PubMed, MEDLINE. CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, and the Airiti Library. Results of the literature search were screened using proposed inclusion and exclusion criteria. Eleven articles were included for systematic review after removing some articles on irrelevant topics. Study quality was assessed based on the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for Randomized Controlled Trials, and ranking of evidence was based on the Oxford 2011 Levels of Evidence. Meta-analysis was conducted using Review Manager version 5.3. Results: Meta-analysis results indicated that practicing yoga resulted in an improvement in overall menopause-related symptoms [standardized mean difference (SMD): -0.96. 95% confidence interval (95% CI): -1.60. -0.32. p = 0.003; heterogeneity /1 = 86%]. depression (SMD: -0.23. 95% CI: -0.42. -0.03, p = 0.02; I1 = 0%). sleep disorders (SMD: -0.21, 95% CI: -0.41. -0.02, p = 0.03; I1 = 0%), and vasomotor symptoms (SMD: -0.23, 95% CI: -0.41, -0.05, p ▪ 0.01; /l = 0%). However, practicing yoga did not result in a significant reduction in the perception of stress. Conclusions: The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis support that yoga may improve overall menopause-related symptoms, depression, sleep disorders, and vasomotor symptoms. Recommendations related to practicing yoga for this specific population may be attenuated by influences associated with the internal and external validities of the included studies. Conducting additional rigorous studies is necessary to enrich the currently available information.