SynthesisClimacteric : the journal of the International Menopause Society2015
Efficacy of phytoestrogens for menopausal symptoms: a meta-analysis and systematic review.
Synthesis in Climacteric : the journal of the International Menopause Society, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 93 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
93 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 307 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Brazilian Guideline on Menopausal Cardiovascular Health - 2024.Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia · 2024Guideline
- The Effect ofInternational journal of community based nursing and midwifery · 2023Pooled it
- Associations between Phytoestrogens, Glucose Homeostasis, and Risk of Diabetes in Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2018Pooled it
- Guideline
- Ginseng for managing menopausal woman's health: A systematic review of double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials.Medicine · 2016Pooled it
- Evaluation of the Potential Beneficial Effects ofNutrients · 2024Trial
- Trial
- Moderate Consumption of Beer (with and without Ethanol) and Menopausal Symptoms: Results from a Parallel Clinical Trial in Postmenopausal Women.Nutrients · 2021Trial
- Trial
- Trial
- Trial
- Genetic Variation in Steroid and Xenobiotic Metabolizing Pathways and Enterolactone Excretion Before and After Flaxseed Intervention in African American and European American Women.Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2019Trial
- Effects of the Chinese Herbal Formulation (Liu Wei Di Huang Wan) on the Pharmacokinetics of Isoflavones in Postmenopausal Women.BioMed research international · 2015Trial
- Exploring the Health Effects of Phytoestrogens.Metabolites · 2026Review
- Environmental estrogens and animal reproductive health: mechanisms, biomarkers, and intervention approaches.Journal of animal science and biotechnology · 2026Review
- Diet, the Gut Microbiome, and Estrogen Physiology: A Review in Menopausal Health and Interventions.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Successful sexual aging: A narrative review using the multidimensional theoretical paradigm of systems sexology to explore sexual health in midlife and older adults.Journal of endocrinological investigation · 2026Review
- Reproductive Longevity: Innovative Approaches Beyond Hormone Replacement Therapy.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Review
- Evaluation of the effects ofAvicenna journal of phytomedicine · 2026Article
33 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
- Commented on by
Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo perform a meta-analysis examining the efficacy of phytoestrogens for the relief of menopausal symptoms.
methodsMedline, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases were searched until September 30, 2013 using the following key words: vasomotor symptoms, menopausal symptoms, phytoestrogens, isoflavones, coumestrol, soy, red clover. Inclusion criteria were (1) randomized controlled trial (RCT), (2) perimenopausal or postmenopausal women experiencing menopausal symptoms, (3) intervention with an oral phytoestrogen. Outcome measures included Kupperman index (KI) changes, daily hot flush frequency, and the likelihood of side-effects.
resultsOf 543 potentially relevant studies identified, 15 RCTs meeting the inclusion criteria were included. The mean age of the subjects ranged from 49 to 58.3 and 48 to 60.1 years, respectively, in the placebo and phytoestrogen groups. The number of participants ranged from 30 to 252, and the intervention periods ranged from 3 to 12 months. Meta-analysis of the seven studies that reported KI data indicated no significant treatment effect of phytoestrogen as compared to placebo (pooled mean difference = 6.44, p = 0.110). Meta-analysis of the ten studies that reported hot flush data indicated that phytoestrogens result in a significantly greater reduction in hot flush frequency compared to placebo (pooled mean difference = 0.89, p < 0.005). Meta-analysis of the five studies that reported side-effect data showed no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.175).
conclusionPhytoestrogens appear to reduce the frequency of hot flushes in menopausal women, without serious side-effects.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.