Women's Health

1. Women's Healthwell supported · human dataAdded 8 August 2026

   Melatonin fails to improve sleep in menopause, pooled trials find

   A meta-analysis of eight randomised trials in 812 menopausal women found melatonin, at doses of 1 mg to 5 mg for 3 to 12 months, modestly improved physical symptoms but did not improve sleep quality, overall menopausal symptoms, mood, anxiety or depression.

   ⚠What it shows: Meta-analysis of only eight RCTs with varying doses (1-5 mg) and durations (3-12 months); heterogeneity was high for several outcomes and the authors call for larger trials to confirm the findings.Meta-analysis · Menopause

   Full breakdown →Optimising Your Sleep Environment →Sleep Calculator →Effects of exogenous melatonin on sleep quality and menopausal symptoms in menopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Menopause 2021
2. Women's Healthpreliminary · human dataAdded 8 August 2026

   Intermittent fasting linked to 4.25 kg weight loss in PCOS

   In a meta-analysis of five studies, intermittent fasting reduced body weight by an average of 4.25 kg in women with PCOS, alongside improvements in BMI, insulin resistance, triglycerides, free androgens and inflammation, though total testosterone, cholesterol and waist-to-hip ratio did not change.

   ⚠What it shows: Meta-analysis of only five studies; the authors themselves describe the evidence as preliminary, and several hormone and lipid outcomes (total testosterone, cholesterol, AMH) showed no significant change.Meta-analysis · Nutrients

   Full breakdown →Insulin sensitivity explained →Calorie Deficit Calculator →Effect of Intermittent Fasting on Anthropometric Measurements, Metabolic Profile, and Hormones in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients 2025
3. Women's Healthwell supported · human dataAdded 8 August 2026

   Oestrogen-only HRT raises womb-lining risk, adding progestogen offsets it

   A Cochrane review of 45 randomised trials found oestrogen-only hormone therapy increases the risk of endometrial hyperplasia at all doses in postmenopausal women, while regimens combining low-dose oestrogen continuously with at least 1 mg norethisterone acetate or 1.5 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate carried no greater risk than placebo.

   ⚠What it shows: 2009 Cochrane review (a later update exists); applies to postmenopausal women with an intact uterus, and small study numbers plus clinical heterogeneity prevented meta-analysis for many outcomes.Meta-analysis · Cochrane Database Syst Rev

   Full breakdown →Hormone therapy in postmenopausal women and risk of endometrial hyperplasia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2009
4. Women's Healthwell supported · human dataAdded 8 August 2026

   PCOS linked to lower heart rate variability

   Women with PCOS show significantly lower heart rate variability than women without the condition, according to a meta-analysis of 17 studies. The reduction appeared in normal-weight and overweight women with PCOS, but not in the obese subgroup.

   ⚠What it shows: Meta-analysis of 17 observational studies of mixed quality (low to high risk of bias) with substantial heterogeneity; this is an association between PCOS and lower HRV, not proof that PCOS causes autonomic dysfunction or cardiovascular events.Meta-analysis · Syst Rev

   Full breakdown →HRV explained →Exploring heart rate variability in polycystic ovary syndrome: implications for cardiovascular health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Syst Rev 2024
5. Women's Healthwell supported · human dataAdded 8 August 2026

   Laser therapy tops the rankings for genitourinary symptoms of menopause

   In a network meta-analysis of 29 randomised trials involving 8311 patients, laser therapy ranked as the most effective treatment for most genitourinary symptoms of menopause, followed by vaginal oestrogen, with both posing relatively low risk of adverse events. Ospemifene was superior for sexual function but carried a higher risk of adverse events and endometrial hyperplasia.

   ⚠What it shows: Bayesian network meta-analysis of 29 RCTs (8311 women); rankings rest on indirect comparisons rather than head-to-head trials, treatment effect varied with age, and the analysis pooled five quite different regimens.Meta-analysis · Pharmacol Res

   Full breakdown →Efficacy and safety of current therapies for genitourinary syndrome of menopause: A Bayesian network analysis of 29 randomized trials and 8311 patients. Pharmacol Res 2021
6. Women's Healthwell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

   Group dance improves heart and body markers in older women

   In a meta-analysis of 17 studies, plaza dancing, group aerobic dance performed to music in public spaces, significantly reduced body weight, BMI, body fat percentage, resting heart rate, systolic blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides in healthy women aged 45 and over, and improved vital capacity, with BMI benefits strongest in programmes of 12 weeks or less.

   ⚠What it shows: Meta-analysis of 17 studies in healthy middle-aged and older women, drawn heavily from Chinese databases; effect sizes were mostly small to moderate and the authors call for larger, long-term follow-up trials.Meta-analysis · Front Public Health

   Full breakdown →Zone 2 explained →Body Fat Calculator →Effects of plaza dancing on body composition and cardiopulmonary function in middle-aged and the aged healthy women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Public Health 2025
7. Women's Healthwell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

   Exercise linked to lighter mood through menopause

   A meta-analysis of 17 randomised trials found that leisure-time physical activity alleviated depressive symptoms in menopausal women (SMD −1.23), with results similar regardless of exercise intensity, form, duration or supervision.

   ⚠What it shows: Meta-analysis of 17 RCTs with wide confidence intervals suggesting heterogeneity across studies; depression was measured with varied scales, and the authors call for further high-quality trials to confirm the findings.Systematic review · Front Psychiatry

   Full breakdown →Effect of leisure-time physical activity on depression and depressive symptoms in menopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Front Psychiatry 2024
8. Women's Healthpreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

   No sign the pill blunts fitness in active women

   A meta-analysis of 29 studies in 726 physically active premenopausal women found combined oral contraceptive use made little to no difference to heart rate, respiratory measures, IL-6, BMI or metabolic markers compared with non-users, though the certainty of the evidence was low.

   ⚠What it shows: Meta-analysis of 29 studies (726 active women), but certainty was rated low across all outcomes due to small samples, high risk of bias and varied methods, reassuring, not definitive.Systematic review · Front Physiol

   Full breakdown →Effect of oral contraceptive use on cardiorespiratory and immune function in premenopausal women involved in exercise: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Physiol 2026
9. Women's Healthwell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

   Remote pelvic floor training pays off postpartum

   In a meta-analysis of 16 randomised trials, online pelvic floor muscle training reduced postpartum urinary incontinence incidence (RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.82) and modestly eased symptom severity (SMD -0.25), while in older women severity did not significantly improve (SMD -0.12) and the only gain was better adherence. Quality of life did not differ significantly in either group.

   ⚠What it shows: Systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 RCTs of remotely delivered pelvic floor training in women with urinary incontinence; moderate-to-high heterogeneity between trials, and benefits differed sharply by life stage.Meta-analysis · Int J Nurs Pract

   Full breakdown →The Rehabilitative Effects of Online Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises on Female Urinary Incontinence Across Various Life Stages: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Nurs Pract 2026
10. Women's Healthwell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    Exercise moves the metabolic markers in PCOS

    Across 25 randomised trials in 1,107 women with polycystic ovary syndrome, exercise training significantly reduced fasting insulin (SMD -0.28), HOMA-IR (SMD -0.50), triglycerides (-2.70 mg/dl), total cholesterol (-3.74 mg/dl) and CRP (SMD -0.61) versus non-exercise controls, while fasting glucose, LDL and HDL did not shift overall. In the network comparison, aerobic training and HIIT looked best for glucose handling, aerobic training for inflammation, and combined training for lipids.

    ⚠What it shows: Systematic review with pairwise and network meta-analyses of 25 RCTs totalling 1,107 women with PCOS aged on average 18 to 34; several effect sizes were small, absolute lipid changes were modest, and network rankings rest on indirect comparisons.Meta-analysis · BMC Womens Health

    Full breakdown →Insulin sensitivity explained →Metabolic Fitness Index →Comparative efficacy of exercise modes on cardiometabolic health in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review with pairwise and network meta-analyses. BMC Womens Health 2026
11. Women's Healthpreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    Combined therapies rank best for perimenopausal mood

    A network meta-analysis of 131 randomised trials in 11,457 perimenopausal women with anxiety, depression or panic symptoms found medication combined with psychotherapy ranked highest for depression scores, menopausal symptom scores and sleep quality, while no single strategy was best across all outcomes and the control condition ranked best for safety.

    ⚠What it shows: Network meta-analysis of 131 trials (11,457 women) that mostly ranks treatments indirectly using SUCRA probabilities rather than testing them head to head; rankings are sensitive to the quality and comparability of the included trials, symptom scales are subjective, and the finding that untreated controls ranked best for safety reflects side effects of active treatment.Systematic review · Front Psychiatry

    Full breakdown →Pharmacotherapy, acupoint stimulation, and psychotherapy for perimenopausal women with anxiety, depression, and panic disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Front Psychiatry 2026
12. Women's Healthwell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    Exercise lowered inflammation, but volume wasn't the lever

    A meta-analysis of 30 randomised trials in 2,124 overweight or obese postmenopausal women found exercise training reduced TNF-alpha (SMD -0.47) and CRP (SMD -0.36), while IL-6 and adiponectin did not change significantly. Neither total weekly exercise volume nor programme duration showed a clear dose-response, and higher intensity was only borderline associated with larger TNF-alpha reductions (p = 0.063).

    ⚠What it shows: Meta-analysis of 30 randomised trials (N = 2,124) restricted to overweight and obese postmenopausal women, so it does not generalise to other groups. The intensity signal is a borderline meta-regression trend (p = 0.063), not a demonstrated threshold, and the authors' 'intensity threshold' framing goes beyond what that statistic establishes.Meta-analysis · Front Immunol

    Full breakdown →HIIT explained →Heart Rate Zone Calculator →Effects of exercise intensity and volume on systemic inflammation in overweight and obese postmenopausal women: a dose-response meta-analysis. Front Immunol 2026
13. Women's Healthwell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    In women, supplements barely added to exercise gains

    A meta-analysis of 14 randomised trials (763 women across reproductive stages) found that adding protein, amino acids or creatine to exercise produced no significant improvement in skeletal muscle mass, appendicular lean mass, fat-free mass, bone mineral content or bone mineral density; only bench press (g = 0.279) and handgrip strength (g = 0.412) improved significantly, with no increase in adverse events.

    ⚠What it shows: Pooled from just 14 RCTs totalling 763 women, lumping together whole proteins, amino acids and creatine monohydrate, very different compounds, so heterogeneity is high and the null may hide effects of specific supplements. The authors note that trials were mostly shorter than 12 months and lacked site-specific bone measurements, and no head-to-head comparisons exist.Meta-analysis · Int J Med Sci

    Full breakdown →Creatine monohydrate guide →Protein Intake Calculator →Nutritional Supplementation Combined with Exercise for Musculoskeletal Health in Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Evaluating Proteins, Amino Acids, and Creatine across Reproductive Stages. Int J Med Sci 2026
14. Women's Healthpreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    Oestrogen patches for PMS: small benefit, weak evidence

    A Cochrane review of five randomised trials (305 women) found very low quality evidence that continuous oestrogen delivered by patch or implant plus progestogen produced a small to moderate improvement in overall premenstrual syndrome symptom scores (SMD -0.34), while one small crossover trial suggested luteal-phase oral oestrogen was ineffective and might aggravate symptoms.

    ⚠What it shows: Only five RCTs and 305 women in total, with Cochrane rating every comparison very low quality because of attrition bias, imprecision and heterogeneity; the oral luteal-phase finding rests on a single crossover trial of 11 women. No included trial looked beyond 2-8 months, so long-term risks such as endometrial or breast cancer were never assessed.Meta-analysis · Cochrane Database Syst Rev

    Full breakdown →Non-contraceptive oestrogen-containing preparations for controlling symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2017
15. Women's Healthpreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    Vaginal laser eased menopause symptoms in pooled trials

    A systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 randomised trials in women with genitourinary syndrome of menopause found that fractional CO2 laser was associated with improved sexual function, including less pain during sexual activity (standardised mean difference 0.51), and better urinary function including less leakage and urinary frequency (standardised mean difference 0.51), but not with improved vaginal epithelium quality.

    ⚠What it shows: Eleven RCTs pooled, but with mixed comparators, sham laser, topical hormonal treatment or a lubricant gel, and only short-term outcomes, so durability is unknown. The authors themselves state the clinical significance of the changes is unclear, and women with any history of cancer or prior laser treatment were excluded.Meta-analysis · Obstet Gynecol

    Full breakdown →Efficacy of Fractionated Carbon Dioxide Laser for the Treatment of Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Obstet Gynecol 2025
16. Women's Healthpreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    Pill and bone density: good evidence only near menopause

    A systematic review of 75 articles graded the evidence as good for a positive effect of oral contraceptives on bone density in perimenopausal women, fair in premenopausal women with hypothalamic oligo- or amenorrhoea, and only limited in healthy premenopausal women; the ideal formulation and duration remain undetermined.

    ⚠What it shows: A narrative systematic review of 75 articles appraised with Oxford levels of evidence rather than a pooled meta-analysis, and now nearly two decades old; the strongest rating applied to perimenopausal women, while evidence in healthy premenopausal women was rated limited, and the authors call for larger randomised trials.Systematic review · Br J Sports Med

    Full breakdown →Effect of oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy on bone mineral density in premenopausal and perimenopausal women: a systematic review. Br J Sports Med 2006
17. Women's Healthwell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    Pregnancy fitness apps lift steps, not harder exercise

    A meta-analysis of 14 randomised trials in 2,101 perinatal women found digital health interventions significantly increased daily step counts and light physical activity (by 13.04 min/day), but did not significantly shift moderate-to-vigorous activity or sedentary time.

    ⚠What it shows: Meta-analysis of 14 RCTs (n=2,101); the step-count effect reached significance only after excluding outliers via sensitivity analysis, and evidence quality was rated moderate for steps and low for light activity.Meta-analysis · Front Public Health

    Full breakdown →Steps to Calories Calculator →Effects of digital health interventions on objectively measured physical activity during the perinatal period: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Public Health 2026
18. Women's Healthpreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    Menopause may shape exercise's brain benefit

    In a post hoc analysis of a six-month randomised trial in 93 cognitively healthy women aged 20-67, post-menopausal women assigned to aerobic exercise four days a week improved more on executive function than those assigned to stretching and toning, and more than pre-menopausal women.

    ⚠What it shows: Secondary post hoc analysis of one randomised trial, not what it was designed to test: 93 cognitively healthy women aged 20-67 (43% post-menopausal), of whom 76 completed, leaving small subgroups and a real chance of a spurious interaction.Study · J Alzheimers Dis

    Full breakdown →Executive function explained →Heart Rate Zone Calculator →Can menopausal status moderate the effects of aerobic exercise on executive functions? evidence from a randomized controlled trial. J Alzheimers Dis 2026

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